Jordan B. Peterson - Beyond Order

Dr Jordan B. Peterson is the bestselling author of 12 Rules for Life, which has sold more than five million copies worldwide. After working for decades as a clinical psychologist and a professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto, Peterson has become one of the worlds most influential public intellectuals. His YouTube videos and podcasts have gathered a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions, while his book tour reached more than 250,000 people in major cities around the globe. With his students and colleagues, Dr Peterson has published more than one hundred scientific papers, and his 1999 book Maps of Meaning revolutionized the psychology of religion. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his family.

Enlightening Petersons rules are an attempt to locate people within society, to acknowledge the systems and structures that have long existed and, instead of seeking to tear them down, encourage his readers to find their most functional position within them Andrew Anthony, Observer

The highly anticipated sequel Full of sensible, humane advice hes saying what isnt being said Melanie McDonagh, Evening Standard

Gratitude, he says, is something in which you can discover part of the antidote to the abyss and the darkness. As I read this last line, I found myself saying amen. And I realized what Jordan Peterson really is. He has suffered more than most of us. He has seen the abyss. And he has emerged from it not a top public intellectual but a highly driven, intelligent, complex and deservedly successful preacher Lucy Kellaway, Financial Times

In telling us that life is suffering (as all major religions do) and that the goal is to find meaning rather than happiness, he does have something to say wisdom combined with good advice. Peterson comes across as an empathetic non-judgmental listener Suzanne Moore, Sunday Telegraph

Part quest, part adventure, part lecture and part polemic Theres masses of passion, masses of wisdom and a deep, deep yearning for us all to seek beauty, truth and meaning Peterson has sometimes glimpsed and is desperate for us to find. He has had tens of thousands of letters from people who say he has helped them to find it. How many writers can say they have done that? Christina Patterson, Sunday Times

Reliably thought-provoking, often engrossing Peterson has a sharp eye for the vagaries of human nature, and he can be a compelling storyteller, especially when narrating his own experiences and those he has observed from life. There is wisdom in Beyond Order, of the kind that used to be called common sense Jenny McCartney, UnHerd

Beyond Order showcases Petersons extraordinary gift for storytelling, as well as for extrapolating complex psychological themes and deriving lessons and meaning from them in ways lay readers can understand A delight to read Peterson is a world class communicator Beyond Order is a compelling and ultimately life-affirming read for anyone willing to challenge their own ideas and face up to the untapped potential in their lives Greg Jameson, Entertainment Focus

The 12 new rules are clearly laid out with a mix of literature, mythology, philosophy, religion and psychology used to support the significance of each Its worth reading to equip you to live a more purposeful and a more meaningful life Stella OMalley, Irish Independent

An astonishingly illuminating look at the human condition. Rule by rule, he digs into the cornerstones of our psyche and culture as he seeks to explain why we behave the way we do Hannah Gal, Quillette

Peterson is a deep thinker with tremendous powers of articulation and a captivating sense of wonder. A master storyteller, he draws on a multitude of sources, including his personal life, clinical practice and long marriage to enlighten readers about the fundamentals of human behavior and our civilization. Beyond Order is a call for action and self-improvement. It is a mind-blowing journey where the lessons learnt are lessons for life Jerusalem Post

To my wife, Tammy Maureen Roberts Peterson, whom I have loved deeply for fifty years, and who is admirable, in my estimation, in all regards, and beyond all reason.

The Fool: Inspired by Pamela Colman Smith, The Fool, from the Rider-Waite Tarot card deck, Rider & Son (1910).

Materia Prima: Inspired by Hermes Trismegistus, Occulta philosophia (1613). Also from H. Nollius, Theoria philosophiae hermeticae (Hanoviae: Apud P. Antonium, 1617).

St. George and the Dragon: Inspired by Paolo Uccello, Saint George and the Dragon (ca. 1458).

Atlas and the Hesperides: Inspired by John Singer Sargent, Atlas and the Hesperides (ca. 19221925).

Fallen Angel: Inspired by Alexandre Cabanel, Fallen Angel (1847).

In our Communal Farm: Inspired by B. Deykin, In Our Communal Farm, There Is No Place for Priests and Kulaks (1932).

Apprentice: Inspired by Louis-Emile Adan, Apprentice (1914).

Irises: Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh, Irises (1890).

The Temptation of St. Anthony: Inspired by Martin Schongauer, The Temptation of Saint Anthony (ca. 14701475).

The Love Drink: Inspired by Aubrey Beardsley, How Sir Tristram Drank of the Love Drink (1893).

Satan: Inspired by Gustave Dor, Satan, from John Milton, Miltons Paradise Lost, with illustrations by Gustave Dor (London: Cassell & Company, Ltd., 1905).

St. Sebastian: Inspired by Martin Schongauer, Saint Sebastian (ca. 1480).

It is a perplexing task to produce a nonfiction book during the global crisis brought about by the spread of COVID-19. It seems absurd, in some sense, even to think about anything else but that illness during this trying time. Nonetheless, binding all the thoughts contained in any current work to the existence of the pandemicwhich too shall passseems like an error, as the normal problems of life will return at some point (and thankfully) to the forefront. That all means that an author of the present day is inevitably going to make one mistake (concentrating too much on the pandemic, which has an uncertain life span, and producing a book that is instantly dated, in consequence) or another (ignoring the pandemic, which is very much like failing to attend to the proverbial elephant under the rug).

After considering this, as well as discussing the issues with my publishers, I decided to write Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life according to the plan laid out for it several years ago, and to concentrate on addressing issues not specific to the current time (thus, to risk the second error rather than the first). I suppose it may also be the case that those who have chosen to read this book or listen to the audio version might be relieved to turn their attention to something other than the coronavirus and the devastation it has wrought.