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The Meaning of Life: Letters from Extraordinary People and their Answer to Life's Biggest Question
James Bailey was unemployed, heartbroken, and questioning his purpose on the planet. In desperate search of an answer, he decided to write to luminaries from all fields and ask one simple What is the meaning of life?
Then he waited.
Slowly but surely their responses arrived through his letterbox.
From entrepreneurs and environmentalists, to artists, authors and adventurers, this book gathers a kaleidoscope of perspectives on what it means to be human. With over one hundred enlightening responses, it's more than just a collection of letters; it's a roadmap to finding your own path.
With letters from Dame Jane Goodall, Helen Sharman OBE, Bindi Irwin, Dr Astro Teller, Catherine Coleman Flowers, Lizzie Carr, Professor Jean Golding OBE, Professor Ian Frazer AC, Dr Michael Irwin, Professor Anil Seth, Sir Tim Smit KBE, Edward O. Wilson, Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Professor Lord Robert Winston, Bill McKibben, Henry Marsh CBE, Dr Kathryn Mannix, Dame Hilary Mantel, Julian Fellowes, Michael Frayn FRSL, Jodi Picoult, Anthony Horowitz CBE, Tony Wheeler, AO, Pico Iyer, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak FBA, Amol Rajan, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Simon Calder, Monica Heisey, Donna Ashworth, Gyles Brandreth, Danny Wallace, Rupi Kaur, Susan Pollack MBE, Martine Wright MBE, Simon Weston CBE, Mike Haines MBE, Natalie Queiroz MBE, Sir Terry Waite KCMG CBE, Chris Moon MBE, Matt Lewis, Brian Clark, John Hoskison, Benedict Allen, Tom Turcich, Ann Daniels, Dame Ellen Macarthur, Mark Beaumont BEM, Ben Smith, Yves Rossy, Jessica Watson, Fatima Whitbread MBE, Chris Eubank, Gail Muller, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Bonita Norris, Alexander Campbell, David Smith MBE, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachel Portman OBE, Sir Michael Eavis, Sananda Maitreya, Ruth Rogers CBE, Luke Jerram, Stefan Sagmeister, Tommy Cannon, The Connor Brothers, David Hurn, Max Fosh, Jonathan Goodwin, Joan Armatrading CBE, Sir John Major KG CH, President Jimmy Carter, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Bishop Guli, Dr Rowan Williams, Zara Mohammed, Rabbi David Rosen KSG CBE, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Richard Reed, Claire Williams OBE, Dame Stephanie Shirley, Julie Bentley, Dave Fishwick, Dr Sarah Hughes, Richard Farleigh, Marvin Rees OBE, Jack Kornfield, Oliver Burkeman, Dr Sara Kuburic, Adam Grant, Celeste Headlee, Mark Manson, Beth Kempton, Cory Allen, Professor Peter Adamson, Melissa Sterry, Mark Stevenson, Joshua Fletcher, Gretchen Rubin, Charles Duhigg, Roxie Nafousi, Matt Ridley, and Charles Salvador.
Then he waited.
Slowly but surely their responses arrived through his letterbox.
From entrepreneurs and environmentalists, to artists, authors and adventurers, this book gathers a kaleidoscope of perspectives on what it means to be human. With over one hundred enlightening responses, it's more than just a collection of letters; it's a roadmap to finding your own path.
With letters from Dame Jane Goodall, Helen Sharman OBE, Bindi Irwin, Dr Astro Teller, Catherine Coleman Flowers, Lizzie Carr, Professor Jean Golding OBE, Professor Ian Frazer AC, Dr Michael Irwin, Professor Anil Seth, Sir Tim Smit KBE, Edward O. Wilson, Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Professor Lord Robert Winston, Bill McKibben, Henry Marsh CBE, Dr Kathryn Mannix, Dame Hilary Mantel, Julian Fellowes, Michael Frayn FRSL, Jodi Picoult, Anthony Horowitz CBE, Tony Wheeler, AO, Pico Iyer, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak FBA, Amol Rajan, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Simon Calder, Monica Heisey, Donna Ashworth, Gyles Brandreth, Danny Wallace, Rupi Kaur, Susan Pollack MBE, Martine Wright MBE, Simon Weston CBE, Mike Haines MBE, Natalie Queiroz MBE, Sir Terry Waite KCMG CBE, Chris Moon MBE, Matt Lewis, Brian Clark, John Hoskison, Benedict Allen, Tom Turcich, Ann Daniels, Dame Ellen Macarthur, Mark Beaumont BEM, Ben Smith, Yves Rossy, Jessica Watson, Fatima Whitbread MBE, Chris Eubank, Gail Muller, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Bonita Norris, Alexander Campbell, David Smith MBE, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachel Portman OBE, Sir Michael Eavis, Sananda Maitreya, Ruth Rogers CBE, Luke Jerram, Stefan Sagmeister, Tommy Cannon, The Connor Brothers, David Hurn, Max Fosh, Jonathan Goodwin, Joan Armatrading CBE, Sir John Major KG CH, President Jimmy Carter, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Bishop Guli, Dr Rowan Williams, Zara Mohammed, Rabbi David Rosen KSG CBE, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Richard Reed, Claire Williams OBE, Dame Stephanie Shirley, Julie Bentley, Dave Fishwick, Dr Sarah Hughes, Richard Farleigh, Marvin Rees OBE, Jack Kornfield, Oliver Burkeman, Dr Sara Kuburic, Adam Grant, Celeste Headlee, Mark Manson, Beth Kempton, Cory Allen, Professor Peter Adamson, Melissa Sterry, Mark Stevenson, Joshua Fletcher, Gretchen Rubin, Charles Duhigg, Roxie Nafousi, Matt Ridley, and Charles Salvador.
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Published April 3, 2025
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October 6, 2025
Difficult to rate a book like this because the entries are so varied. The way they were groups made sense to me. I think most people would find ideas they relate to and ideas they reject. Thought provoking and worth the reading time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review