A Reflection after Reading a Self-Help Book

I recently read a self help book, or, I would call it, more precisely, a how-best-to-get-through-life book. I knew it wouldn’t be frothy or gimmicky, because it was written by a philosopher on the faculty of a renowned university. The author displayed impressive erudition, but I didn’t find his book to be illuminating. After finishing it, I thought: What’s needed is not another compendium of quotations, anecdotes, and scholarly references, but a checklist of what to attend to whenever you make a major decision. I understand that the airplane pilots have such a checklist that they follow when taking off and landing. I think that what’s needed is a how-best-to-get-through-life book that can fit on half a page. I’m making one, and plan to post it in this space. I assume that many people would want to modify it or rewrite it completely. That’s all to the good. My view, based on experience, is that checklists may differ, but everyone could use one.