NYU Sophomore Uncovers Meaning of Life

Last fall, David Seaman was sitting with his laptop at a café in New York City trying to avoid writing a paper for his first-year humanities course at NYU. In a moment of despair, he typed, “What is the meaning of life?” into an online forum and hit enter. Several thousand responses later, a collective answer emerges in his new book, The Real Meaning of Life.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- On October 10, 2004, David Seaman was sitting with his laptop at a café in New York City trying to avoid writing a paper for his first-year humanities course at NYU. In a moment of despair, he typed, “What is the meaning of life?” into an online forum and hit enter.

Much to his surprise, within fifteen minutes he had received forty responses. Within an hour the number grew to sixty and almost all of them were deeply insightful commentary on the human condition. Of course, a few people suggested that “boobies and beer” were the meaning of life, but they definitely were the minority.

Inspired by the incredible response to his question in the online forum, David created a website with the hope of gathering more insight from everyday Internet folks. People were inspired by the sincerity of his quest for meaning and started submitting answers -- advice for making life more meaningful -- and encouraged their friends to do the same. It was only a matter of time before publications like USA Today wrote about his efforts and drove even more visitors to his website.

Now, some fifty thousand hits and two thousand answers later, David Seaman is the author of a new book called The Real Meaning of Life (New World Library, September 2005) that includes the very best entries he has received. While most of the entries are positive and uplifting, David was also sure to include more pessimistic perspectives since he is the first to admit that he personally does not know what the right answer is. The result is an inspiring and thought-provoking exploration of life’s most difficult-to-answer question, written by everyday people from all walks of life.

About the Author

David Seaman grew up in Maryland and now attends NYU. When not searching for the meaning of life, his other interests include photography, exploring the city, and people watching. He is a contributing writer for the Washington Square News. The Real Meaning of Life can be found at all major booksellers, including B&N and Borders.

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