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Catch A Philosophical Wave In 'Surfing With Sartre'

Philosophy professor and avid surfer Aaron James brings his two passions together in his new book, drawing connections between the surfer's state of mind and age-old philosophical conundrums.
<em>Surfing with Sartre</em>: An Aquatic Inquiry Into a Life of Meaning, by Aaron James.

Jason Heller is a senior writer at The A.V. Club, a Hugo Award-winning editor and author of the novel Taft 2012.

Stacks of pop philosophy books, from the late Robert M. Pirsig's on down, have sought to equate everyday activities with a deeper understanding of reality and self. In Aaron James' new book, , he uses the surfboard as a vehicle of enlightenment. It seems, than that. Erudite yet engaging, the book strikes a winning balance between waxing wise and catching waves.

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