The Little Book on Meaning: Why We Crave It, How We Create It

by Laura Berman Fortgang

A wise and passionate meditation on what truly matters in life.

As a prominent self-help author and a pioneer in the field of life coaching, Laura Berman Fortgang has spent decades helping people figure out what they want to do with their lives. And so it was a bit of a surprise when a theme she heard repeatedly from her clients emerged in her own thinking and would not be Her work didn't feel as "meaningful" to her as it once had. It was one of those big realizations one has from time to time. The funny thing was, though, that it turned out the "solution(s)" to her problem were actually quite small . . . .

In The Little Book on Meaning , Fortgang reveals that while our hunger for a "meaningful" life can be enormous, our desire for meaning is usually satiated by small, bite-size morsels of meaning-the little, almost incidental events or "achievements" that comprise the fabric of our lives. According to Fortgang, meaning is where you look for it and through tenderly drawn stories from her own life and the lives of those around her, she shows readers how they too can peek around corners to discover the small elements of their lives that truly matter. Where are some of the easiest places to look? Fortgang takes readers through five other "M words" beyond the godfather of them all-Meaning-that will serve as markers on the

* Many of us are so busy searching for answers that we fail to consider the questions.
* Caring for others can be the best thing we can do for ourselves.
* If we will just open our eyes-and truly look-beauty and purpose are everywhere!
* Tangled up in our thoughts, we lose the experience of the moment.
* Learning to see the world through the eyes of a mystic, suddenly everything holds meaning.

The Little Book on Meaning is an invaluable guide and companion for anyone seeking greater meaning and purpose in their life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

218 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 2009

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Not a whole lot of new information, most has been repeated elsewhere and in a more interesting fashion to me. This wasn't bad, just not my style.

[Blanca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really had no idea what the author was going on about half the time. Tried to finish it, couldn't--just wasn't for me.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can understand other reviewers finding the book a bit too new-agey, but I liked that aspect. My motivation for such a high rating is that the author is honest in mentioning her own story, as examples that I was able to relate to easily, not some wifty, theoretical nonsense mired in "principles" and such.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a thoughtful reflection by an interfaith minister. Unfortunately, it seems to emphasize meaning, the author reveals some of her own rather depressing, bizarre behavior that may emphasize her message to some, but was not necessary to add value to the message.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Getting ready to read it again. The perfect book to start the new year with new resolutions.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some really great sections, but other parts got a bit too "new age-y" for me. Worth reading, though.

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find meaning somewhere else.

[Katharine Holden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Depressing. A very dreary outlook on life.

[ML · Rating 2 out of 5]

Difficult to get into.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book on the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble some time ago. Trying to work through some books on my shelf.

A feel good think about life type of book.

I especially liked the section on meditating. She talks about finding out the truth about ourselves when we slow down to mediate. She talks about the Buddha talking to 3 different people about God and giving 3 different answers according to what they "needed" to hear. Because it was in these moments of silent that the people could have an Ah Ha moment. Something that can't be said or shown, one has to experience for oneself. She shared a study about Monks that have brain waves 30 times more than the normal person.

She talks about we often don't have the words to say when a friend has a loss or we are happy, but when we are angry the feelings rise to the surface and there is no shortage of words.