"Many people in today's world do not recognize 'shining' things when they see them. Instead, feelings of loss, sadness, angst, and despair prevail. Dreyfus and Kelly lament that fact and respond to the situation by introducing (or reintroducing) readers to several literary classics of the Western world.... The organizing principle is mostly thematic, with chapters dealing with nihilism, polytheism, monotheism, and autonomy. The work is not religious in the traditional sense. Jesus and Christianity are brought into the discussion only occasionally as conversation partners, and the target audience includes people who would rather listen to Immanuel Kant than the Apostle Paul.... The conclusion is hopeful—that one can live a life worth living in a secular age. It starts with recognizing 'shining' things when we encounter them. This book is proof that some of the Western classics can help us do just that."—Booklist