Book excerpt: When asked "What is the goal of a writer?" author Anne Lamott responded, "To help others have this sense of wonder, of seeing things anew, things that can catch us off guard, that break in on our small, bordered worlds."This is what Jawad Mian achieves with Stray Reflections, an intimate account of his journey through life and lessons learned along the way. He delivers distilled infusions of clarity and inspiration in short chapters for reading in quiet moments at home or at the office.In his own search for meaning, Jawad draws from such sources as Rumi, Emerson, Goethe, Buddha, Confucius, Seneca, and many others. To read Stray Reflections is to be immersed in the timeless wisdom of the great poets, saints, and philosophers. This book is an antidote to the great angst of modern life.