praise for Existential Despair

“McDaniel's book is truly exceptional, like nothing else out there.  He teaches you how to love again, to wonder, to embrace uncertainty and sadness, and be challenged  by just breathing.   This book is about opening yourself up, feeling deeply, being vulnerable and breathless and awkward, and pushing your own limits.  McDaniel guides you by recommending great modern literature, reading them cover-to-cover with no distractions, no notes, no accomplishing, only to embark on a humanistic voyage that will lead….who knows where.  But like the great teacher he is, McDaniel is confident it will be enlightening and magical in the way all true self-discovery is.” 

–Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D.- Dr. Emanuel is the most widely cited bioethicist in history with over 350 publications.  He has authored or edited 16 books. His newest book, Eat Your Ice Cream, was published this year on January 6, 2026.

“Existential Despair: A Guide to Sad Books” is a manual for how to survive a culture that has replaced quality with quantity, relation with isolation, wisdom with platitudes, and the pleasure of learning with dull work. Justin McDaniel’s answer is a lively tour of sixteen books as urgent reading for the art of living.”

-Siri Hustvedt-Siri Hustvedt is the author of a book of poetry, three collections of essays, a work of non-fiction, and six novels, including the international bestsellers What I Loved and The Summer Without Men.

“Many students have told me that Justin McDaniel’s course on existential despair has changed their lives for the better. This book is your chance to audit his class, and it’s brimming with moving reflections on some of the greatest literature you’ve never read. In an era when we’re starving for humanity, it’s the dose of the humanities that we desperately need.”

~Adam Grant- #1 New York Times bestselling author of VIBE and THINK AGAIN, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking

Student Testimonials from the UPenn course Existential Despair

“…The complex ideas we faced in each novel had me reflecting on my actions, intentions, and morals in a subtle yet effective way…Tuesdays from 4-midnight became a highlight of my week and set the theme for what quality of existence I would reflect on for that week.”

“This has been the best class I have ever taken at Penn (this was my 7th semester). Every week I looked forward to this 8h break from technology and everything else where I would be 100% focused and dedicated to this class. I strongly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to take Existential Despair to do so.”

“I not only learned about great novelists and great novels, but also about what it is to process grief and meander through the intricacies of life without being numb to life.”

 "This was one of the best courses I have ever taken –– Professor McDaniel is phenomenal, and the experience of reading, being focused, making connections with other peers, and discussing larger ideas about life over the course of 7 hours is unparalleled.

"I don't think I will ever have another learning experience that even rivals this one. Professor McDaniel is exceptional. He shares so much of himself with us, and he creates a safe space for his students to fully express themselves. I appreciated every book we read. I will recommend this course to every person I talk to. The books will make rounds with family and friends. I wish it didn't end."