Be Not Afraid of Life: In the Words of William James

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A compelling collection of the life-changing writings of William James.

William Jamespsychologist, philosopher, and spiritual seekeris one of those rare writers who can speak directly and powerfully to anyone about lifes meaning and worth, and whose ideas change not only how people think but how they live. The thinker who helped found the philosophy of pragmatism and inspire Alcoholics Anonymous, James famously asked, is life worth living Bringing together many of his best and most popular essays, talks, and other writings, this anthology presents Jamess answer to that and other existential questions, in his own unique manner caring, humorous, eloquent, incisive, humble, and forever on the trail of the ever not quite.

Here we meet a James perfectly attuned to the concerns of todayone who argues for human freedom, articulates a healthy-minded psychology, urges us to explore the stream of consciousness, presents a new definition of truth based on its practical consequences, and never forecloses the possibility of mystical transcendence. Introduced by John Kaag and Jonathan van Belle, these compelling and accessible selections reveal why James is one of the great guides to the business of living.

'Want to get to know William James, Americas most-beloved and perhaps most widely influentialphilosopher This wonderful collection gives us James at his bestprovocative, lyrical, inspirational. Whether you are meeting James in an easy chair, in a classroom, or on a ramble, as James called the mountain hikes he loved, the encounter will leave you richly rewarded.' James T. Kloppenberg, Harvard University

'A great collection that lets readers experience Jamess philosophy as epistemological tonic, moral orientation, and spiritual regeneration. The brief introductions to the individual selections are compelling and written in sparkling prose.' Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, author of The Ideas That Made America

Author Bio

John Kaag is the Donohue Professor of Ethics and the Arts at UMass Lowell, External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute, and the author of Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life (Princeton), American Philosophy: A Love Story, and Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are. Jonathan van Belle is an independent scholar and former philosophy editor at Outlier.org. Kaag and van Belle are also the authors of Henry at Work: Thoreau on Making a Living (Princeton).