Erica F. Brindley

This playful yet subtle philosophical work by one of history's greatest thinkers helped me question the dominance of rational thought in life and realize that intellectual endeavors were meaningless if not grounded in certain larger processes inherent in our selves and environments. I first encountered this text as a junior in college. It single-handedly snatched my attention away from Western philosophy and Euro-American ways of approaching knowledge and the world, transporting me to the lavishly furnished worlds of Asian philosophy, history, and cultures. In light of contemporary research on psychology, the mind, and what makes us happy and fulfilled as humans, I continue to think that Zhuangzi "got it" first.