Start Making Sense - by Steven J Heine (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A "beautiful, deep, thoughtful" (Angela Duckworth, New York Times-bestselling author of Grit) investigation into the science of why we crave meaning--and how we can pursue it in this age of anxiety

These days everyone feels on edge, panicked by climate change, political polarization, and artificial intelligence.

In Start Making Sense, psychologist Steven J. Heine shows how to overcome our angst and live life with purpose. Heine's field, existential psychology, uses the tools of science to study the kinds of questions famously asked by existential philosophers such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. Who are we? Why do we seek meaning? How do we connect with one another? Drawing on decades of research, Heine provides scientifically grounded answers to these mysteries. He shows that humans evolved to seek meaning: our survival depends on our ability to make sense of an absurd world. Every day, we deploy an arsenal of psychological tactics to make and maintain meaning in our lives, from rationalizing our choices, to waxing nostalgic about the past, to defending our cultural worldviews. By understanding why and how we seek to make sense, we can live authentic lives in times that don't seem to make sense at all.

This illuminating book transforms the way we understand our search for meaning and provides a blueprint for building a better life.

Review Quotes

"Thought-provoking...An illuminating proposal for how to live today."--Publishers Weekly

"In Start Making Sense, Heine reveals the hidden centrality of 'meaning' in human life as he harvests the first fruits from the new field of existential psychology. In communities with historically unprecedented levels of wealth, health and security, what many of the dislocated and depressed need is not more drugs or counseling per se--though those can help, as he notes--they hunger for meaning in their lives. In this new Age of Anxiety, what we all need is not boundless opportunities but a story that weaves us into both a thick social network of friends and a rich cultural tapestry, one that conveys to us why we want to get up every day. In this important book, Heine has put his finger on what might be the most pernicious plague of our times."--Joseph Henrich, author of The WEIRDest People in the World

"Start Making Sense should be a college read for all students and for anyone worrying about what counts as a meaningful life and how to live one. Heine is a pre-eminent social and cultural psychologist who brings the science to these timeless existential questions. He shows how variable the answers can be and how much they matter for health, happiness and well-being. The result is a bold, accessible and inspiring book."--Hazel Markus, Stanford University

"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."--Angela Duckworth, New York Times-bestselling author of Grit

"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."--Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk

"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."--Michael Muthukrishna, London School of Economics

About the Author

Steven J. Heine is distinguished university scholar and professor of social and cultural psychology at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Cultural Psychology, the top-selling textbook in the field, and his research has been covered in outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, Newsweek, and New Scientist. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.