Maisel's book is not as good as I thought it would be. He promotes finding meaning in one's life but presents a world view that is dreary and depressing. Not to my liking. ( )

It’s not always easy to explain what being an atheist means, other than not believing in God or religion. Maisel not only explains what it means to be an atheist, free from religious dogma, but how to make meaning and become the hero in one’s own life. How we live, what we decided to invest meaning in, what our values and morals are, he asserts are the true paths to happiness, fulfillment and peace. We do not seek meaning, we make it. We create purpose and passion by deciding to. He affirms that life is a beautiful, amazing and wondrous journey and one does not need gods to explain natural phenomena. Another book that helped me understand human motives and helped inform and reaffirm my own belief system. ( )

This book offers an interesting approach to living without God/s. Instead of living according to a traditional set of values prescribed by a religion, Meisel shows you how to consciously make your own meanings for your life based on what is valuable to you.

I had never really thought about morality and living a "right life" in the author's terms, but I think a lot of nonreligious people wind up doing that unconsciously. ( )

This book offers an interesting approach to living without God/s. Instead of living according to a traditional set of values prescribed by a religion, Meisel shows you how to consciously make your own meanings for your life based on what is valuable to you.

I had never really thought about morality and living a "right life" in the author's terms, but I think a lot of nonreligious people wind up doing that unconsciously. ( )

[See my full review at my Examiner.com column: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4275-DC-Secularism-Examiner~y2009m5d10-Book-r... . . . Maisel's important mission is to help atheists face the truth of their circumstances, and in his book he gives some guidance as to what to do with once those circumstances are honestly understood. His message, I found, is crucial. His execution, however, is somewhat flawed, if nobly so.This book offers a vital message that I think any nonreligious person needs to hear, even if they don't realize they need to hear it: There is no inherent "meaning of life," existence really is a random, pointless phenomenon, and any meaning for which we may pine must be created by ourselves. Maisel levels with the reader, and insists that we establish our own parameters and values based on our consciences and intelligence, and encourages us to live these to our best ability. . . .More here: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4275-DC-Secularism-Examiner~y2009m5d10-Book-r... ( )