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The Real Meaning of Life (Paperback)

by David Seaman (Editor) "When I started attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, my parents made me do a work-study program..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)


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Editorial Reviews

Review
"... full of gems by real people ... who think there are indeed solutions to our problems." -- Terry McMillan, Washington Post Book World

Product Description
Unlike most personal growth books, The Real Meaning of Life is not written by an expert, nor is it the culmination of painstaking self-study or a sudden breakthrough. The book collects the insights of everyday people who responded to David Seaman’s simple query, "What is the meaning of life?" typed into an online forum on a laptop at Starbucks. To his surprise, a flood of responses came. Some suggested "boobies and beer," but Seaman found that most were much more thoughtful — so much so that he created a website and now this book to collect the best of them. From thousands of respondents — including Buddhists, born-again Christians, atheists, waitresses, students, and recovering heart attack patients — come incredibly diverse wisdom that can be aphoristic ("Be grease, not glue"), philosophical ("There is no point to life, and that is exactly what makes it so special"), or whimsical ("Me, I'm going snowboarding").

Product Details

  • Paperback: 308 pages
  • Publisher: New World Library (August 24, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1577315146
  • ISBN-13: 978-1577315148
  • Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #213,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Inside This Book (learn more)
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When I started attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, my parents made me do a work-study program. Read the first page
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United States
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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4 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Anyone 8-108 Years Old, October 19, 2005
By David LaVigne (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
This book starts out with a great introduction which captivates and also helps the reader relate. How many of us have been stuck writing a term paper and floated into a chat room for advice?
The responses Seaman garners out of the chat rooms and from friends and family are timeless and charming all the same. It puts life in perspective, and brings oneself down to Earth to remind us of what's really important.
This is a short read and can be enjoyed by children and adults.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellently Original Attempt at Answering an Age-Old Question, September 29, 2005
This sometimes witty, sometimes poignant, sometimes introspective attempt at responding to one of man's oldest querries leaves the reader with both answers and questions. Neither intensely prescriptive nor overly profound, Seaman's book offers responses and ideas from people of different ages, theological backgrounds and philisophical standpoints. The book seeks not only to provide answers to this question, but also to plant further seeds of personal investigation in the minds of its readers. More than any other book I've read in my life, this book makes me think. This book will make you laugh and cry, and maybe even reconsider the meaning of life as you know it.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent, unique opportunity to understand your fellow man, November 25, 2005
This is a collection of a couple of hundred opinions on the meaning of life. They're short arguments, typically a paragraph or two. They come from common, everyday people. That's what makes it unique, and an excellent learning experience: you can peer into what your fellow man thinks about life.

After all, you've already heard and read what famous thinkers, scientists and philosophers have to say on the subject. But often these brilliant minds fail to influence the public sphere, fail to alter the course of human existence.

For while they may make claims about the nature of truth, if we as a majority don't accept this truth, then it usually doesn't influence the course of human events. It's the people, the six billion of us, that have the real power. (Example: the average man voted for Bush. Twice. With that power, they changed the course of human history.) That's why it's absolutely fascinating to get a perspective on what the average person thinks is the meaning of life.

It's these ideas, contained within this book, that guide and explain the course of humanity's actions. And you'll be amazed at these ideas: many of them blatant offenses to logic, that not even the most liberal philosopher would be able to find a publisher for. Gross fallacies, bumbling inconsistencies and circular logic roam freely throughout. What you're getting is not wisdom on the actual meaning of life; it is wisdom on what your fellow humans believe.

However crazy they may be, these collections of ideas are guiding our world. That's what makes this a tremendously important book. Because if enough people believe that something is the truth, then it becomes the truth. So read this book to find out what people think the truth is.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy David Seaman pens a masterpiece
This is a great book full of wonderful stories. However, the book is only half of it, the author is my focus. He is a dead sexy intelligent stud. Read more
Published on April 6, 2006 by Amanda Warco

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting!
David was faced with an assignment for his class and to his amazement this assignment turned into a book as David asked a question on the internet, "What is the meaning of life? Read more
Published on October 21, 2005 by Shirley Priscilla Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible read
Most people I know don't really care for "self-help" books-myself included. They always seem a bit quirky. Read more
Published on October 16, 2005 by Jimmy

5.0 out of 5 stars worth a read
This is what I call a great bathroom book. You can read any part of it in any order at any time. Full of small insights and blurbs about what life is. Read more
Published on September 14, 2005 by Ryan M. Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this one!
This book draws you in from the very first sentence you read. David writes an honest and enticing introduction that won't let you put it down. Read more
Published on September 13, 2005 by Jeanette Beigel

4.0 out of 5 stars pi
The intro is correct, it isn't a self-help book nor a text book but more of a "market place of ideas." A discussion almost of what people think. Read more
Published on September 13, 2005 by Ramya Sankar

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