A Life Worth Living
In full disclosure, the author asked me to read this book. As I paged through the beginning pages I found myself smiling and feeling good. Rarely do I read a book written by an academician, in this case, philosopher, that is written simple enough to be understood by persons outside of the discipline –and A Life Worth Living is.
What I like about the book is that it is well researched, synthesized, and written. I like to read in large blocks and read the first half of the book first. My favorite quote is found near the 100-page mark:
Let us be prepared to explore, investigate, and respect wise counsel wherever we may find it, irrespective of cultural, historical, or geographical origins. . . We may find connections uniting us at greater depths than we had previously fathomed.
When I came back to finish the remainder of the book, I was totally lost. I did not understand many of the stories and metaphors. I did not understand the context or relevance of much of the material to the first half of the book. In fairness to the author, the book is a series of essays, however, the final essays on God, life, death, and suicide confused this reader. I am giving the book my highest rating because I enjoy a challenge. I like to read and understand but it also pushes me intellectually to ponder the meaning of words and thoughts. Also, I am grateful that the work is in the public domain and not in some scholastic journal, many of which are never read by the masses. A Life Worth Living is worth reading!
