The importance of living ; Slowing down -- Stuart Little ; Searching -- The girl on the train ; Trusting -- The odyssey ; Embracing mediocrity -- What I talk about when I talk about running ; Napping -- Giovanni's room ; Connecting -- David Copperfield ; Remembering -- Wonder ; Choosing kindness -- Lateral thinking ; Solving problems -- Gift from the sea ; Recharging -- The taste of country cooking ; Nourishing -- "Bartleby, the scrivener" ; Quitting -- The gifts of the body ; Losing -- The little prince ; Finding friends -- 1984 ; Disconnecting -- Epitaph of a small winner ; Overcoming boredom -- Zen in the art of archery ; Mastering the art of reading -- Song of Solomon ; Admiring greatness -- A little life ; Hugging -- Bird by bird ; Feeling sensitive -- Rebecca ; Betraying -- Reading Lolita in Tehran ; Choosing your life -- "More, more, more," said the baby ; Staying satisfied -- A journey around my room ; Traveling -- Death be not proud ; Praying -- What the living do ; Living -- A final word

"For Will Schwalbe, reading is a way to entertain himself but also to make sense of the world, to become a better person, and to find the answers to the big (and small) questions about how to live his life. In this delightful celebration of reading, Schwalbe invites us along on his quest for books that speak to the specific challenges of living in our modern world, with all its noise and distractions.'"--