The major gap in this chapter concerns the normative status of claims about the meaning of life, but these will have to wait for more discussion of ethical issues in the next two chapters. I hope, however, to have provided some reasons for rejecting several inadequate approaches to a meaningful life, including religion, nihilism, and slacker serenity. The realms of love, work, and play can provide ample answers to the question of why life is worth living, but only if we have some grounds for thinking that they furnish not merely goals that people do pursue, but also goals that people ought to pursue. The next chapter argues that love, work, and play are norma tively appropriate goals because of their contributions to vital human needs.