On the Meaning of Life Paperback – March 15, 2005

This book is powerful! It is an examination of why we face up to life when absolute despair prompts us to suicide.It questions what is ultimately meaningful about human existence. This is a sober work without cliches and stock answers.Will Durant was one of the great writes of the last century. This work is an essay by him and comments by some of the worlds great thinkers, artists and politicians on his question: what makes life meaningful when death, illness, and the loss of faith crush all hope?This is an elegant work that is provocative and deeply moving.If you like Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Melville you will groove on this book!

Will Durant wrote this book about 90 years ago. It is timely now, as it was then. While there is no clear answer to the eternal question, Durant gives the reader much to ponder in both a philosophical and practical way. Nice reading in those moments of solitude in the cold early hours of winter.

Over 30,000 people commit suicide every year in the United States alone. Many people have suffered psychologically until they can take no more and others just find no reason to live any longer in a troubled world. What makes a person want to keep living? Is it simply a will to live or have most people found meaning in their existence despite the suffering and trials of life?This book is the result of a letter sent out to 100 or so individuals, asking them to explain life's meaning and how they found meaning on a personal level. Why does hope and faith disappear for some leaving them skeptical, while others embrace belief in God and find comfort?Will Durant seems to have been a little disillusioned himself when writing this book. The way he views humanity through a mostly negative lens is very telling. As he asks – Can men bear to live without God?Don't believe everything you read in this book, especially the letter by H.L. Mencken. God is far from preposterous once you get to know him and Christianity is filled with beautiful realities of sacrificing for love. John Erskine seemed more logical and says that spiritual life is as natural as our physical life.The letters I enjoyed most in this book were the ones by Ernest M. Hopkins who mentions that Jesus came to earth to give life more abundantly and John Haynes Holmes who explains in his letter that we are co creators with God. Ernest Dimnet's letter is beyond thoughtful and really speaks the truth as he takes the author to task!Some of the women's letters show a deep understanding of what life is really about and they mention love and beauty as guiding principles in their lives.The crowning moment in this book is when Will Durant states that we should stop complaining about each other in the world and begin to root out the evil in our own hearts. This is great advice because humans are really on a journey to spiritual perfection – in Christianity it is called sanctification. But how can we follow this advice without a belief in God and God's help?Will Durant however thinks it is ridiculous that God should be anything like a man, but if he had read the Bible properly and carefully he would have seen that man was created in the image of God and not the other way around! But he did believe in God and truly saw the reality of the human condition. However he failed to emphasize all the good people have done, all the charitable organization and hospitals and churches teaching people how to love God and their neighbors. So overall, this book is pessimistic and does not present much of the good in the world. For that you will have to read another book!So what does this book say is the meaning of life? Really there are two opinions. One shuns religion, the other embraces it. My own opinion is that life is about learning to love God and our fellow humans. The goal is to feel unconditional love as God does. Most who come back from the dead agree with this totally. Jesus told us these things in ancient days and they are still true. Jesus said the truth will set you free. A relationship with Jesus is what brings true happiness. This book discusses that very briefly but it is well worth researching further.A book to read along with this one is DONE by Cary Schmidt. It will give you peace and the hope of heaven.Also, this book was written in the 30s and today there is a lot of solutions for those who are depressed and suicidal as there are medications which can really help brain chemistry. There are also Christian psychologists who can really assist a person through talk therapy and biblical wisdom.I would say this book is interesting in order to see two opinions on what makes life meaningful or not. I read it to gain an understanding of what real people think in the real world. I hope the author made his way back to his faith in the end. I hope the people who wrote the skeptical letters also found Jesus in the end. Because that is all that will matter in eternity.~The Rebecca Review

The author might have said, “Let’s do everything we can to help humanity understand itself, by reading, interpreting and explaining history, philosophy, religion and their enemies. And when we’re done we’ll ask some “smart” folks what they find makes their lives meaningful and print their answers. Reading them will instruct and enlighten people. Then at the end I’ll put down what gives my life meaning, in the most beautiful prose I can compose. What do you think of that idea, Ariel?”

Though somewhat dated, with answers from people we no longer know, Will Durant’s probing questions about life’s meaning still resonate today. Worth reading for its gems, both surprising wisdom where it is not expected — a tennis player, a convict, a movie producer — and from the wisest of the wise in his time.

This is a good book, with very interesting insights provided by very different people about their views on the meaning of life. Some of the ideas presented are wise ones, however the author's own idea what somewhat dissapointing. Still, I would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.

This book is a must read. I like the author open mind and humility to ask to great and famous people of his time on the meaning of life.There no pretentiousness to answer the question that for me has no answer or no provable and irrefutable answer, however the book offers enough perspectives of multiple answer of the question to allow one to reach its own "conclusion". For me it gave me a sense of relief to some extent and granted me a higher sense of purpose to continue living a happier and more purposeful life.I highly recommend for those that have an open mind.

All good