“A condensation of a vast and refreshingly unorthodox system of ideas.” —  Arthur Koestler, Observer From one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, and the author of the international bestseller Small Is Beautiful , the reissue of a timeless treatise on the meaning of living. In A Guide for the Perplexed , bestselling author E. F. Schumacher explores our relation to the world: our obligations—to other people, to the earth, to progress and technology, but most importantly to ourselves. If man can fulfill these obligations, then and only then can he enjoy a truly authentic relationship with the world—and truly know the meaning of living. Schumacher argues that we need maps: a "map of knowledge" and a "map of living." The concern of the mapmaker is to find for everything its proper place. For things out of place tend to get lost; they become invisible and their proper places are filled by other things that should not be there at all and therefore serve to mislead. A Guide for the Perplexed teaches us to be our own map makers in following our destined path in life’s journey.