Why do we bother? What is the meaning of life?

- These two questions are very much connected.

Deep meaningful conversations were had with lots of people. Some philosophers, some ordinary folk. I wanted to see if these ideas held up. I compiled them into a book back in 2003. Then rewrote it in 2004. Still unhappy with it, I edited and improved it over and over. This is the distillation of all those discussions. The seventh edition 2025.

Understanding what drives us, what drives every one of us, is quite insightful. It is the starting point of all psychology. Everything we do, is in some way linked to our deep-seated drives. We couldn’t function without them. They make us do good, do bad, be co-operative and try to be helpful towards one another. They make us explore and feel good. They even explain why you are reading this now.

You can read here online, get a paperback, or download a copy.

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