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So shortly after I finished university, some 15 years ago now, maybe a little less,

I discovered a book and the name of that book was The Antidote.

And I think that the logline was something like happiness for people who can't stand positive thinking.

And this title really appealed to me for a number of reasons.

I was looking for some self-help, I suppose you could say.

During that time, I'd just broken up with a girlfriend who'd been with for some years, so I was feeling in a bit of a dark place, but then also this title, happiness for people who can't stand

positive thinking. I think, if I'm being honest with myself, I was in a bit of a nihilist

kind of place at the time, and unlike today, I would have described myself staunchly as

an atheist and a materialist. And so the energy of this book was exactly what I needed at the time. And contained within this book was

the beginning of my journey into my profound adoration of the exploration of philosophy.

And whilst this book, I wouldn't say, is directly a philosophy book, it contained certain

philosophical ideas, chapter by chapter, sort of in a way that eased you into concepts that would help you

think in a different way. And this was the first time I'd ever actually decided to put any concerted

effort into reading a book of this kind.

And in fact, I wasn't a huge reader before this point.

And I still remember now the profound excitement in the revelation of the importance and the usefulness of the ideas that I took from

...