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Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It by Daniel Klein Review: A Warm Philosophical Miscellany
Daniel Klein’s Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It revisits the “Pithies” quotations he collected as a young philosophy student, now annotated from his eighth decade. Its draw is range—Epicurus to Camus, Niebuhr to Woody Allen—paired with candid, comic reflections rather than a system.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Reflective readers—especially those in or approaching later life—who want a browsable commonplace book of great-philosopher quotations annotated with jokes, doubts, and hard-won candor rather than a systematic answer to life's biggest question.
Worth it if
Worth it if you'd value a compact companion of quotations—Epicurus to Woody Allen, Camus to Parfit—to dip into and argue with, where meaning is assembled in fragments and re-read through the lens of a long life honestly described.
Skip if
Skip it if you want a sustained argument, a practical program for living, or analytic moral philosophy rigorously defended—Klein openly treats abstract ethics as largely irrelevant to everyday life, and the episodic miscellany form never builds beyond entry-by-entry depth.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews praised it as "a warm, winsome book of eclectic musings" and "a miscellany of concise advice about life," while Library Journal highlighted its "charm and wisdom" and The Berkshire Edge credited its "judicious bits of humor" deployed on life's biggest questions; reader response on The StoryGraph is more divided, with some finding Klein's takes unconvincing and the book a chore to finish.
“A glossary explains the relatively few philosophical terms Klein sprinkles in this warm, winsome book of eclectic musings... a miscellany of concise advice about life.”
— Kirkus Reviews4.6from 885 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Buy on AmazonAge & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
1 content note · who it suits
Content to know about
candid discussion of depression and meaninglessness
Skip if you want a sustained philosophical argument, a practical program for living, or ethics rigorously defended on analytic terms.
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the book actually is
- Its range is the point
- What it does well, according to the record
- Where it can frustrate
- Who it is for now
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Unusually broad source list, from Epicurus, Hume, Mill, James, and Camus to Woody Allen, Walker Percy, David Pearce, and Derek Parfit.
- Late-life frame gives the old “Pithies” notebook a concrete premise: youth’s certainties re-read from Klein’s eighth decade.
- Kirkus emphasizes warmth, candor, and accessibility, including a glossary for the few philosophical terms.
- Candid personal context—depression, meaninglessness, and an enduring conviction that life is worth living—keeps it from false serenity.
- Compact aphorism-plus-reflection format is built for dipping in rather than demanding sustained study.
What Doesn't
- The miscellany form is episodic by design, so readers wanting a sustained argument or practical program will find it fragmentary.
- Klein’s stated skepticism toward abstract moral philosophy will disappoint readers expecting ethics to be rigorously defended.
- Its breadth means depth varies entry by entry; this is a companion of quotations, not a systematic course.
A late-life commonplace book with jokes, doubts, and a genuinely wide reading list, this is popular philosophy built for browsing rather than a blueprint to be followed; the assessment here is editorial and source-based, not a road test of the advice.
Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It: Wisdom of the Great Philosophers on How to Live by Daniel Klein front cover
What the book actually is
Daniel Klein’s premise is compact and concrete: as a young philosophy student he kept a notebook of short quotations he called “Pithies,” hoping the great thinkers might tell him how to live. Decades later, from what the publisher describes as the vantage point of his eighth decade, he returns to those entries and adds new ones, pairing each extract with a brief personal reflection. The title comes from Reinhold Niebuhr, whose words also set the tone: the meaning of life is not a solved problem but a moving target.
“with its abstract arguments about the principles of right and wrong, is not really that relevant to our lives”
The result sits closer to a miscellany than to a treatise. Critical coverage describes it as a “miscellany of concise advice about life,” and that is the right category: aphorism, annotation, memoir-ish aside, repeat. The 2017 Penguin Books reprint is the edition under review, with the book’s own back-cover copy noting an afterword added for that edition. It is explicitly the work of the author of Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar and Travels with Epicurus, and it keeps that franchise’s promise of enlightenment delivered with entertainment.
Its range is the point
The strongest verified fact about the book is the breadth of its sources. Kirkus lists Pascal and Epicurus, David Hume and John Stuart Mill, William James and Albert Camus among the canonical inspirations, then notes that Klein also takes wisdom from Woody Allen, John Barth, and Walker Percy, as well as contemporary figures such as David Pearce and Derek Parfit. That mixture matters: the book is not organized as a history of philosophy, and it does not ask readers to choose a school.
Instead, it treats quotation as a tool for living and re-living. A line that looked definitive at twenty can look evasive at seventy; a comic aside can land harder than a formal proof. The publisher’s synopsis emphasizes exactly this span, from Epicurus to Emerson and Camus to Niebuhr, and frames Klein’s role as a “jokester-philosopher” annotating each extract. The design is therefore cumulative rather than argumentative: meaning is assembled in fragments, then revised when experience changes the lighting.
What it does well, according to the record
Published reception supports the book’s charm more than its rigor. Critical coverage calls it a “warm, winsome book of eclectic musings” and notes a glossary for the relatively few philosophical terms Klein uses, which fits the book’s accessible pitch. The same review highlights candor rather than sage-on-a-stage certainty: Klein cites Einstein on solitude and Emerson on old friends, admits that Peter Singer makes him feel “bad about not being good,” and discusses past depression and periods when he felt overwhelmed by meaninglessness while still holding that life is worth living.
That combination—canonical names, popular sages, self-deprecation, and late-life perspective—is the book’s real strength. It offers company rather than commandments. The structure also lowers the barrier to entry: a reader can meet Hume or Mill in a few lines, then move on without needing to master a system first. For a book about the largest possible question, its scale is deliberately small, and that restraint is part of the appeal.
Where it can frustrate
The same fragmentary design limits it. Readers looking for a sustained argument, a defended ethical position, or a practical program will find a chain of reflections instead. This is not a flaw discovered in use; it is the announced form, and taste will decide whether the form feels companionable or thin. A book built from “concise philosophical precepts” can sparkle in short stretches and still leave the big question untouched by design.
Klein’s own stance toward moral philosophy may also divide readers. As quoted by Kirkus, he writes that moral philosophy, “with its abstract arguments about the principles of right and wrong, is not really that relevant to our lives,” while allowing that it “may only be a luxury for those of us who do not need to struggle simply to stay alive.” That is bracing and honest, but readers who come for ethics as a discipline—especially those drawn by the mention of Singer or Parfit—should not expect the book to meet analytic moral philosophy on its own terms.
Who it is for now
This is for readers who like philosophy best when it is portable, personal, and willing to laugh at itself: fans of Klein’s earlier books, browsers of quotations, and anyone more interested in how a life reads back over its old certainties than in winning a seminar. It is less suited to readers who want a systematic course, a workbook, or a definitive answer promised by the title’s comic setup.
The book’s value is object-like in that sense: a small compendium to dip into, argue with, and shelve beside other consolation-adjacent reads. Its authority comes from the record around it—an author known for making philosophy convivial, a Kirkus notice stressing warmth and candor, and a table of intellectual companions that runs from Epicurus to Woody Allen—rather than from any claim that the meaning of life has finally stopped changing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this book best suited for?
The review identifies it as ideal for readers who like philosophy best when it is portable, personal, and willing to laugh at itself — fans of Klein's earlier books, browsers of quotations, and anyone more interested in how a life reads back over its old certainties than in winning a seminar. It is less suited to readers who want a systematic course, a workbook, or a definitive answer.
Is this book worth reading?
LuvemBooks describes it as a warm, winsome book of eclectic musings whose value lies in the company it offers rather than any commandments it delivers. At its current price, it functions best as a small compendium to dip into and argue with, rather than a comprehensive guide to living.
What kind of book is this — philosophy textbook or something else?
The review is clear that this sits closer to a miscellany than a treatise, built from aphorism, annotation, and memoir-ish asides rather than sustained argument. It is popular philosophy designed for browsing, not a blueprint to be followed or a history of philosophy to be studied.
What is the central premise of the book?
As a young philosophy student, Daniel Klein kept a notebook of short quotations he called 'Pithies,' hoping the great thinkers might tell him how to live. Decades later, writing from his eighth decade, he returns to those entries and adds new ones, pairing each extract with a brief personal reflection.
Where does the title come from?
The title comes from Reinhold Niebuhr, whose words also set the tone of the book. Niebuhr's point, as the review frames it, is that the meaning of life is not a solved problem but a moving target.
Which philosophers and thinkers are featured in the book?
The range is deliberately wide. Kirkus lists Pascal, Epicurus, David Hume, John Stuart Mill, William James, and Albert Camus among the canonical inspirations, while Klein also draws wisdom from Woody Allen, John Barth, Walker Percy, and contemporary figures such as David Pearce and Derek Parfit.
How is the book structured?
The design is cumulative rather than argumentative: each entry pairs a quotation with a brief personal reflection, and meaning is assembled in fragments, then revised when experience changes the lighting. The review notes that a reader can meet Hume or Mill in a few lines and move on without needing to master a system first.
What does the book do well?
The review highlights its combination of canonical names, popular sages, self-deprecation, and late-life perspective as its real strength, offering company rather than commandments. It also praises Klein's candor — he admits that Peter Singer makes him feel bad about not being good, and he discusses past depression and periods of meaninglessness while still holding that life is worth living.
What are the main limitations of this book?
The fragmentary design that gives the book its charm also limits it: readers looking for a sustained argument, a defended ethical position, or a practical program will find a chain of reflections instead. The review notes this is not a flaw discovered in use but the announced form, and taste will decide whether it feels companionable or thin.
Does the book take a clear stance on ethics or moral philosophy?
Klein's stance may divide readers — as quoted by Kirkus, he writes that moral philosophy, with its abstract arguments about the principles of right and wrong, is not really that relevant to our lives, while allowing it may be a luxury for those who do not need to struggle simply to stay alive. The review warns that readers drawn by the mention of Singer or Parfit should not expect the book to meet analytic moral philosophy on its own terms.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Further reading
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
theberkshireedge.com
- 8
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