Not to start out here, first thing, with existential angst — but the fact is that there’s no road map for living. There are important texts to light the way: the Tanakh, the New Testament, the Quran, Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic, The New York Times Magazine. These contain some good ideas, and some questionable ones. Then there are role models who lead by example — Mandela, Scorsese, perhaps your parents and grandparents — offering a wide angle view of how it’s done, bits of wisdom and hands-on lessons. When you wake up each day, though, hopefully before noon, it’s on you to formulate a plan and make the most of your time. This is the good news. We’re into it. We like to do things. And while we’re not trying to muscle out the Tanakh or your grandfather, we’ve got some ideas about how to make your life better. 30 of them, to be exact. It’s the GP Guide to Life: a full month, starting tomorrow, of (mostly) no-nonsense how-to guides, complete with step-by-step instructions and original photos, covering everything from how to care for your boots to buying art to taking down an assailant swiftly and decisively. On second thought, get the hell out of here, grandpa.
