Surfing with Sartre: An Aquatic Inquiry into a Life of Meaning

Author: James, Aaron

Edition: First Edition

Number Of Pages: 352

Details:

From the bestselling author of Assholes: A Theory, a book that—in the tradition of Shopclass as Soulcraft, Barbarian Days and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance—uses the experience and the ethos of surfing to explore key concepts in philosophy. The existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once declared "the ideal limit of aquatic sports . . . is waterskiing." The avid surfer and lavishly credentialed academic philosopher Aaron James vigorously disagrees, and in Surfing with Sartre he intends to expound the thinking surfer's view of the matter, in the process elucidating such philosophical categories as freedom, being, phenomenology, morality, epistemology, and even the emerging values of what he terms "leisure capitalism." In developing his unique surfer-philosophical worldview, he draws from his own experience of surfing and from surf culture and lingo, and includes many relevant details from the lives of the philosophers, from Aristotle to Wittgenstein, with whose thought he engages. In the process, he'll speak to readers in search of personal and social meaning in our current anxious moment, by way of doing real, authentic philosophy.

Reviews:

"I surf, therefore I am: a good-natured exploration of some of the big questions philosophy raises, all while hanging 10. In this nimble set of essays on topics such as work and freedom, James... gives a fine if idiosyncratic account of how philosophers puzzle out the world—idiosyncratic because it's framed from the point of view of a surfer. Throughout, the book is provocative and less laid-back than it might appear at first glance. A 12-page glossary defines some surfing and philosophy terms alike. Heidegger as ho-daddy? The approach is unusual, but to fruitful—and entertaining—ends."

— Kirkus Reviews

" Surfing With Sartre: An Aquatic Inquiry Into a Life of Meaning by Aaron James [is] a great book. James is a philosophy professor. He's written a beautiful book, essentially a dialogue with Jean-Paul Sartre about work and play. He's arguing that working less and playing more, especially in the surf, is not only an okay choice but a moral one. He makes a beautiful argument for why leisure and dedication to nature is a moral imperative at this time. It might sound like a stretch but he builds a case. The book also gives you a good excuse to surf a little more.

— Jaimal Yogis, author of 

Saltwater Buddha

"Stacks of pop philosophy books, from the late Robert M. Pirsig's  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance on down, have sought to equate everyday activities with a deeper understanding of reality and self. In Aaron James' new book,  Surfing with Sartre, he uses the surfboard as a vehicle of enlightenment. It seems, at first glance, like a simple task.

"Go with the flow," after all, might as well be the mantra of both the surfer and the sophist. But there's much more to  Surfing with Sartre than that. Erudite yet engaging, the book strikes a winning balance between waxing wise and catching waves... James is both a professor of philosophy and an avid surfer, and his passion is palpable on the page... For all its heady discussion of philosophy and the technical aspects of surfing,  Surfing with Sartre is surprisingly lively. James cannily navigates the metaphysics of Leibniz and the point breaks of Malibu with equal ease...  he infuses  Surfing with Sartre with just the right mix of personal insight and universal scope. The author himself playfully calls his book

"comically grandiose," and it's exactly that, a work of both ambition and humility. Ultimately, it's as concerned with peace, fulfillment, and humanity's future as it is about the spray of salty surf on a summer's day. In fact, the two are the same. And his departing lesson is profound in its clarity: Surfing

— like life — should be a thing of both pleasure and meaning."

—NPR.org

"What can surfing teach us about politics, work, and freedom of choice, everyday getting around in the world, and...

EAN: 9780385540735

Release Date: 08-08-2017

Languages: English

Item Note: Great shape- pages are unmarked and sharp.Has a remainder mark. Hardcover Used - Like New Ships fast! 2017First Edition

Item Condition: UsedLikeNew

Binding: Hardcover