A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence

Written by Frank Martela

Narrated by Steve Edwards

In a series of essays that explore the notion of what brings significance to our existences, clarifying why we have this longing beyond the present moment and an insatiable dissatisfaction with where we are, scholar Frank Martela tackles the subject of finding meaning in life. 

With beautiful decorative elements and an engaging design, the book approaches its subject in a readily digestible form. It grapples with some of life’s most pressing questions, like ""Is happiness a worthy goal?"" and ""What is the foundation for meaning in a secular society?"" and ""Is life an existential void?"" yet Martela answers these questions and more in a relaxed, conversational tone and with a wry sense of humor, placing some of life’s greatest philosophical concerns and quandaries into a modern-day context. 

Martela quickly and concisely gets to the heart of the matter: your place in the world and how to find meaning in life as countless thinkers and philosophers have done before, yet the emphasis here is on what we do with the life we have and how we can make it more meaningful. Part prescriptive and part armchair philosophy book, A Wonderful Life is accessible to everyone, from the well-read scholar to the apprentice as well as anyone curious about how to extract the greatest meaning and sense of purpose from their existence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Mar 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062942784

Frank Martela

Frank Martela, PhD, is a philosopher and researcher of psychology specializing in the question of meaning in life. His articles have appeared in Scientific American Mind　and Salon and his work has been featured on Quartz and on the BBC. His research　has been published extensively in numerous academic journals such as Journal of Personality, Journal of Positive Psychology, Journal of Happiness Studies,　Metaphilosophy, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Motivation & Emotion, and　Organization Studies. He has spoken to more than one hundred audiences worldwide, including invited lectures in universities on four continents, including　Stanford University and Harvard University. He’s been interviewed by the New York Times, Fitness, Vice News, and Monocle Observer among others. He is based at Aalto University in Helsinki. frankmartela.com; Twitter: @f_Martela

Reviews for A Wonderful Life

[david_schutz_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first two parts of this book is a good overview of philosophy and the history of the question of the meaning of life. After that it becomes a self-help book. The author’s “secret“ is that we should seek meaning in life and not the meaning of life. Immediately one suspects that this is a trite answer. He reduces the meaning of “meaning“ in the last half of the book to value, purpose, or happiness. how to attain it is largely based on psychological research. A philosopher will not be satisfied with this.