Start Making Sense

"A beautiful, deep, thoughtful book. Start Making Sense is for anyone who has asked themselves: yes, yes — but what is the meaning of my existence? That's everyone, I think —​ ​including me. Steve Heine, a pioneer in the new field of existential psychology, offers no glib prescriptions. Instead, Heine probes the evolutionary origins and contemporary implications of our species' hard-wired need for meaning. Will you know what to do with the rest of your life after reading this book? Maybe not. But as Heine so beautifully argues, sometimes understanding the questions is even more important."

"Given their increased wealth, leisure time, and lifespan modern Westerners should be the happiest people ever to have lived, and yet instead anxiety and depression appear to be on the rise. Heine, one of the pioneers of the psychology of meaning, argues that a root problem is a loss of identity and purpose. This book offers accounts of why this might happen as well as strategies for re-gaining our existential footing.”

"Heine is a sage guide in a world that increasingly feels meaningless. Start Making Sense is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the science behind our psychological need for purpose and meaning—and how these needs can be met through connectedness and cultural narratives. Through a rich tapestry of stories, studies, spirituality, and philosophy, Heine offers a clear and compelling vision for leading a meaningful life amid the complexities of the modern world."