The Book of Wellness: A Secular Approach to Spirituality, Meaning and Purpose » (Special Value)

Ardell, Donald B., PhD (Univ of Central Florida)

The contributors represent the specialties of wellness, psychology, exercise physiology, freelance writing, journalism, and physical education. Most are from private practices, universities, and corporations in the U.S. Institutions prominently represented include Univ of Central Florida, Univ of Delaware, and Eastern Washington Univ.

To create a society which is truly well, we need to spend much less energy on promoting fitness, nutrition, and stress management, and much more on encouraging people to ponder the meaning and purpose of their individual lives. This lighthearted, enjoyable guide to creating a wellness lifestyle includes more than 100 tips from wellness leaders from across the United States, Canada, and even Australia, as well as all kinds of other tools for discovering meaning and purpose in life. Here the quest for meaning is presented in an entertaining, interesting, and manageable manner. The Book of Wellness will help the reader discover a secular spirituality - an existential examination of the meaning of life free of religions, dogmas, and creeds - that ultimately could lead to a healthier, happier life.

Patricia Blagman

The author invited many wellness authors and clinicians to respond to 10 propositions he developed to search for meaning and purpose in life. For each proposition he includes several responses and then summarizes or provides tips for further study. The author hopes to stimulate the reader to pursue a lifetime exploration on the meaning and purpose of one's life. The pursuit of meaning and purpose in relation to maintaining wellness is a worthy objective. The author 's design of this book is a unique way of reaching a reader. This book is written for anyone trying a achieve a maximum level of wellness. The author has written several books on wellness and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Wellness Institute. In 1991 he was one of 10 recipients of the American Fitness Leaders Award. References and bibliography are appropriate to the work and include older classics as well as current authorities. A biographical sketch is provided of each of the respondents. The book is written in a entertaining fashion, with the author attempting to make direct contact with each reader. Viewpoints of several contributors are woven into the text. This is an entertaining, informative, and motivating work on the urgency of searching for meaning and purpose in life as one means for finding wellness. He approaches this most serious subject with humor and lightheartedness. His 10 propositions are sometimes controversial and always thought provoking. I would have liked more connections made between searching for meaning and purpose and the effect on wellness; the title suggests a book on wellness.