The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters

For anyone exhausted or disillusioned by the perpetual pursuit of personal happiness, here is the antidote: a book about the pursuit of meaning, a better route to a fulfilling life.

We have a lot to be happy about. And yet, we're more dissatisfied than ever. In The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith argues that we've been chasing the wrong thing. It's not happiness that makes life worth living--it's meaning.

Drawing on the latest cognitive science research, as well as insights from literature and philosophy and her own prodigious reporting, Smith shows that by developing a "meaning mindset," we can all achieve a deeper satisfaction.

With a warm, assured voice that moves effortlessly from George Eliot and Aristotle to Monty Python and Louis C.K., Smith spells out the four pillars of the meaning mindset: cultivating connections to others, working toward our life's purpose, telling stories about our place in the world, and finding transcendence. And she shows us how we can lean on the pillars in difficult times, and how we might begin to build a culture of meaning in our families, our workplaces, and our communities.

Stirring, inspiring, and story-driven, The Power of Meaning will strike a profound chord in anyone seeking more in life.