Be

This inspiring little book guides readers to focus on three ways to fight the""demon of emptiness"" that the author sees afflicting contemporary life: being oneself, being happy and being one with the world. In short, snappily written chapters, using anecdotes and personal perspective, Ping (Do) shares an outlook that he was able to adopt after financial and personal tragedies forced him to re-evaluate his own life and his place in the world. This book reads like a great conversation you might have with yourself; it encourages the reader to explore life and find those things that bring happiness and fulfillment. The advice offered doesn't purport to be""the truth,"" but tries to stimulate thought toward discovery of what it is about each individual life that matters most. According to Ping, we shouldn't waste our lives doing things that don't afford us pleasure; instead, we should find things we're most passionate about (as opposed to things we merely enjoy or use for escape) and let them drive our lives to fulfillment. While the text doesn't offer groundbreaking insights, Ping's advice is useful and well structured. Part guidebook, part workbook, it suggests numerous exercises, such as making a list of the things one is passionate about or writing one's eulogy. Overall, the goal is to show that happiness is the responsibility of the individual.