Dean Rickles is a professor of history and philosophy of modern physics at the University of Sydney in Australia. He's written many profound and enlightening books about the scientific philosophies of quantum gravity, physics, string theory and more. In Life Is Short, he merges his passions to deliver a deeply engaging and thought-provoking study of life and how its finite nature serves hidden depths that can lead to a much more rewarding and fulfilling existence.
People chronically compare their lives to others, procrastinate and fixate on the future, whether it's anticipation about careers or social aspirations. Rickles believes modern life is riddled with many choices that easily sway people to lean toward keeping their options open in a "kind of limbo, waiting for life to happen." However, in living this way, how much of life is spent truly unlived? In eight chapters, Rickles (Covered with Deep Mist; The Philosophy of Physics) probes issues of life and death, self-knowledge, conscious and unconscious decision-making and the role of obstacles. Under a philosophical microscope, he examines how these aspects, among others, serve to illicit greater meaning and purpose amidst the brevity of life. Wisdom from great thinkers throughout the ages--including Seneca and Rousseau, Nietzsche and William James, Carl Jung and even Woody Allen--augments this concise, well-conceived and thoroughly researched narrative.
Life Is Short is a meditative gem that is as intellectually astute as it is accessible. Readers will find much to help them in their efforts to live more mindfully--and with significantly greater appreciation. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines