Finally in paperback: "A smart, sweeping run through the history of Western philosophy. Important for the way it illuminates life today and for the controversial advice it offers on how to live" (David Brooks, The New York Times ).

What constitutes human excellence?" and "What is the best way to live a life?" These are questions that human beings have been asking since the beginning of time. In their critically acclaimed book, All Things Shining, Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Dorrance Kelly argue that our search for meaning was fulfilled by our responsiveness to a force greater than we were, whether one God or many. These forces drew us in and imbued the ordinary moments of life with wonder and gratitude. Dreyfus and Kelly argue in this thought-provoking work that we have lost our skill for encountering the sacred due to our belief in the power of our own independent will.

Through their original and transformative discussion of some of the greatest works of Western literature, from Homer's Odyssey to Melville's Moby Dick, Dreyfus and Kelly reveal how we have lost our passionate engagement with the things that gave our lives purpose, and show how, by reading our culture's classics anew, we can once again be drawn into intense involvement with the wonder and beauty of the world.

Well on its way to becoming a classic itself, this inspirational book will change the way we understand our culture, our history, our sacred practices, and ourselves.