Scratch the bone of life

The book: The scratch of the bone of life The author: Readings from Western thought Translation: Ahmed Al-Zanati Publisher: Hayat Publications Year of publication: 2022 *** "We will not need books much if those around us understood us well, but they do not understand us. Even those who love us do not understand us well. They try to tell us who we are, but they miss many things. They claim they know what we need, but they forget to ask the right question. They cannot understand what we feel, and sometimes we are unable to tell them what we need because we ourselves do not understand what we need. And this is the door through which books enter, as they explain ourselves to us and to others as well, and make us feel less strange, less isolated, and less lonely." Alain de Botton I discovered that the purpose of my search in books is to teach myself how to live well and how to die well. Here are reflections that approached philosophical and literary works, most of which are translated from German or English. I spent enjoyable time with their authors — as a reader and translator — emulating the style of Montaigne in his essays. These reflections aim to give meaning to life in the way Joseph Campbell suggested, as we will read in this work. Ahmed Al-Zanati