Struggling with his own emotional crises and on the brink of divorce, Alexander decided to look at how some famous people had turned to religion for therapy. He wanted to find the path of joy rather than the path of pleasure which leads to unhappiness in the end. This is the 'peace beyond understanding' that the heroine wanted to find in Somerset Maugham's The Purple Veil.

He discusses the spiritual crises of such people as Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Qiu Chujiand Mary Lou Williams, and how they found their way out of them and found solace. Mary Lou Williams's story was especially moving, I thought, because she had to make such an effort to move out of her breakdown, and she achieved so much in the end.

This is a helpful and inspiring book, especially during these challenging times.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Michael Scott Alexander’s “Making Peace with the Universe” is a worthy read that takes us on a profound and thought provoking spiritual and intellectual journey through the lives of people like Socrates, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Qiu Chuji, Mary Lou Williams, and others, including his own life. The complex and rich stories laced throughout this book and wise nuggets to behold offers us liberating wisdom to travel this beautifully chaotic existence with more grace and equanimity. This book is brilliant! Well done!