The Search for Meaning in Life - A Book Discussion
Book Discussion with Jeff Coomer
January 11, 18, and 25
How can we find meaning and purpose in a world filled with suffering and conflict?
It’s a question nearly everyone asks at some point in their life, and an excellent
place to look for guidance is Man’s Search for Meaning, the classic book by psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl. Published
in 1948, the book has sold more than 16 million copies and continues to be an inspiring
story of love and resilience in the face of adversity. Though the book’s first section
recounts Frankl’s experiences in the concentration camps, his focus is less on the
horrific details of what he faced there than on the perspective of those who managed
to survive and move on from what they encountered. The second section of the book
is an overview of logotherapy, the psychiatric approach Frankl developed based on
the premise that humankind’s central motivating force is the need to find meaning
and purpose in life. In this section, Frankl offers practical advice for how to overcome
the challenges of difficult situations and live a more authentic and fulfilling life.
This course will be a three-part discussion of Man’s Search for Meaning, which is readily available in libraries and bookstores.
