The Sunny Nihilist | Chronicle Books
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The Sunny Nihilist

A Declaration of the Pleasure of Pointlessness
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Wendy Syfret
An examination of a traditionally pessimistic concept of living that will redefine what we place importance on—and leave us happier because of it.  Disillusioned with the search for meaning? If career success, a beautiful life, and a bea...
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"Rehabilitating overachievers can find further justification in Wendy Syfret's The Sunny Nihilist."
—Publishers Weekly

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An examination of a traditionally pessimistic concept of living that will redefine what we place importance on—and leave us happier because of it. 

Disillusioned with the search for meaning? If career success, a beautiful life, and a beautiful Instagram account are meant to make us feel safe and happy, why does this generation remain defined by stress, burnout, and obsessive individuality? Award-winning writer Wendy Syfret examines how meaning pervades our modern experience of work, love, religion, and wider society, and asks whether a touch of upbeat nihilism could actually lighten our loads. The Sunny Nihilist dismantles our self-care and self-centered way of living and instead asks readers to consider the alternative. Freed from the burden of meaning, we can simply enjoy our lives and build more pleasant societies for each other.

  • FOR READERS OF: How to Do Nothing, Everything Is F*cked, F*ck Feelings, Calm the F*ck Down, and The Antidote.
  • TIMELY TOPIC: The past year’s events mixed with the future’s giant question mark of where we go from here has brought a space on the bookshelf for a topic like nihilism. When the world changes in unfathomable ways, it becomes apparent that some things matter less than you thought. Syfret’s upbeat take on how freeing that can be will transform readers’ stress into happiness.
  • A REBELLIOUS TAKE ON POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: This positive mindset on a traditionally negative philosophy will take teens, Gen-Zers, millennials, and Gen-Xers away from an era defined by stress and social media and toward one that is defined by putting importance on our un-importance in the universe. For fans of Mark Manson.
  • A GREAT GIFT: Perfect for a friend or family member who has been under stress, burnout, or questioned their purpose. This is a funny, uplifting spin on the pessimist’s way of looking at life and is guaranteed to be a fun gift for any occasion.

The perfect book for:

  • Inspiration seekers
  • People who click on “you are not your job” articles on LinkedIn
  • Career-driven folks looking for better balance
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Size: 5.5 x 8.25
Age Range: Chronicle Prism
Publication Date: 01/04/2022
ISBN: 9781797215808
01/04/2022

"Syfret’s creative use of nihilism to dismiss the 'meaningful' values and activities of normal society is engaging and potentially useful to anyone who feels trapped by those standards and willing to rethink their own priorities."
—Dr. Michael Bennett and Sarah Bennett, New York Times bestselling authors of F*ck Feelings

"An honest, urgent, but also totally chill and non-dreadful call to find the mirthful in the meaningless. Syfret makes me proud to call myself a sunny nihilist."
—Amanda Montell, author of Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language and Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

"Rehabilitating overachievers can find further justification in Wendy Syfret's The Sunny Nihilist."
Publishers Weekly

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