Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives
by David Eagleman
Written by neuroscientist David Eagleman, Sum is an interesting collection of forty short vignettes, each with a different take on the afterlife. Imaginative, clever, and sometimes funny, each story serves as a modern day parable on existence.
While I found it an enjoyable read, Sum doesn't really address weighty philosophical topics such as human suffering, poverty, violence, or justice. It reminded me more of an episode of "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits" than a serious attempt to come to terms with the human condition.
Sum's central insight is perhaps this: imagining the afterlife is like a Rorschach inkblot test. How we envision the afterlife can tell us something about ourselves, and can serve as a jumping off point to deeper reflection.
Hardcover: 107 pages
Publisher: Pantheon (February 10, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307377342
ISBN-13: 978-0307377340
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