“Knowledge sets us free, art sets us free. A great library is freedom.”
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Wave in the Mind
Short Books
This is a selection of short books that I’ve read which seek to shed light on the deepest human questions, whether from the vantage point of philosophy, spirituality or science.
I know they may not all appeal to you, but with each being less than 250 pages, I feel they are an accessible starting point.
The New York Times called neurologist Dr Oliver Sacks “the poet laureate of medicine”. In these four essays written towards the end of his life, Dr Sacks reflects on what matters most in sparingly beautiful prose. In his final piece, Sabbath, he considers what it means to live “a good and worthwhile life — achieving a sense of peace within oneself”.
Lebanese artist Kahlil Gibran is the third bestselling poet of all time — behind only Shakespeare and Chinese poet Lao Tzu. His most famous work is The Prophet, a series of 26 prose poems delivered as sermons by a wise man named Al Mustapha. They explore great themes of human life like family and friendship, joy and pain, passion and love.
3. Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
“We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world”, writes Carl Sagan in the preface to this book. Hawking then seeks to remedy this by explaining the nature of time and space, describing the building blocks of the universe, and ultimately constructing a unified theory of everything. It’s a fascinating primer on cosmology.
4. Alan Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity
English philosopher Alan Watts helped to popularise Eastern wisdom in the West. In this book, sub-titled A Message for an Age of Anxiety, he argues that the root of human frustration is the tendency to live for the future. Though written in the 1950s, his work still seems relevant for a time in which many people are feeling stressed and anxious.
5. Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness
Russian-American writer Ayn Rand is most famous for her novel Atlas Shrugged. Its underlying philosophy is Objectivism, which holds that the purpose of life is survival and this requires constant action. In this series of essays, Rand defends rational self-interest as the basic means of survival, rejecting any form of faith, religion or altruism.
6. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
“All grown-ups were once children — although few of them remember it” writes French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his dedication of this children’s book. Published in 1943, The Little Prince tells the story of a pilot downed in the desert who meets a boy from a distant asteroid. It’s a charming tale about innocence, meaning and love.
7. Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Russian writer Leo Tolstoy’s novella centres on a magistrate whose life is turned upside down due to a sudden illness and who undergoes a profound transformation on his death bed. A reflection on the dissolution of identity, it captures a picture of what it means to be human, not only in late 19th century St Petersburg, but also now.
8. Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now
German-born and Canada-based spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle has been described as everything from “a prophet for our time” to a purveyor of “New Age mumbo jumbo”. In The Power of Now, he reflects on how to free oneself from compulsive thinking, which is said to be “the only true liberation”. I personally found it deeply insightful.
9. Natsume Sōseki, The Three-Cornered World
Considered one of the greatest works of Japanese literature, this short novel tells the story of a young artist who retreats into the mountains to paint, write poetry, and consider the essentials of life. The protagonist reflects deeply on nature, reality and the human condition, and the language shines, even in the English translation.
10. Albert Camus, The Outsider
French novelist Albert Camus saw the human condition as absurd because we search for meaning in a world which has none. The Outsider explores this paradox through the eyes of a French-Algerian man named Mersault whose passivity is unnerving but who finds a redemption of sorts in accepting the universe’s indifference to humanity.
Other Resources
There are many mediums other than books for transmitting knowledge and wisdom, and here I’ve listed a few websites, podcasts and essays which I’ve found instructive.
To these could be added forms of expression like music and art — and, in some ways, I feel these can capture the depths of human experience more eloquently than any words.
This beautiful site — created by Paula Marvelly — showcases writers, artists, philosophers and others who have captured something of the nature of existence. From Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu to Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius to Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky, this is a repository of timeless wisdom on life and the human condition.
Hosted by Krista Tippett, this podcast examines the “animating questions at the centre of human life: what does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live?” Each week, Krista interviews scientists, artists, teachers and more, delving thoughtfully into difficult topics. This conversation with Irish poet John O’Donohue is a beautiful place to start.
3. Net Loss: The Inner Life in the Digital Age
In this compelling essay, Australian writer Sebastian Smee explores the idea of the inner life — something which is “often obscure” but “essential to who we are”. We’re not just algorithms being fed into online platforms, Sebastian argues. There’s a deeper reality within each of us; one we need to recapture in our increasingly digitised world.
This magazine is for “curious people looking for solutions to the fundamental issues faced by humankind”. In a world of sensationalist news, it’s refreshingly intelligent, yet still accessible; serious, but still playful. With English, Korean, Arabic and Chinese language editions, it’s sharing ideas that matter with people around the world.
5. Parabola: The Search for Meaning
This quarterly journal is devoted to the exploration of the quest for meaning as it’s expressed in the world’s myths, symbols, and religious traditions. A parabola is one of the most elegant forms in nature, as well as the arc of a spiritual quest — seekers leave the known for the unknown, coming home again transformed by a new understanding.
Soulful Thoughts 