I think "Bert" is a brilliant man and a terrific author, but most (if not all) of the essays in this book are really dry and uninteresting. The best part of the book was Bertrand's discussion of what the word "should" means. He concludes that "should" in most instances mearly means that if you do x, someone specific would approve. For example, "you should be kind to others" means nothing more than "if you are kind to others, those people will experience a feeling of approval regarding your actions." Other than that, the book was pretty painful to read. I recommend Why I Am Not A Christian or Unpopular Essays instead. I give this book 2 stars because nobody should ever give Bertrand Russell one star (if you did, he would disapprove!)