Life: A User's Manual: Great Minds on the Big Questions

by John Miller (Editor)

Who am I? What am I doing here? Is there a God? What is life? This inspirational collection of short writings, quotes, and journal excerpts explores the joys, sorrows, and meanings of life -- and helps provide some answers.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published July 21, 1998

Reviews

[Kristine Vance · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of these essays are worth reading, but naturally some are more memorable and intriguing to me than others. I especially enjoyed, and am still thinking about "Religion" by Zora Neale Hurston, "When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough" by Harold Kushner, and "Christmas 1992" by Isabel Allende. My favorite quote in the book comes from Allende's piece about her response to her daughter Paula's death:

"In this year of torment I had gradually been letting go: first I said goodbye to Paula's intelligence, then to her vitality and her company, now, finally I had to part with her body. I had lost everything, and my daughter was leaving me, but the one essential thing remained: love. In the end, all I have left is the love I give her."

This struck me because I usually think of love as a powerful gift that I am blessed to receive. Allende made me think of love differently, as something that most fully "belongs" to me when I give it. The ability to love someone else is the real blessing. Isabel Allende's love for her daughter lives on even though her daughter is gone, and through that love, her daughter also lives on in her life. It is not so much the love that others feel for us that blesses us as it is the love we feel for them. I tend to think of love as a gift given to me by someone else; this piece by Allende has made me consider the idea that what love I feel for someone else is at least as much a gift to me as to the one I love.

This is a wonderful book for browsing since there is such a variety of viewpoints and a wealth of good writing. I will no doubt go back to it again -- it's full of challenging thoughts, beauty and wisdom.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very quick read with short essays on Search, Love, Faith, Meditation and Death by some well known authors and some lesser known people. I picked up the book hoping for some insight on what this life is all about and how to feel less adrift and to make more of our short time here and found some very inspiring essays. I enjoyed the essay by Harold Kushner so much that I plan to read more by him. This book was a nice little "appetizer" that will lead to more substantial reading and exploring.

[Bigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past few months, this book has helped me get through some very emotional times. It was given to me by a good friend and it's become one the best gifts I could've ever gotten. It was right on time.

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I thought I was requesting the Georges Perec book when I got this from the library. Some interesting short essays about life, grouped together by topic, some good, some not.

[Huyen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ordered Marcel Proust's Life and betterworldbooks delivered this to me!!!

[is that Barron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I think it touched in the important thoughts and feeling we as humans go through on life and this was a great combination of essays and writing out together in one book. I gave it 4/5 because I thought it could’ve been longer but nonetheless it’s still a good read.