Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Synopsis
At once funny, wistful and unsettling, Sum is a dazzling exploration of unexpected afterlives—each presented as a vignette that offers a stunning lens through which to see ourselves in the here and now. In one afterlife, you may find that God is the size of a microbe and unaware of your existence. In another version, you work as a background character in other people’s dreams. Or you may find that God is a married couple, or that the universe is running backward, or that you are forced to live out your afterlife with annoying versions of who you could have been. With a probing imagination and deep understanding of the human condition, acclaimed neuroscientist David Eagleman offers wonderfully imagined tales that shine a brilliant light on the here and now.
Is Sum appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
A philosophical collection of imaginative afterlife scenarios that explores existential questions with wit and insight. No violence, profanity, or sexual content, but abstract concepts about death and existence may be challenging for younger readers.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include death and existential dread.
Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.
Who'll love this
Teens interested in philosophy and 'what if' scenarios about death and the afterlife will find these thought-provoking vignettes fascinating.