Why liberalism is all you need to lead a good, fun, worthy, and rewarding life—and how you can become a better and happier person by taking your liberal beliefs more seriously Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life , many of us are liberal without fully realizing it—or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it’s the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values—our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold. A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media—from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you’ll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal—including generosity, humor, cheer, gratitude, tolerance, and peace of mind—and practical exercises to increase these rewards. You’re probably already waist-deep in the waters of liberalism. Liberalism as a Way of Life invites you to dive in. "A New Yorker Best Book We've Read This Year" "Stirring and clarifying." ---David Brooks, The New York Times "Richly erudite and thoughtful. A lot of this book is fun, and none of it is frivolous." ---Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker "Daring and engrossing…. At last, someone has developed a rigorous, unsentimental vocabulary with which to probe the relationship between the moral and political strains of the liberal tradition." ---Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post "At a time when liberalism is under assault from multiple quarters in the U.S. and around the world, Lefebvre offers a rousing case that liberalism is not only the best political system, but also a spiritual touchstone that makes for a rewarding life, warm relationships and a thriving society." ---Suzanne Nossel, New York Times "A mind-bending effort to bring Rawlsian soulcraft back to life. [Lefebvre’s] highly entertaining book presents difficult ideas in an engaging and humorous way." ---Daniel A. Bell, Times Literary Supplement "Warm and inspiring… A humane and spirited defense of the (left)-liberal good life." ---Matt McManus, Jacobin "Lefebvre’s idea of liberalism is a bit like Flaubert’s depiction of the author as God in his universe – present everywhere, and visible nowhere…as much of the philosophy [of liberalism] may be under threat (the rise of the far-right, illiberal democracies everywhere), [Lefebvre] is, often humorously, optimistic." ---Steven Carroll, The Sydney Morning Herald "[ Liberalism as a Way of Life ] helps us understand what a future liberal revival might look like.”" ---Zack Beauchamp, Vox "In this spirited defense of liberalism, Lefebvre celebrates the ordinary, everyday virtues of life in a free and open society . . . a sensibility that should be celebrated, cultivated, and embraced as an ethical vision for daily life." ---G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs " Liberalism as a Way of Life [is] a fascinating and remarkably cheerful sermon addressed at those who claim to believe in the radical, liberal moral adventure of our times but still need to be properly converted to realize the profound spiritual implications of their adventure." ---Ferenc Laczó, Contemporary Political Theory "Lefebvre’s book manifests many virtues. The author writes amiably and gracefully. His erudite and accessible arguments distill the main points of complex theories and bring them into focus with arresting examples and vivid analogies. His humor disarms and his self-deprecation charms. … And he captures in multiple formulations and from numerous angles liberalism’s core commitment to that free and generous spirit that discerns the common humanity and unique individual in every person." ---Peter Berkowitz, Real Clear Politics "In his new book Liberalism as a Way of Life , the scholar Alexandre Lefebvre comes out swinging. Yes, he says, liberalism promotes values—and they are awesome values! It teaches freedom, fairness, and reciprocity, which are among the best values out there." ---Jonathan Rauch, Persuasion "The book is an ode to joy and duty—a claim that to be more just, more fair, and more open is a good in itself and something we should strive to do." ---Sam Mace, Liberal Currents "Lefe