What Does It Mean to Be Human?

In this book—"a truly noble and intelligent project" (Russell Banks)—nearly one hundred notable contributors reflect on the joys, mysteries, and responsibilities that collectively define being human in today's rapidly changing world. Seriously exploring the meanings and motives of hope and despair, peace and war, faith and loss, and other related matters, the social activists, thinkers, artists, and spiritual leaders assembled herein address not only being human but being humane.

Such worthy minds and generous souls as the Dalai Lama, Wilma Mankiller, Jimmy Carter, Cornel West, Jack Miles, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Vaclav Havel, and Archbishop Desmund Tutu reflect with poignant candor on our shared conditions and experiences. In doing so, they come to define a core set of human values. What Does It Mean To Be Human? is a vital meditation on the endless possibilities of our humanity.

Praise

"At once humble and humane, these magnificent witnesses to human promise lift the heart, challenge the mind, and kindle hope."—Forrest Church, author of Lifecraft: The Art of Meaning in the Everyday

"In the past, most people believed that to be human meant to be obedient, and to follow the traditions of their occupation, their sex, and their age. But today, more and more of us believe that each individual is different, that women can contribute to civilization as much as men, that curiosity is more admirable than imitation, and respect more desirable than power. So to be human now increasingly means to search throughout one's life, to never quite reach the goal one sets for oneself, to discover where one wants to go by exchanging ideas with others, so that one is constantly evolving and learning, and deriving one's pleasure from helping others. This book lets us into the hearts and minds of a great variety of individuals, and by so doing, will help enhance our view of what we can make of our lives."—Theodore Zeldin, author of An Intimate History of Humanity and Conversation