The late highly respected historian David McCullough is quoted in this book with a message that is akin to the statement that "you don't have to re-invent the wheel.'' McCullough wrote, "Why limit yourself to your own relatively brief time on earth, according to your own biological clock, when the whole realm of human experience reaching back infinitely far is available to you.'' You'll see that people have been speaking profoundly about life since Aristotle, as well as others in the ancient world. Life is an interesting subject to contemplate. There are some people who have written about life in a pessimistic way, and it can be argued that they had a good reason to feel this way because of the circumstances they experienced or point of view. But I have attempted to make this a mostly positive book, while also not mincing words about the dangers and other realities we must either avoid or address. The subtitle of this book promises that you'll find statements that tell what's important in life-such as freedom, a democratic form of government, a loving family, compassion, an education, friendship, relationships, and knowing yourself-to name a few.

"It is my hope that this book will be helpful to those looking for inspiration, wisdom, wit, and practical knowledge that will guide them on life's joyous and sometimes difficult road and help them reach the finish line in a better place." -from the Introduction to "The Daly Guide to Living''