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126 reviews for:
The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness
Emily Esfahani Smith
3.92 AVERAGE
126 reviews for:
The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness
Emily Esfahani Smith
3.92 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Listened to the audiobook during workouts. Very typical well written scientific non-fiction positive psychology. I enjoyed listening to the book and the many stories and ample information and statistics the author used. Beyond that, I can't critique. It's a solid book and worth a listen or read.
I was intrigued by the title of this book, but also worried that it would be yet another cheesy feel-good self-help book with obvious tips like "Be grateful" or "Be kind to others." Fortunately, this book was not mainstream or cheesy in any way. I really enjoyed how the author used research from many sources including religion, sociology, psychology, and medical studies to explore how we can live a life of purpose and meaning. According to the author, there are 4 themes of living a life of meaning. They are: belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence. The author uses real life stories to demonstrate these 4 pillars. Some stories were a little involved and not as interesting to me, but I still feel that this book was worth reading -- it was thought-provoking, uplifting, and made me think about life in new ways.
The book also explores ways in which people can find meaning/a sense of purpose even in retirement and in the later years of life and describes the difference between a happy life and a meaningful one. This book has tons of interesting ideas and insights.
The book also explores ways in which people can find meaning/a sense of purpose even in retirement and in the later years of life and describes the difference between a happy life and a meaningful one. This book has tons of interesting ideas and insights.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A very interesting book, if you have the paper edition be ready to underline passages with a pencil because its full of quotes that will make you think.
Her book presents interesting concept and research supports. However, there's a lot of redundancy throughout the book - to the point where i got anxious. Sometimes she would go on and on, bringing up 4-5 stories just to illustrate one main idea. It's almost like she gathered all of the randos' life stories and research, put them in separate boxes (each pillar of meaning), and then couldn't decide what to cut out.
A book with the existentialists, eudamonia, Will Durant, the Moth, and Viktor Frankl is clearly a book for me. I'm always a little suspicious of the more "mystical" aspects of positive psychology, so I'm glad that the focus was on actual scientific studies and historical philosophical ideas. A life of meaning through love of others, good works, and storytelling is something I can get behind. And while I never thought of it directly before, the idea that some unhappiness (or at least less happiness in the fleeting emotional sense) is the trade off for depth makes a lot of sense. Further, the main argument of this book seems to be that the most meaning comes from our connections to other people, and the world in general. As a person who has struggled many times with a feeling of isolation, this is a realization that I've slowly been coming to on my own. It's nice to see it reflected in print. This is just a wonderful book that I'm grateful to have found. On a final note, how did Will Durant write a book about the meaning of life and I never knew it? To MelCat!
I received a copy of this book through Bookstr/The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautifully written book. Uplifting and inspirational, Smith focuses on how meaning is derived from four pillars and how a person can gain a sense of purpose in his or her life. I really enjoyed that Smith uses anecdotes as well as scientific research studies to demonstrate the four pillars. It makes the reading interesting as well as informative. She also draws upon other sources such as philosophy, literature, and religion to give a brief history of how meaning has been perceived by humans throughout time. This is a wonderful book and a fascinating read. There is a great deal of information regarding how to make life more meaningful and develop a purpose in life.
This is a beautifully written book. Uplifting and inspirational, Smith focuses on how meaning is derived from four pillars and how a person can gain a sense of purpose in his or her life. I really enjoyed that Smith uses anecdotes as well as scientific research studies to demonstrate the four pillars. It makes the reading interesting as well as informative. She also draws upon other sources such as philosophy, literature, and religion to give a brief history of how meaning has been perceived by humans throughout time. This is a wonderful book and a fascinating read. There is a great deal of information regarding how to make life more meaningful and develop a purpose in life.
Research paper / lit review style - not for me! I liked the conclusion but barely any of it was the author's opinion.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced