Free Thinking

This collection of bite-sized personal writings offers poignant thoughts on how to live a more emotionally and spiritually fulfilling life. Broad picture issues are addressed, including what happiness is, how to achieve it gracefully and how to avoid burnout. Advice is also offered on more tangible topics such as how to worry less and praise more, how to age, why and how to meditate, when and whether to marry, and why doubt can be useful. A case is made for honesty, tolerance, and peace in a world where those vital qualities can sometimes seem in short supply. These succinct essays amount to a series of brief, intense conversations with an author who thinks deeply, writes beautifully, and, even when she is confessing her human frailty, never fails to uplift and inspire.