In the afterlife you may find that God is the size of a microbe unaware of your existence. You may find the afterlife contains only those people you remember. In these tales, David Eagleman offers us a lens through which to see ourselves here & now.
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'This stunningly original book is little more than 100 pages long. You can get through it in an hour, but you'd be mad to hurry, and you will certainly want to return to it many times ... Sum has the unaccountable, jaw-dropping quality of genius. It seems exquisitely adapted to fill the contemporary longing for a kind of secular holy book.' Observer
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Sum is terrific... The inventiveness, the clarity and wit of the prose...add up to something completely original.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Taken at face value, as a kind of fantasy thought-experiment succintly exploring the sheer strangeness of the concept of death itself, the book is by turns witty, imaginative, playful, and occasionally poetic. Each tale works independently in terms of its individual logic, and overall there is a real cumulative pleasure taken in the notion of comparing 40 'invented' afterlives. Some of the ideas are extensions of already existing fantasy and science-fiction lore to some extent, and religious ideas also get included - paradoxes and all - but what becomes clear,as it should, is that all of this is about how we actually value our lives, and really has nothing to do with the afterlife at all. It is essentially secular in its free play with ideas, levelling the profound alongside the trivial, and the 'deep' with the light.
Apparently some religious critics have found this book shallow and undermining of the seriousness of certain religious ideas. As someone who firmly believes religious afterlife 'hope and judgement' conceits are human-foible infected fantasies anyway, I find the humanity and playfulness exhibited here actually a confirmation of one the best aspects of human nature - inquisitivity. God forbid Eagleman uses the imagination God apparently gave him in the first place.
Apparently some religious critics have found this book shallow and undermining of the seriousness of certain religious ideas. As someone who firmly believes religious afterlife 'hope and judgement' conceits are human-foible infected fantasies anyway, I find the humanity and playfulness exhibited here actually a confirmation of one the best aspects of human nature - inquisitivity. God forbid Eagleman uses the imagination God apparently gave him in the first place.
62 of 68 people found the following review helpful
By Urban Scrawl
Format:Paperback
This little book has already caused quite a sensation in the publishing world, and for good reason too. And you can read why from the blurb on the back of the book. It did generate a variety of effects for me. Each short tale leaves a slightly different taste to the previous one. Some you will want to savour and allow the flavours to linger, whilst others may have no affect at all. Not only do you get such a wide variety of ideas and concepts, but the prose is delicious! Writers generally acknowledge that the short story is more of a challenge. These are not really short stories, more ideas for films or something, but the writing is superb.
They read quite like modern parables, with the effect of making you slow down and reflect. You can't help but put the book down after reading one and stare out of the window for a while and allow some re-arranging of the auld internal furniture. And you think of how life could be and then you think of how life is. And it's not so bad at all. And you just might catch a glimpse of wonder at the mystery of it all.
They read quite like modern parables, with the effect of making you slow down and reflect. You can't help but put the book down after reading one and stare out of the window for a while and allow some re-arranging of the auld internal furniture. And you think of how life could be and then you think of how life is. And it's not so bad at all. And you just might catch a glimpse of wonder at the mystery of it all.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I loved this little book. Eagleman has such a great imagination taking us on whimsical hypothesis that stay with us long after putting the book down. The stories are more philosophy than fantasy and put forward better thought out scenarios than entire catechisms of so called Religions. You can read it all the way thought or just pick it up every now and then and read one little story. I found my mind returning to the stories during the day.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
I was so pleased with this book, it exceeded my expectations. Packed with short stories, this book gives some amazing insights into how different people think the afterlife will... Read more
Published 9 days ago by S. Bell
1.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing
Hugely disappointing. No flow to the book, didnt grab me at all. Picked up and put down on numerous occassions.
Published 1 month ago by Mr. N. Beech
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pick it up (again) at heaven's gate
Those who arrive at the pearly gates totally mystified as to what to expect next will probably be handed a copy of Eagleman's book as a guide to heaven. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ruffinomics
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mediocre at best
Interesting concept and well written, but must be taken as a light-hearted fun exploration of novel ideas. Some thought provoking chapters but others quite uninspiring. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kristian
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sum
What was this all about? Way above my head! I am sure there's a message somewhere but I could NOT get it at all!
Dreadful
Dreadful
Published 2 months ago by Pat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best short story book this century
This is the best short story book that I've read in a long time.
Each story is beautifully crafted and all made me think, smile or sad... Read more
Each story is beautifully crafted and all made me think, smile or sad... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Claudia Bullion
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic!
One of the best book I ever read. Entertaining, surprising. It changes your perspective on life and death tale after tale
Published 2 months ago by Raffaele Di Bari
3.0 out of 5 stars
Yeah, it's ok
This was recommended to me, but I must say I have found it a bit boring, and haven't finished it. To be fair, I think it should not be read all at once, but one chapter at a time,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Janet Kraft
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
A thought provoking book that has you delighted as often as you are horrified ! Short and easy to read Eagleman explores the notion of the afterlife and in doing so challenges the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Renee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought provoking book
A multitude of afterlife scenarios. Interesting and thought provoking regarding ones present life. A good read even if you're not a believer.
Published 5 months ago by Slothchef
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