A review by paulataua
How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment by Skye Cleary

3.0

My admiration of de Beauvoir’s philosophical prowess and my life long struggle with the concept of authenticity were the two things that made this book an essential read for me. The fact that Cleary started by pointing out that authenticity is a problem concept and that facticity is a limiting factor in achieving authenticity looked promising. However, the fact that she applied little rigor to either concept meant that whatever points she made after that, however meaningful, however interesting, did not necessarily spring from those concepts. I enjoyed the initial chapter, felt supportive of much of the ‘self help’ proposals, but everything became a little too repetitive and mildly disappointing.