On Purpose: Ten Lessons on the Meaning of Life

by Ben Hutchinson

Ten brief essays on how reading and meaningfully engaging with literature can help us live better, more purposeful lives. How do we live successfully? How do we live fully? Identifying the meaning of life and where we are heading preoccupies all of us at some stage or another. Who better to help us articulate this sense of direction than the most articulate people among us? Writers and thinkers, Ben Hutchinson suggests in this sparkling new book, help us reflect on purpose. Interweaving his own (mis-)adventures with those of major authors such as T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf and R.M. Rilke, Hutchinson proposes ten ways in which reading and writing encourage us to ask difficult questions, project our minds into the past and future, and see ourselves and others differently. Engaging and aphoristic, this book is for anyone who finds themselves wondering how to live more mindfully, more forcefully – more fully.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published December 19, 2023

Reviews

[Tom Mooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Well, there's plenty to think about in this interesting look at literature but overall I found both the book and particularly the narrator too pompous.

[Cristina Golubovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to read again but I feel like I got a lot out of the first read

[D.J. Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a book on literature and purpose. He talks about why reading and writing are so important to life, while discussing the general purpose of living that seems to be a central question for all.

It's really good, but definitely not for everyone. I like to read and write, so hearing a guy say reading and writing is good is like an academic handy. So nah, not for everyone. If you find purpose in things other than reading or writing though, you probably wouldn't stumble upon this book anyways.

[Ravi Warrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it articulates the necessity of reading and forming a habit of doing it regularly and frequently much better than I have been able to in the past several years.

But it lost a star because at times I found it unnecessarily verbose than it should have been.

[Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Liang Yen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating is a little harsh and probably unfair, but the first 2 chapters were really good. I think this was a 4-5 star if it was just an essay. The remaining chapters felt shoehorned. I did take away a line that I think will stay with me forever, so thank you Mr Hutchinson. I hope to read promiscuously for the rest of my life.