Click Here To Purchase From Amazon No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You

Author: Louise Lewis

ISBN: 978-0-595-42971-4

There is, for many of us, a terrifying time in our lives where we find ourselves in a situation that we believe is hopeless. 

Fortunately, in certan instances something magic happens where we seem to be connected to a spiritual power that guides us in such a way that our movements are natural, yet charged. Our relationships with our fellow humans become intense and invariably lead to a lasting and profound effect on our future. Louise Lewis, author of No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You, experienced this magical moment.

After eleven years employed in marketing and sales, Lewis’s was laid off, or as she prefers to term it, “set free.” No doubt this would be quite terrifying for anyone, particularly if you have obligations to fulfill as the payment of your mortgage and you don’t have the foggiest idea as to when and where you will secure your next employment. However, Lewis faced up to the challenge by considering it to be an opportunity to start a new chapter in her life.

While sitting in an airport, after being fired, Lewis suddenly had a vision, which she describes as “two cupped hands rising up to meet me (much like the picture of the hands in the old Allstate commercial: you’re in good hands with Allstate.”) In the next instant, Lewis heard the “Spirit’s words” that assured her that she was going to be OK as the “spirit” would take care of her. At this moment, Lewis describes her feelings as feeling light, relief and joy, all at the same time.

It was this inspiration of being set free that Lewis decided to embark on an interesting journey where she would ask anyone whom she met, the meaning of life. The result was the writing and publishing of No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You that comprises many thought provoking replies.

Now you have to admit that Lewis has a great deal of “chutzpah” to strike up a conversation with total strangers, even celebrities, anywhere and everywhere, such as in restaurants, bars, and while traveling, and ask them the big question, what life means to them. And what is even more intriguing is that the participants were not permitted to give verbal replies but rather they were obliged to write it down on a pad. By now, you are probably shaking your heads and asking how did she pull this off? One clue Lewis mentions is she is not one to favor small talk, as she can only chitchat with someone for about five minutes, and then she must take the conversation to deeper levels. No doubt, her selling and marketing experience must have come in quite handy as she convinced them to share with her their philosophies on life.

Reading some of the replies, I tried to decipher if there were recurring common themes. A number focus on living your life productively and using your powers of love and reason to your fullest capacity. Others have a more conservative Christian religious connotation where individuals would tie in his or her reply to opening and surrendering to Jesus Christ.  Quite prevalent was the relation to doing good in the eyes of God or that we have a meaningful life when we live in God’s presence. Family and friends were stressed, such as the reply of one responder where he asserted: “Life is to be lived and enjoyed for friends and family-family being a very big portion of life-having family and creating your own family.” There were even some poetic responses such as JoEllen’s “Simply stated: life is a journey through the universe. The contacts and contributions throughout it define our existence.”

The reply that I could comfortably connect to was succinctly summed up by someone called John, “A good partner. Love. Understanding. And lots of good health.”

Although, the one I always liked is the Yiddish adage my parents often uttered, life is about being a “mensch,” or as translated, a person of character- an individual of recognized worth because of noble values or actions.

One of the deficiencies of this book is that at times the reading became redundant and tedious. However, the ideas raised within its pages will certainly provide food for thought. It can be compared to drinking a succulent aperitif, such as wonderful dry champagne, where after whetting one’s appetite for another glass, Lewis raises more questions than answers, prodding readers to discover for themselves what is the meaning of life.

To read Norm's interview with Louise Lewis CLICK HERE

The above review was contributed by: The Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com, Norm Goldman, B.A. LL.L. Norm is a retired Title Attorney and now devotes his time to travel writing and book reviewing.

To check out Norm's travel site click on Sketchandtravel.com   Click here to view more of  Norm’s Reviews & Interviews.