Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life
John Kaag
(Author)
Description
From the celebrated author of American Philosophy: A Love Story and Hiking with Nietzsche, a compelling introduction to the life-affirming philosophy of William James
In 1895, William James, the father of American philosophy, delivered a lecture entitled Is Life Worth Living? It was no theoretical question for James, who had contemplated suicide during an existential crisis as a young man a quarter century earlier. Indeed, as John Kaag writes, James's entire philosophy, from beginning to end, was geared to save a life, his life--and that's why it just might be able to save yours, too. Sick Souls, Healthy Minds is a compelling introduction to James's life and thought that shows why the founder of pragmatism and empirical psychology--and an inspiration for Alcoholics Anonymous--can still speak so directly and profoundly to anyone struggling to make a life worth living. Kaag tells how James's experiences as one of what he called the sick-souled, those who think that life might be meaningless, drove him to articulate an ideal of healthy-mindedness--an attitude toward life that is open, active, and hopeful, but also realistic about its risks. In fact, all of James's pragmatism, resting on the idea that truth should be judged by its practical consequences for our lives, is a response to, and possible antidote for, crises of meaning that threaten to undo many of us at one time or another. Along the way, Kaag also movingly describes how his own life has been endlessly enriched by James. Eloquent, inspiring, and filled with insight, Sick Souls, Healthy Minds may be the smartest and most important self-help book you'll ever read.Product Details
Price
$22.95
$21.11
Publisher
Princeton University Press
Publish Date
March 17, 2020
Pages
224
Dimensions
5.4 X 8.1 X 0.8 inches | 0.85 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780691192161
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About the Author
John Kaag is the author of American Philosophy: A Love Story, which was named a New York Times Editors' Choice and an NPR Best Book of the year, and Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are, which was also an NPR Best Book of the year. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Harper's Magazine, and many other publications. He is professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and lives in Carlisle, Massachusetts. Twitter @JohnKaag
Reviews
Characteristically elegant. . . . [Kaag] questioned the meaning of life. William James answered.---John Williams, New York Times Book Review
A highly readable summary of [William] James' life and thoughts.---David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
Kaag's reading of James is as elucidating as readers have come to expect from him. Once again, he writes in a clear, focused, and winningly self-aware style that makes friends of James and himself for anyone who wonders if life is worth living. A book in which Kaag further carves out his niche in philosophy: personal, practical, and crucial.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Pithy and exacting. . . . Kaag, who by his own admission is 'not always entirely sold on life's value, ' writes with the fervor of on determined to hear life's higher notes. . . . in these anxiety-inducing times, it may be worth testing the buoyancy of James's existential life preserver.---Heller McAlpin, Wall Street Journal-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Masterful. . . .Truly a pleasure to read.---Mark D. White, Psychology Today-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Encountering William James at the right moment feels like making a friend who knows what you need to hear for your own good and can deliver it without making you defensive. At least that has been my own experience of reading him over the years, and Sick Souls, Healthy Minds left me with a much better sense of how and why James can have that effect.---Scott McLemee, Insider Higher Education-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Kaag writes movingly. . . . This is a tough, honest book that offers no easy answers. . . . Kaag acknowledges that our passage through life is fraught with risks, but those risks always include the chance of happiness.---Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Club-- "Kirkus Reviews"
A highly readable summary of [William] James' life and thoughts.---David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
Kaag's reading of James is as elucidating as readers have come to expect from him. Once again, he writes in a clear, focused, and winningly self-aware style that makes friends of James and himself for anyone who wonders if life is worth living. A book in which Kaag further carves out his niche in philosophy: personal, practical, and crucial.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Pithy and exacting. . . . Kaag, who by his own admission is 'not always entirely sold on life's value, ' writes with the fervor of on determined to hear life's higher notes. . . . in these anxiety-inducing times, it may be worth testing the buoyancy of James's existential life preserver.---Heller McAlpin, Wall Street Journal-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Masterful. . . .Truly a pleasure to read.---Mark D. White, Psychology Today-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Encountering William James at the right moment feels like making a friend who knows what you need to hear for your own good and can deliver it without making you defensive. At least that has been my own experience of reading him over the years, and Sick Souls, Healthy Minds left me with a much better sense of how and why James can have that effect.---Scott McLemee, Insider Higher Education-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Kaag writes movingly. . . . This is a tough, honest book that offers no easy answers. . . . Kaag acknowledges that our passage through life is fraught with risks, but those risks always include the chance of happiness.---Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Club-- "Kirkus Reviews"
