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Happiness expert Arthur Brooks wants to help you find 'The Meaning of Your Life'

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom
Published April 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM CDT
The cover of "The Meaning of Your Life" and author Arthur Brooks. (Courtesy of Penguin Random House and Jenny Sherman)
Courtesy of Penguin Random House and Jenny Sherman
The cover of "The Meaning of Your Life" and author Arthur Brooks. (Courtesy of Penguin Random House and Jenny Sherman)

Why do high-achieving young people often suffer anxiety and depression? Arthur Brooks, who teaches at Harvard’s Kennedy School and business school, says many of them are searching for meaning in their lives.

His new book, “The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness,” is a how-to for those who are searching for purpose.

Book excerpt: ‘The Meaning of Your Life’

By Arthur Brooks

From “The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness” by Arthur C. Brooks, published by Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright (c) 2026 by ACB Ideas LLC.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR
Here & Now Newsroom