(Wo)Man’s Search for Meaning

I am in the midst of reading Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and amazed at the heart this man had.  On several occasions in college, we were assigned to read Elie Weisel’s Night, which truly was worth every read, every time, but was never assigned Frankl’s book. Now, if you know me, I read anything and everything now, but in college, if it wasn’t assigned, I didn’t go the extra mile.  Lately, my head has been in the world of business, leadership, coaching, management, and motivation.

So to offset this kind of reading for my graduate program, I decided to do something I said I would do “later”.  As a way to go back and read some classics that I missed in high school due to moving around so much or that I missed in college, I have been on enjoying my own version of a summer reading list.  I have found various Top 100 books of all time lists and compared them.  It is amazing the level of variability in them – one had Spock’s guide to raising kids on it.  Yes, I am sure that was a milestone book, but not of the caliber I was looking for.  After finding the list with classics I wanted to read while taking into account those that I had already read, I am on my journey.

Frankl may have passed away in 1997 and may have written this book from the perspective of his time during the concentration camps, but his meaning, his heart and his message are just as great today as they were then.  Inspiration can come from unlikely sources; this being one of the biggest for me.  As I read more through the list, I will share my thoughts.  Maybe you will join me!