Manual for Living: Reality: A User's Guide to the Meaning of Life

by Seth David Chernoff

Award-winning Manual for Living: REALITY is here to assist you in understanding and choosing a life fulfilled over a life of mediocrity, desperation, pettiness, or even worse, no life at all. When... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0984093095
• ISBN13: 9780984093090
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: Spirit Scope Publishing
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

I never thought of it that way...

David Chernoff, a two time cancer survivor and survivor of other physical ailments, has written a beautiful book of ideas for making our lives more meaningful and exploring that which lies beneath the surface in our minds. He tells us that he found joy through pain and suffering, both emotional and physical. He illustrates through stories and explanations how opportunities are endless when we choose to take risks and become present in our lives. His book is quite unique in that he truly thinks "outside the box" and makes us look at situations in a way that we may not have thought of before. In the beginning of the book he says that the book, which is divided into fifteen chapters plus a conclusion, is not meant to be read in order. You can easily pick out a chapter that interests you and read that and then move on to any other one. Some of the titles of the chapters are: Death, Time, Illness, Fear, Simplicity, Balance and Happiness. They each begin with questions about the topic and sayings or quotes on the subject. That follows with the author's insights and ideas. He doesn't always answer all the questions, but gives us food for thought and a different way of looking at some of these topics. I found the format very easy to read and interesting. It was a book I would pick up and read sometimes at odd moments, sometimes when I was troubled and needed to read about one of the topics. I often read the sections over again on different days. The book is filled with a lot of positive thoughts and inspiration. It's a different kind of book that's a little hard to classify, but one definitely worth reading.

Bridget's Review

The meaning of life has always been a topic of debate. Why are we here? What happens when we die? There are so many questions and I don't really have the slightest clue to what the answers are. The Manual for Living helped bring new ideas to light, as well as reinforcing the certain aspects of living that I already knew. It's full of knowledge and the entire book just seems to flow. If you're interested in learning more about humans and spiritual journeys, I recommend this book.

A direction in life is all some people need

A direction in life is all some people need. "Manual for Living: A User's Guide to the Meaning of Life" is a two-time cancer survivor's plea to his readers to live their life to the fullest using the advice within. Stating the power of family, love, peace, changing one's life for the better and being prepared for death, he has much to help readers fully embrace life. "Manual for Living" is a read that should be fully embraced by those who have lost their way.

A Manual for All Ages, All Stages of Life

Author David Chernoff writes in his Note to the Reader, that this book should be opened at random, or by making a choice from the table of contents that applies to one's life, and using a single chapter at a time to guide us in our present need, instead of reading the book from cover to cover and trying to absorb every subject at once. Because "Manual for Living, Book One:::Reality" is unique in its scope, covering so many topics that vitally concern our life, this approach makes a lot of sense, and it's how I will use this book in the future, when needing special guidance in certain areas. Obviously for reviewing purposes, I read all of it, and it can become weighty as each chapter concerns issues that matter most as we go through life, especially if we are facing the final journey, have a loved one who is, or are going through a season of reversal or transition. Chernoff pulls no punches as he writes about the hard subjects: Death, illness, fear, our toxic environment, our perception of what is real, our finances and need to accumulate, the benefits of keeping life simple, dealing with change, living in the "now" and being grateful, and so much more. Chernoff has twice survived cancer, so he has lived his message, and has earned the right to mete out some tough love now and then, scattered throughout the pages of this wisdom-filled book. I particularly like Chernoff's chapters dealing with finance. It is a subject often talked about, but few have ideas with the depth and sensibility found here. And money can ruin one's life, marriage, and break families apart. As Chernoff writes: "Until we master our relationship with money, we are held captive by an energy force far beyond our control and understanding, with freedom eternally beyond our reach." A perceptive light has been shed on the ebb and flow of life, caring for our mind, body, and soul, and our relationship with everything around us, in this excellent "Manual for Living."