The importance of living / Lin Yutang.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. The awakening -- Approach to life -- A pseudo-scientific formula -- The scamp as ideal -- Part II. Views of mankind -- Christian, Greek and Chinese -- Earth-bound -- Spirit and flesh -- A biological view -- Human life a poem -- Part III. Our animal heritage -- The monkey epic -- In the image of the monkey -- On being mortal -- On having a stomach -- On having strong muscles -- On having a mind -- Part IV. On being human -- On human dignity -- On playful curiosity: the rise of human civilization -- On dreams -- On the sense of humor -- On being wayward and incalculable -- The doctrine of the individual -- Part V. Who can best enjoy life? -- Find thyself: chuangtse -- passion, wisdom and courage: mencius -- Cynicism, folly, and camouflage: laotse -- "Philosophy of half-and-half" Tsesse -- A lover of life: T'ao Yuanming -- Part VI. The feast of life -- The problem of happiness -- Human happiness is sensuous -- Chin's thirty-three happy moments -- Misunderstandings of materialism -- How about mental pleasure? -- Part VII. The importance of loafing -- Man the only working animal -- The Chinese theory of leisure -- The cult of the idle life -- This earth the only heaven -- What is luck? -- Three American vices -- Part VIII. The enjoyment of the home -- On getting biological -- Celibacy a freak of civilization -- On sex appeal -- The Chinese family ideal -- On growing old gracefully -- Part IX.  The enjoyment of living -- On living in bed -- On sitting in chairs -- On conversation -- On tea and friendship -- On smoke and incense -- On drink and wine games -- On food and medicine -- Some curious western customs -- The inhumanity of western dress -- On house and interiors -- Part X. The enjoyment of nature -- Paradise lost? -- On bigness -- Two Chinese ladies -- On rocks and trees -- On flowers and flower arrangements -- The "vase flowers" of Yuan Chunglang -- The epigrams of Chang Chao. -- Part XI. The enjoyment of travel -- On going about and seeing things -- The travels of Mingliaotse -- The reason for the flight -- The way of traveling -- At Austere heights -- Back to humanity -- Philosophy of the flight -- Part XII. The enjoyment of culture -- Good taste in knowledge -- Art as play and personality -- The art of reading -- The art of writing -- Part XIII. Relationship to God -- The restoration of religion -- Why I am a pagan -- Part XIV. The art of thinking -- The need for humanized thinking -- The return to common sense -- Be reasonable.