Exit-Existentialism: A Philosophy of Self-Awareness

This book is a satisfying study of psychological insecurity, identity, and alienation. It's personal in that it deals with the vulnerability of being out of whack with oneself and others, but the book is philosophical in approach. With scrupulous honesty and creativity Bach walks the reader through uncomfortable (sometimes hardly bearable) contradictions at the core of our being-in-the-world. In the end he loosens the knots of some false premises and points to freedom of mind. A neat trick in 105 pages. Bach writes in an inviting manner, moving the inquiry forward at a brisk pace. The language and style are a treat. The bibliography is a treasure.

When my favorite philosophy professor retired, he gave away all the books in his office. Along with a handful of others, I picked up this one, because I'm always interested in existentialism.It's a fascinating book, and the easiest philosophy book to read that I've come across, for those of you who have trouble with the diction of some philosophers.It discusses some of the basic questions of existence, questions about identity, meaning, the self, and other subjects under the existentialist umbrella of "How should I live?"It's hard to say what makes this book distinct, but although it is so small and short, I feel that it is like a holy scripture that contains, not all the answers (for that is impossible), but all the right questions of existentialist philosophy. The author's exploration is thoughtful, intelligent, and fair to all perspectives; the author is apparently very self-aware and is always conscious of his own biases, inclinations, and fallabilities. I get a sense that the subject matter of the book is a part of the author's life, not just something he writes about to have a book. This is one of the books I would choose if I could only keep a handful from my library.