Books like The Birth and Death of Meaning: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Problem of Man

An absolutely amazing work. In the introduction, Becker sets out to answer the question "Why do people do what they do?" What follows, across 200 pages, is a remarkably well-constructed and well-written study on the development of selfhood and culture. Becker's work is truly interdisciplinary and draws on evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, anthropology, philosophy and literature. The book reveals the link between the organization of human societies and the vital, personal need for self-esteem: the feeling that one is valued, loved, and has a chance to be a hero in their narrative. The role of culture is to set up a system of rules for achieving this self-esteem and heroism. However, as Becker explores in the later chapters, problems arise these systems of self-esteem are frustrated, denied or no longer able to function. Overall, a very compelling study that should perhaps be read before "The Denial of Death."