Alda Searches For Life's Meaning

Alan Alda is famous for his acting, but his first book was a surprise best-seller, and now he's back with another.

In "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself," Alda looks back at critical points in his life, as he searches for the meaning of it all.

Alda will always be best-known for his role as "Hawkeye" Pierce on the TV series "M*A*S*H." But he's also performed in movies, Broadway shows, other TV shows, and has taken home numerous awards -- six Emmys and six Golden Globes, and was nominated for an Oscar.

His first book, "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed," became a New York Times best seller.

In his second, Alda explores the questions many people ask themselves regularly: What's the purpose of life? What is it to be human? Am I living a good life?

Alda recounts many of his own life's experiences: nearly dying in Chile, bringing home his first child, time spent with his grandchildren, speeches he's given, historical events such as 9/11 -- and reflects on their meaning and place in his life.

He stopped by The Early Show Friday to

Alda recalled that, after a surgeon in a tiny, very out-of-the-way town in Chile saved his life when a potentially fatal intestinal problem hit out of the blue, "I was just amazed and continue to be amazed at how much better life tastes now. And I thought I was really enjoying it before. And everybody I've talked to has gone (through) this. … It's amazing how much better it tastes. But the trouble with it is, I want that to go on and on. I'm very greedy. I want to really -- I not only want to taste it, I want to, at the end, feel that it was all worth it. So, I don't want to look back on it and say, 'Well, it was all that,' you know, or, 'Well, I have these trophies, so I guess I must have had a good life. I want to really feel it, you know? So that's what I'm looking for in this."

To read an excerpt of "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself," click here.