Sarah Bakewell
Born: April 03, 1963 – Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom
Sarah Bakewell is a British writer and biographer whose work centers on philosophy, intellectual history, and literary lives. She is best known for How to Live, a study of Montaigne, and At the Existentialist Café, an accessible history of existentialism that broadened popular interest in modern philosophy.
Biography & Author's Journey
Sarah Bakewell, born in Bournemouth in 1963, came to authorship by an unusually indirect route. Her parents, a bookseller and a librarian, took her traveling almost from infancy; she spent part of her childhood in Australia after the family drove there through India, then returned to Europe by way of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. After irregular schooling she studied philosophy at the University of Essex, started a PhD on Martin Heidegger, left it unfinished, worked in a tea-bag factory and in London bookshops, and later completed a postgraduate degree in artificial intelligence. The decisive turn came at the Wellcome Library, where she spent about a decade cataloguing and curating early printed books. ((https://sarahbakewell.com/about/))
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Popular Books
At the Existentialist Café
Sarah Bakewell
A spirited journey through 20th century existentialism, exploring the passionate encounters and revolutionary ideas of iconic philosophers.
How to Live
Sarah Bakewell
Explore Montaigne's timeless wisdom through twenty answers to life's fundamental question, blending biography, philosophy, and self-help insights.
Humanly Possible
Sarah Bakewell
A sweeping exploration of humanism through history, celebrating freethinking, intellectual inquiry, and the shared human experience across centuries.
At the Existentialist Café
Sarah Bakewell
A spirited journey through 20th century existentialism, exploring the passionate encounters and revolutionary ideas of iconic philosophers.
How to Live
Sarah Bakewell
Explore Montaigne's timeless wisdom through twenty answers to life's fundamental question, blending biography, philosophy, and self-help insights.
Humanly Possible
Sarah Bakewell
A sweeping exploration of humanism through history, celebrating freethinking, intellectual inquiry, and the shared human experience across centuries.
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Study existentialism basics
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Philosophy, especially existentialism
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Community Voices
"Sarah Bakewell unknots complex philosophical thought with verve and wit"
— Windham-Campbell Prizes
"I've long admired Sarah Bakewell's extraordinary talent for breathing life into philosophy"
— Oliver Burkeman
"Sarah Bakewell's prose remains lucid and warm no matter how challenging the ideas she's dissecting"
— The Boston Globe
"Sarah Bakewell writes elegantly, and her affection for her subject comes over strongly"
— The Independent
"Sarah Bakewell's books are always a joyous education"
— Robin Ince
"Sarah Bakewell cleverly breaks away from chronology to explore the fundamental questions of living"
— Cerise Press
"Sarah Bakewell is expertly equipped to tell us the story of existentialism"
— The Guardian
"Sarah Bakewell takes us on a 700-year tour of humanism"
— The Washington Post
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
