An invitation
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Talking about big questions, searching for the meaning of life is no picnic. Of course, Baggini has not written this cute little book to actually provide THE answer - he is merely browsing through the options. He shortly discusses every very potential answer, leaving plenty of room for the personal thoughts and ideas of the reader. However, at certain points in this book, Baggini's evaluation remains a little to 'basic' - to my taste.
In other words, What's It All About is a nice read (in the train, on the beach), but mainly to give your mind some interesting ideas to philosophize about. If you read this book just to take notice of the many meanings people can find in their lives, chances are you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, if you use each chapter as a starting point for your own thoughts, you'll certainly appreciate this book.
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Compact grand tour of the subject
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A small volume that provides food for thought about the big issues. One small gripe would be that, like most philosophers, Baggini tends at times to think that knowledge can be acquired merely by thinking very clearly. This does provide a very good starting point but is insufficient. For example, Descartes tried it with 'I think, therefore I am'. Clear thinking can demonstrate the wrongness of his conclusion that nothing else but god could be verified, it is true, since clearly the language Descartes wrote this in is a social construct and he couldn't have used it in a world comprised only of himself. However, science can disprove even his first observation. Sufferers from Cotard's syndrome have a sense of identity and autobiography but believe they have ceased to exist - 'Am I dead?' they ask. Baggini dismisses the conclusions of evolutionary biology in the same way that Descartes might be supposed to dismiss the conclusions of modern neuroscience. However, much of the fun of reading philosophy is that it provides a challenge to think and Baggini's well-argued and usually crisp text does that well. Baggini takes on a big theme in a few pages and the overall result is a gem with few obvious flaws.
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What's it all about? Your on your way to finding out after finishing this book
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Excellent. The question to what is the meaning of life, as Julian Baggini states, involves not just one question but many. This book informs the reader that this life has meaning in itself and we don't have to wait to transcend this world (which many religious people believe) to eventually understand 'What's it all about?' We ourselves have the power of determining our own purposes in life, and it does not have to be left up to some higher power to assign it to us.
In the brilliant chapter 'Lose Your Self' Baggini give a great, witty critique to those 'spiritualist' who think that they can transcend their body and mind, loosing the sense of self in favour of some 'higher reality'. If you really want to lose yourself, as Baggini says, 'then that can be arranged - it's called death.' And for all those who are constantly reminding people to have an open mind, Baggini gives a great little educational lesson in the same chapter: that if we are ever going to get anywhere at all then not just an open mind is needed but also a little narrowing of the mind is too. For if your mind is too open then your brains will fall out.
Informative, well reasoned, clearly written, and a joy to read.
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No self-help-manual - a well-balanced philosophical guide
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With this book Julian Baggini continues to qualify himself as a contemporary successor of Bertrand Russell. In a clear and entertaining prose he shows us the contribution philosophy and philosophers can make, if we look for the meaning of (our personal) life. Baggini blows metaphysical fog away but doesn't oversimplify. Let me mention especially chapter 4 "Here to help", where he discusses the proper place altruism may have in a meaningful life. "If the meaning of life is to help others, then only those doing the helping can lead meaningful lifes. The people being helped are thus mere instruments to the end of giving purpose to the altruists." (p. 65) Baggini doesn't deny the importance of altruism but emphasizes that altruism makes sense in defending values which go beyond itself. "Becoming a contender" (chapter 7) is an extraordinary good read too. Here Baggini follows more or less the old bumper sticker saying "Life's a mountain not a beach" but pleads for not choosing a mountain of exaggerated height in relation to your personal capacities. "To raise a happy family, or live your life pursuing your passion, no matter which recognition you get, should be seen as a success." (p. 123) That's a good example for the overall line of differentiated common sense the book follows. In criticizing the promises of ideological and religious beliefs (see especially chapter 9 "Lose your self") there is also a strong democratic and egalitarian commitment in the book: you don't need (or even more: beware of) any guru or esoteric knowledge to find the meaning of your life - just look and struggle yourself.
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Powerful, persuasive, and highly readable.
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What a powerful book. Baggini dissects all the thoughts and ideas we might hold about what life means to us: "Seize the Day!", religious belief, transcendence through meditation. Each idea is thoroughly examined with great clarity and dispensed with as being the meaning of life. I won't ruin the conclusion of the book for you but it is both human and convincing, placing greater responsibility on you. If you like the style of Alain de Botton's popular philosophy books (e.g. Status Anxiety) this is similarly clear and readable but far more persuasive and tightly argued.
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