Absurde Overvloed: Waarom Het Zo Moeilijk Is Om Gelukkig Te Worden (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I picked this one up in the American Bookstore in Amsterdam to read while on some work travels. I've never laughed out loud like this while reading a book of philosophy. I also have rarely been so moved by the prose of a work of non-fiction.Foley takes a tour of the things that make us unhappy, shows why we spend much of our time doing the opposite of what might make us happy, and gives a few hints regarding new paths to take if we want to improve our outlook on life and ourselves. It's not a self-help book, but maybe it should be. Or rather, this is what self-help should strive to do, which is to give more understanding and insight and less pat answers to impossible problems. Sages and seers have wrestled with the human condition for millennia. There is no secret that answers all of the mysteries of our existence. Foley offers a more enlightened solution which is to engage in that wrestling match with vigor and zest and enjoy the process until the day we finally succumb.For me, it was the perfect book at the perfect time in my life. It is a call to slow down in some areas and strive harder in others. The most applicable message is that there is joy in the hard work of life, something I've always found true for myself.When I set off to sail around the world (my life's ambition), the goal will not be to get anywhere. Or more precisely, the goal will be to get right back to my point of departure. Going in a giant circle, just as Sisyphus rolls his rock up and down a hill, is the point of the thing. What will matter is being one with the sea, aiming for the horizon, having quiet time with my wife, our Kindles full of books, a few storms ahead of us, sure, but a few spectacular sunrises as well.Rare are the books that say the things we feel in our hearts but are unable to put into words. This is one such book. I'm already reading it again. This book was hard to rate as it was crammed full of interesting information however, most of it was over my head. Due to the huge amount of information, it was written in a style that spent little time exploring one idea before moving on to the next. Usually, I prefer to have time to digest information. It also could have been better laid out with perhaps some sub-headings to break the chapters up and better guide the reader. When all is said and done, I think perhaps this book would be something I would need to read several times to garner all of the information.
What do You think about Absurde Overvloed: Waarom Het Zo Moeilijk Is Om Gelukkig Te Worden (2010)?
Very enjoyable. Depressing and cconsoling by turns. An awful lot of unfashionable common sense.
—kjk3070
Very interesting and insightful read. No pompousness, just plain, simple and thought provoking
—Michiboom145
More style than substance, and not much style at that.
—NikkiOfTheFae
The title says it all; a most thought-provoking read.
—saame
