James M. Russell

The Good Place is an amusing TV comedy about the ethics of spending one's time watching amusing TV comedies. It's particularly good in that it gives the sense of having learned something with each episode, maybe even to have become a better person. One can watch it like Chidi, taking careful notes on the philosophers cited; like Eleanor and maybe learn to be a better person; like Tahani, to find new philosophers to name-drop; or like Jason, and just laugh at the flying giant shrimp.

In a way, this book is course notes on the TV show. For a light comedy, it really does throw some big ideas at the audience. Some are explained, others can barely hint at more than a name. This book goes a little further, and you can leaf backwards in it. The ideas here are some of humanity's biggest ideas ever, so don't be afraid to have to read a few bits twice.

The book is a light read and although it's better read just after watching the show (Watch the show, it's well worth it), it also makes perfect sense in isolation. It doesn't even throw too many spoilers. I would have preferred (half a star) a bit more depth to it, but I can see why it's pitched here and it's probably about right.… (altro)