If This Isn't Nice, What Is?: Advice for the Young (MP3 CD)

This collection gathers nine graduation speeches delivered by Kurt Vonnegut at various universities between 1970 and 2004. Recorded for audio, these essays center on the value of ordinary contentment and the necessity of community in a fragmented world. Vonnegut advocates for extended families, the practice of simple kindness, and the recognition of "the good times" while they are happening. He rejects the pursuit of material wealth, instead highlighting the dignity of artistic expression and the duty of educated citizens to protect the environment and maintain democratic sanity.

Readers who find themselves discouraged by modern cynicism or the pressure of professional achievement often turn to these addresses for perspective. The book provides a practical framework for living without bitterness, focusing on the small, immediate joys of existence. Listeners gain a sense of moral clarity and a reminder to notice moments of peace amidst global chaos. The text offers a distinct set of secular ethics based on humor and humanism, leaving the reader with a clearer sense of how to navigate adulthood with integrity.