Emily Esfahani Smith

EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH is the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters (Crown). In her book, articles, and essays, she draws on psychology, philosophy and literature to write about the human experience—why we are the way we are and how we can find grace and meaning in a world that is full of suffering. Smith’s articles “There’s More to Life than Being Happy” and “Masters of Love,” originally published in The Atlantic, have been read over 30 million times. Her writing has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TIME, and other publications. Smith is an instructor in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and a columnist for The New Criterion. She’s also the editor at the Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where she manages the Ben Franklin Circles project, a collaboration with the 92nd Street Y and Citizen University to build meaning in local communities. Smith graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a master of applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.  @emesfahanismith