12 Rules for Life

An Antidote to Chaos

By: Jordan B. Peterson, Norman Doidge MD

Narrated by: Jordan B. Peterson

Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.

Humorous, surprising, and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.

What does the nervous system of the lowly lobster have to tell us about standing up straight (with our shoulders back) and about success in life? Why did ancient Egyptians worship the capacity to pay careful attention as the highest of gods? What dreadful paths do people tread when they become resentful, arrogant, and vengeful? Dr. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure, and responsibility, distilling the world's wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 Rules for Life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith, and human nature while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its listeners.

©2018 Jordan B. Peterson (P)2018 Random House Canada

Critic reviews

“Jordan Peterson, has become one of the best-known Canadians of this generation. In the intellectual category, he’s easily the largest international phenomenon since Marshall McLuhan.... By combining knowledge of the past with a full-hearted optimism and a generous attitude toward his readers and listeners, Peterson generates an impressive level of intellectual firepower.” (Robert Fulford, National Post)

“Like the best intellectual polymaths, Peterson invites his readers to embark on their own intellectual, spiritual and ideological journeys into the many topics and disciplines he touches on. It’s a counter-intuitive strategy for a population hooked on the instant gratification of ideological conformity and social media ‘likes,’ but if Peterson is right, you have nothing to lose but your own misery.” (Toronto Star)

“In a different intellectual league.... Peterson can take the most difficult ideas and make them entertaining. This may be why his YouTube videos have had 35 million views. He is fast becoming the closest that academia has to a rock star.” (The Observer)

This is my favorite self-help book I have ever read!

In this book, I found what I have been lying to myself about. I have been trying to climb my way up the dominance hierarchy by being successful in the world’s eyes. I’ve been trying to raise my status to make me more attractive to a potential wife. I’ve been doing this by being successful in business, eating healthy, reading books, working out, trying to gain fame, and becoming surface level friends with high status individuals. However, I realized in this book that a lot of it is a farce. I have mainly been doing these things to avoid doing the hard work that terrifies me: deep, meaning relationships. This book isn’t really about that, but a good part of it is about cleaning out your own closet before you try to save the world. I think anyone can read this book and realize another dragon they have been ignoring. I am going to start it again soon, and I have already made hard moves and had challenging conversations towards cleaning up my personal relationships. Maybe a year from now I will actually be someone that someone great wants to marry instead of just looking like someone who is. Thank you Jordan Peterson.

Best audiobook I have ever bought

This is by far the best audiobook I ever bought. Very deep, authentic and healing. I want to give the highest recommendation that I have ever given to any audiobook.

Clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson's advice!

Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychology professor who believes in free speech and is opposed to forced politically correct speech. He has a huge Internet footprint. I have followed him for several years. 12 Rules for Life presents 12 rules for living a good life. Peterson elaborates very extensively on each of the twelve rules. Peterson has many interview videos which can easily be found with a web search. He is, as I was already aware, strongly opinionated. The book earns 5 stars despite the author's uneven narration.

12 Rules for Life is not really comparable to NYU social psychology professor Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind (one of the best and most enlightening human psychology books ever written), but there are some common topics. Peterson and Haidt have been friends for more than 20 years and they share great concern about the battle against free speech on university campuses. The Peterson and Haidt joint videos are consistently outstanding.

Peterson and Haidt share grave concern for the loss of First Amendment rights to free speech on university campuses. Greg Lukianoff, the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), has joined their efforts to restore free speech on university campuses. (Lukanoff is actually the leader in the fight.) Haidt and Lukinoff will release a book on the topic in July. The title is The Coddling of the American Mind. The book is available for pre-order at Audible.

Haidt's The Righteous Mind was released six years ago. It is available at Audible. I reviewed it several years ago and I highly recommend it.

Psychology and Philosophy... not self help

This book is better as an audiobook. It is narrated by the author himself, and he wrote it the way he speaks.

Phenomenal book. A great guide in a time without a good structure to fall back on in Western Civilization..

likely to challenge your thinking

interesting to hear this in the author's voice with his inflections and emphasis. Some points easy to accept, and some challenges to my thoughts and behavior over my own lifetime. Not a feel good book, but very pragmatic and straight speaking. interesting framing of the chapters and the lead ins. most memorable term? "willful blindness"

superb! heartfelt, practical, thought provoking.

Excellent story telling, with wisdom and humor. I highly recommend this book!
As a matter of fact, im going to listen to it again right how! peace out!

Not a flawless book, but good advice for life

Jordan Peterson has become a lightning rod for controversy following his frustrating encounters with the popular press. After listening to this book, it’s clear that this says a lot more about the media than it does about JBP.

With fairness to the (non political) critics, Peterson is a little verbose and has several chapters that boarder on too biblical and too preachy; the caveat for this comes from JBT himself. I personally found myself wondering if there are intelligent people who disagree with his conclusions. Unfortunately, Sam Harris and the other members of the intellectual darkweb (who I love) rarely venture into Peterson’s world of biblical archetypes so there appears to be no intelligent counter to his views.

However, The 12 Rules for Life, hits hard with facts and conventional wisdom for how to live a fulfilled life; an important book for today’s topsy-turvy, hyper sensitized world. Overall, there is nothing profound, but plenty of interesting things that will make you question if you’re living your life to the fullest.

This Centuries best Philospher

Im not sure if he is considered a philosopher as much as a Dr of psychology but either way I felt I learned so much about life in a different way that I have ever before. His ability to take subjects and draw them out in stories amazed me. It took a minute to understand what he was getting at in the first chapter, but once it hit it hit hard and I was addicted to it. I put my weekend on hold and I binge listened to this book. I made up every reason possible to be able to listen to it. I mostly use audio books to fill my time while driving, but I wanted to keep listening to this so much that I just walked my dog for hours. its that good.

Most important book I’ve read this decade.

Saw this book on my parents’ coffee table & assumed it was a trite top-ten list style self-help book. Boy, was I wrong.
The depth of Peterson’s exploration into the problems we encounter is astounding. His search through the historic, mythic, literary, and scientific ways humans have attempted solutions is evidence that he takes this quest seriously.
This is the book I would recommend to any friend searching to live a better life.

A true source of inspiration and deep thinking.

Be prepared to look into yourself when reading this book,
think long and hard.