Meanings of Life

By Roy F. Baumeister

Book Overview

Who among us has not at some point asked, what is the meaning of life?'' In this extraordinary book, an eminent social scientist looks at the big picture and explores what empirical studies from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 089862763X
• ISBN13: 9780898627633
• Release Date: August 1991
• Publisher: The Guilford Press
• Length: 426 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Revealing and Thought Provoking

Read this book for a tutorial class called "Construction and Maintenance of the Self". Baumeister conveys his theoritical perspective on the meaning of the self (and its implications on the meanings of life)in a highly accessible and convincing manner. He argues from the perspective that the self is a social construct and that in the West, the meanings that have been put into the construction and maintenance of this self have created a burden on the individual. The stress associated with maintaining this concept of self can be used to explain why people engage in behaviors such as alcholism and sado-masochism. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in concepts of the self and its relation to (what Baumeister would not consider) self-disruptive behaviors.