On Life

‘Do you believe we can know the truth about all things, or are there things we simply can never know the truth about?’ This quote from On Life captures the spirit of the book. In it, four friends — Director, Friend, Artist, and Scientist — pursue, in short dialogues, the truth about such topics as love, happiness, madness, belief, and pleasure. The characters engage in serious inquiry, but in a lighter way, a way that allows them to hunt truths concerning life — without burning out.

This is useful philosophy: discussions of ethical questions and puzzles of life, in every-day language, without special terminology or complicated thought experiments. Each character in the book brings a distinct view to the topics addressed, enhancing the overall picture of the various themes.

The book is well suited to the many of us who lead a harried life with compressed reading time available. The book can be read through at once or savored briefly, again and again. It’s accessible to younger readers, while those with a philosophy background can also enjoy the way it treats familiar themes with a lighter touch.