Alain de Botton is the bestselling author of How Proust Can Transform Your Life, as well as a number of other fiction and nonfiction works. He is well-known for making difficult philosophical and artistic topics understandable to a broader audience. De Botton established the School of Life, a series of lectures in London that aims to apply academic knowledge to real-life situations. Following the school's popularity, the concept was expanded into The School of Life book series. De Botton is a British author who lives and works in London.