Download or read book A Meaningful Life written by L.J. Davis and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2010-07-21 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: L.J. Davis’s 1971 novel, A Meaningful Life, is a blistering black comedy about the American quest for redemption through real estate and a gritty picture of New York City in collapse. Just out of college, Lowell Lake, the Western-born hero of Davis’s novel, heads to New York, where he plans to make it big as a writer. Instead he finds a job as a technical editor, at which he toils away while passion leaks out of his marriage to a nice Jewish girl. Then Lowell discovers a beautiful crumbling mansion in a crime-ridden section of Brooklyn, and against all advice, not to mention his wife’s will, sinks his every penny into buying it. He quits his job, moves in, and spends day and night on demolition and construction. At last he has a mission: he will dig up the lost history of his house; he will restore it to its past grandeur. He will make good on everything that’s gone wrong with his life, and he will even murder to do it.

Download or read book Toward a Meaningful Life written by Simon Jacobson and published by William Morrow. This book was released on 2017-12-26 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Toward a Meaningful Life is a spiritual road map for living based on the teachings of one of the foremost religious leaders of our time: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Head of the Lubavitcher movement for forty-four years and recognized throughout the world simply as “the Rebbe,” Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who passed away in June 1994, was a sage and a visionary of the highest order. Toward a Meaningful Life gives people of all backgrounds fresh perspectives on every aspect of their lives—from birth to death, youth to old age; marriage, love, intimacy, and family; the persistent issues of career, health, pain, and suffering; and education, faith, science, and government. We learn to bridge the divisions between accelerated technology and decelerated morality, between unprecedented worldwide unity and unparalleled personal disunity. Although the Rebbe’s teachings are firmly anchored in more than three thousand years of scholarship, the urgent relevance of these old-age truths to contemporary life has never been more manifest. At the threshold of a new world where matter and spirit converge, the Rebbe proposes spiritual principles that unite people as opposed to the materialism that divides them. In doing so, he continues to lead us toward personal and universal redemption, toward a meaningful life, and toward God.

Download or read book A Most Meaningful Life written by Trish Laub and published by . This book was released on 2019-02 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Most Meaningful Life tells the story of a daughter's journey through Alzheimer's disease with her father, from her initial awareness of his diagnosis to navigating his care and helping him achieve the good death that we all deserve. It is the story of how Alzheimer's affected her father's life and the lives of those who loved him, as well as the story of her family's successes and failures throughout the journey. With her family's efforts, creativity and desire to preserve their father's quality of life for over a decade, he continued to truly live a meaningful life through his final days. Through the story of her journey, the author offers a new perspective, the determination that even with Alzheimer's, the possibilities are limitless. With a clear philosophy and the creation of a strategy, others can have a roadmap to navigate their loved one's journey so that they have "A Most Meaningful Life."

Download or read book A Wonderful Life written by Frank Martela and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a series of essays that explore the notion of what brings significance to our existences, clarifying why we have this longing beyond the present moment and an insatiable dissatisfaction with where we are, scholar Frank Martela tackles the subject of finding meaning in life. With beautiful decorative elements and an engaging design, the book approaches its subject in a readily digestible form. It grapples with some of life’s most pressing questions, like "Is happiness a worthy goal?" and "What is the foundation for meaning in a secular society?" and "Is life an existential void?" yet Martela answers these questions and more in a relaxed, conversational tone and with a wry sense of humor, placing some of life’s greatest philosophical concerns and quandaries into a modern-day context. Martela quickly and concisely gets to the heart of the matter: your place in the world and how to find meaning in life as countless thinkers and philosophers have done before, yet the emphasis here is on what we do with the life we have and how we can make it more meaningful. Part prescriptive and part armchair philosophy book, A Wonderful Life is accessible to everyone, from the well-read scholar to the apprentice as well as anyone curious about how to extract the greatest meaning and sense of purpose from their existence.

Download or read book Minimalism Live a Meaningful Life written by Joshua Fields Millburn and published by Asymmetrical Press. This book was released on 2015-12-20 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things so we can make room for life's most important things—which actually aren't things at all. At age 30, best friends Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus walked away from their six-figure corporate careers, jettisoned most of their material possessions, and started focusing on what's truly important. In their debut book, Joshua & Ryan, authors of the popular website The Minimalists, explore their troubled pasts and descent into depression. Though they had achieved the American Dream, they worked ridiculous hours, wastefully spent money, and lived paycheck to paycheck. Instead of discovering their passions, they pacified themselves with ephemeral indulgences—which only led to more debt, depression, and discontent. After a pair of life-changing events, Joshua & Ryan discovered minimalism, allowing them to eliminate their excess material things so they could focus on life's most important "things": health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.

Download or read book The Power of Meaning written by Emily Esfahani Smith and published by Crown. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a culture obsessed with happiness, this wise, stirring book points the way toward a richer, more satisfying life. Too many of us believe that the search for meaning is an esoteric pursuit—that you have to travel to a distant monastery or page through dusty volumes to discover life’s secrets. The truth is, there are untapped sources of meaning all around us—right here, right now. To explore how we can craft lives of meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith synthesizes a kaleidoscopic array of sources—from psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists to figures in literature and history such as George Eliot, Viktor Frankl, Aristotle, and the Buddha. Drawing on this research, Smith shows us how cultivating connections to others, identifying and working toward a purpose, telling stories about our place in the world, and seeking out mystery can immeasurably deepen our lives. To bring what she calls the four pillars of meaning to life, Smith visits a tight-knit fishing village in the Chesapeake Bay, stargazes in West Texas, attends a dinner where young people gather to share their experiences of profound loss, and more. She also introduces us to compelling seekers of meaning—from the drug kingpin who finds his purpose in helping people get fit to the artist who draws on her Hindu upbringing to create arresting photographs. And she explores how we might begin to build a culture that leaves space for introspection and awe, cultivates a sense of community, and imbues our lives with meaning. Inspiring and story-driven, The Power of Meaning will strike a profound chord in anyone seeking a life that matters.

Download or read book Meanings of Life written by Roy F. Baumeister and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 1991-01-01 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who among us has not at some point asked, what is the meaning of life?' In this extraordinary book, an eminent social scientist looks at the big picture and explores what empirical studies from diverse fields tell us about the human condition. MEANINGS OF LIFE draws together evidence from psychology, history, anthropology, and sociology, integrating copious research findings into a clear and conclusive discussion of how people attempt to make sense of their lives. In a lively and accessible style, emphasizing facts over theories, Baumeister explores why people desire meaning in their lives, how these meanings function, what forms they take, and what happens when life loses meaning. It is the most comprehensive examination of the topic to date.

Download or read book A Significant Life written by Todd May and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-04-02 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A tour de force. It is a thoughtful, subtle, beautifully written discussion of what it takes to live a meaningful life.” —Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice Throughout history most of us have looked to faith, relationships, or deeds to give our lives purpose. But in A Significant Life, philosopher Todd May offers an exhilarating new way of thinking about meaning, one deeply attuned to life as it actually is: a work in progress, a journey—and often a narrative. Offering moving accounts of his own life alongside rich engagements with philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, he shows us where to find the significance of our lives: in the way we live them. May starts by looking at the fundamental fact that life unfolds over time, and as it does so, it begins to develop certain qualities, certain themes. Our lives can be marked by intensity, curiosity, perseverance, or many other qualities that become guiding narrative values. These values lend meanings to our lives that are distinct from—but also interact with—the universal values we are taught to cultivate, such as goodness or happiness. Offering a fascinating examination of a broad range of figures—from music icon Jimi Hendrix to civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, from cyclist Lance Armstrong to The Portrait of a Lady’s Ralph Touchett to Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler—May shows that narrative values offer a rich variety of criteria by which to assess a life, specific to each of us and yet widely available. They offer us a way of reading ourselves, who we are, and who we might like to be.

Download or read book Meaning in Life and Why It Matters written by Susan Wolf and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-25 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh reflection on what makes life meaningful Most people, including philosophers, tend to classify human motives as falling into one of two categories: the egoistic or the altruistic, the self-interested or the moral. According to Susan Wolf, however, much of what motivates us does not comfortably fit into this scheme. Often we act neither for our own sake nor out of duty or an impersonal concern for the world. Rather, we act out of love for objects that we rightly perceive as worthy of love—and it is these actions that give meaning to our lives. Wolf makes a compelling case that, along with happiness and morality, this kind of meaningfulness constitutes a distinctive dimension of a good life. Written in a lively and engaging style, and full of provocative examples, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters is a profound and original reflection on a subject of permanent human concern.

Download or read book Beyond Happiness and Meaning written by Steven Mintz and published by Ethics Sage LLC. This book was released on 2019-07-02 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Should you make provocative comments on social media? Should you act in your own self-interest and ignore others? How can you develop meaningful relationships in life and the workplace? Should you or should you not? These are the questions of ethical behavior. In Beyond Happiness and Meaning, Dr. Steven Mintz will show you how to make decisions that make life worth living. It goes beyond enhancing our own well-being to improving the lives of others. Life is a contact sport that requires us to leave our comfort zone and engage with others, learn how to do good things, make the right choices, and follow the ethical path. At the end of the journey, you will learn how to transform your life and achieve true happiness and meaning. Unique in its approach and rich with everyday ethical dilemmas, Mintz brings to life the process of ethical decision-making that can improve your life and the life of others and bring back civility to society.

Download or read book Something More written by Randy Hain and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Road Map for a More Meaningful Life Randy Hain's third book offers a much needed guide for any business professional seeking more from life than work alone. In Something More: The Professional's Pursuit of a Meaningful Life, Hain captures the best of what he has learned and observed about how to create a meaningful life, during more than two decades of experience working with business professionals. The book also includes interviews Hain conducted with more than a dozen professional men and women from around the country, all of whom are actively pursuing their own meaningful lives. Their combined and eclectic experiences greatly enrich Something More and offer the reader an authentic guidebook filled with practical wisdom with which readers will connect. After exploring our motivations for the choices we make and the obstacles that get in the way, Hain addresses work/life balance, recalibration of our thinking, serving others, job satisfaction, using our gifts, authenticity, the role of crisis, courage, and the role of faith from a broad ecumenical perspective. This multi-faceted approach will help readers navigate their paths to more meaningful lives, armed with the tools they need for the journey. The thought-provoking discussion questions at the end of each chapter will challenge readers' current perceptions and encourage a different way of thinking about their lives. Something More is ideal for any business or professional person, from new college graduate to retiree. The book is accessible, practical, authentic, and filled with wisdom. Anyone seeking more out of life than a career will find the book helpful, engaging, and inspirational.

Download or read book Answers for Aristotle written by Massimo Pigliucci and published by . This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Philosopher and biologist Massimo Pigliucci uses the combination of science and philosophy to answer questions about morality, love, friendship, justice, and politics.

Download or read book The Wisdom of a Meaningful Life written by John Bruna and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rich and multilayered guide that offers readers accessible wisdom and practical methods to cultivate deeper satisfaction in everyday experiences. In contrast to stimulus-driven pleasure, contentment comes from living a life of meaning that aligns with one's values. The author identifies the common traps people fall into looking for happiness that actually create stress, worries, and fears, and offers authentic mindfulness-based solutions to counteract them. The increasing popularity of secular mindfulness in the United States mainstream has unfortunately produced a variety of teachings that water down and misunderstand this important philosophy and approach to living. Mindfulness is often reduced to concentration exercises and a simplistic definition of being aware of the present moment. In nearly all secular presentations of mindfulness, it is taken out of the rich context of the Three Higher Trainings (ethics, concentration, and wisdom) of Buddhism in which it was originally taught. The unique feature of this book is that it maintains the substance of the entire teaching as a program that is accessible to people of all spiritual traditions or no spiritual tradition. John Bruna is a counselor, mindfulness and spiritual teacher, and Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) in California. In 2005, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan tradition through the Gaden Shartse Monastery in India. In 2012, he became a Certified Cultivating Emotional Balance Mindfulness Teacher via the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. Currently, John is the director of the Way of Compassion Foundation and cofounder of the Mindful Life Program.

Download or read book Wake Up and Change Your Life written by Andrew G. Marshall and published by Health Communications, Inc.. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your old life has been turned upside down. Perhaps your partner has threatened to leave, you've discovered infidelity or your relationship has completely broken down and you're determined not to make the same mistakes again. Maybe, you've simply taken stock and decided your life doesn't work any more. Whatever the background, deciding to change is a really positive move. However, willpower alone isn't enough—nor sweeping declarations of how 'this time it will be different'. To combat bad habits, procrastination, a partner who is sceptical or parents, friends and family who can't see anything but the 'old you', you'll need to make changes that are both deep down (to tackle the hidden factors that are trapping you) and long-lasting (so you don't slide back into the old ways). Marital Therapist Andrew G. Marshall has brought thirty years' experience helping couples and individuals to create a proven plan for change. In this compassionate book he explains: Why real change is harder than you think. The six unhelpful myths about change that are holding you back. How to take control of your past. The importance of developing everyday calmness. How to discover your true life path. Nine simple maxims to lock in the change.

Download or read book Seven Secrets of a Meaningful Life written by David Housholder and published by Broadstreet Publishing. This book was released on 2014-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everyone looks for happiness and meaning in life. But how do we ever arrive at this goal? Author David Housholder unlocks Seven Secrets to find momentum and purpose in all areas of life.

Download or read book 10 Foundations for a Meaningful Life No Matter What s Happened written by Pam Cordano Mft and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2020-01-14 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IT'S ONE THING TO WANT A MEANINGFUL LIFE; IT'S ANOTHER TO KNOW HOW TO CREATE ONE. In this personal, wise, and generous book, Pam Cordano, MFT outlines 10 Foundations anyone can follow to build a meaningful and joyful life, despite loss and suffering. Drawing from her personal story as the first woman in four generations not to lose a baby to authorities, Pam shares insights from her beginnings as a perpetual outsider, to her young adulthood as she struggled with addiction and aimlessness, to her awakening at 46 years old when she finally and definitively chose life. Pam was deeply moved by Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. In it he wrote, "It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us." These words provided the impetus for Pam to find out what life was asking of her. She devoted herself to discovering how to live a life of meaning, and how to help others do the same. Based on her work with cancer patients, widows, and adoptees, this book distills the day-to-day methods to get unstuck and find meaning, no matter what's happened. AMONG PAM CORDANO'S MOST VALUABLE INSIGHTS: Why we can heal only when we're in Direct Experience How responsibility bolsters true freedom How to tap into the wisdom of our Future Self How to distinguish between our Coping Identity and Essence Identity Why Meaning is the only antidote to despair

Download or read book Most Good Least Harm written by Zoe Weil and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-01-06 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a world steeped in materialism, environmental destruction, and injustice, what can one individual possibly do to change it? While the present obstacles we face may seem overwhelming, author and humane educator Zoe Weil shows us that change doesn't have to start with an army. It starts with you. Through her straightforward approaches to living a MOGO, or "most good," life, she reveals that the true path to inner peace doesn't require a retreat from the world. Rather, she gives the reader powerful and practicable tools to face these global issues, and improve both our planet and our personal lives. Weil explores direct ways to become involved with the community, make better choices as consumers, and develop positive messages to live by, showing readers that their simple decisions really can change the world. Inspiring and remarkably inclusive of the interconnected challenges we face today, Most Good, Least Harm is the next step beyond "green" -- a radical new way to empower the individual and motivate positive change.