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bananabell 's review for:
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives
by David Eagleman
Easy to read, low commitment, but still thought provoking.
Not meant to posit actual theories of the afterlife, but serves to illuminate the present from a different dimension. Parables. Recurring theme of applying modern concepts to the afterlife, whether it's business or technology.
Definitely written from the perspective of a scientist; the stories inevitably ground us in the intricacies of the empirical world while offering us revelations that seem inexplicable by sole reference to that empirical world. All the same, the ineffable beauty of human consciousness & relationships all serve the thesis of a life that is designless and for the present... Ultimately the idea that finding The Meaning does not really matter so much as enjoying the present and its own mysteries. Definitely ignites a wonder for human life and reconsider the things we take for granted.
Prose is smooth, straightforward. I wouldn't call it lyrical or particularly beautiful; the images the author creates are the whole point, and he does a great job choosing the right words for it. It's an easy read but it's never banal. I would say he has a knack for metaphors, and creating layers and depth to support a single concept.
Favorite stories:
-Ineffable : I felt this story tangibly when communities were broken up due to the pandemic.
-Impulse : I love the idea of human beings influencing one another at a subconscious level and that having a butterfly effect
-Conservation : An alternate, physics take to the Big Bang. Incredible imagery.
-Reversal : Delightful concepts, all fitting nicely together. 'On their last day, howling because it is the end of their lives, babies climb back into the wombs of their mothers, who eventually shrink and climb back into the wombs of their mothers, and so on like concentric Russian dolls.'
Favorite quotes:
-'Of all the Programmers' planets, ours is the supercomputing golden child, the world that inexplicably provides enough power to light up the galaxy.' (81)
-'He began to find humans irresistible with their unrestricted love. We quickly became His chosen species.' (93)
-'But here they no longer enjoy the peak of a hierarchy; instead, they suffer side by side in a fellowship of abandonment.' (98)
-'The secret codes of life- whether presented as a gift or a burden- go totally unappreciated. And once again the Rewarder and the Punisher skulk off, struggling to understand why knowing the code behind the wine does not diminish its pleasure on your tongue, why knowing the inescapability of heartache does not reduce its sting, why glimpsing the mechanics of love does not alter its intoxicating appeal.' (103)
Misc. facts:
-Many forms of the word 'genuflect' appear in this book.
-This book was recommended to my mom by a professor who is a part of a weekly book club of older gentlemen who meet at a bar in town.
Not meant to posit actual theories of the afterlife, but serves to illuminate the present from a different dimension. Parables. Recurring theme of applying modern concepts to the afterlife, whether it's business or technology.
Definitely written from the perspective of a scientist; the stories inevitably ground us in the intricacies of the empirical world while offering us revelations that seem inexplicable by sole reference to that empirical world. All the same, the ineffable beauty of human consciousness & relationships all serve the thesis of a life that is designless and for the present... Ultimately the idea that finding The Meaning does not really matter so much as enjoying the present and its own mysteries. Definitely ignites a wonder for human life and reconsider the things we take for granted.
Prose is smooth, straightforward. I wouldn't call it lyrical or particularly beautiful; the images the author creates are the whole point, and he does a great job choosing the right words for it. It's an easy read but it's never banal. I would say he has a knack for metaphors, and creating layers and depth to support a single concept.
Favorite stories:
-Ineffable : I felt this story tangibly when communities were broken up due to the pandemic.
-Impulse : I love the idea of human beings influencing one another at a subconscious level and that having a butterfly effect
-Conservation : An alternate, physics take to the Big Bang. Incredible imagery.
-Reversal : Delightful concepts, all fitting nicely together. 'On their last day, howling because it is the end of their lives, babies climb back into the wombs of their mothers, who eventually shrink and climb back into the wombs of their mothers, and so on like concentric Russian dolls.'
Favorite quotes:
-'Of all the Programmers' planets, ours is the supercomputing golden child, the world that inexplicably provides enough power to light up the galaxy.' (81)
-'He began to find humans irresistible with their unrestricted love. We quickly became His chosen species.' (93)
-'But here they no longer enjoy the peak of a hierarchy; instead, they suffer side by side in a fellowship of abandonment.' (98)
-'The secret codes of life- whether presented as a gift or a burden- go totally unappreciated. And once again the Rewarder and the Punisher skulk off, struggling to understand why knowing the code behind the wine does not diminish its pleasure on your tongue, why knowing the inescapability of heartache does not reduce its sting, why glimpsing the mechanics of love does not alter its intoxicating appeal.' (103)
Misc. facts:
-Many forms of the word 'genuflect' appear in this book.
-This book was recommended to my mom by a professor who is a part of a weekly book club of older gentlemen who meet at a bar in town.