Short Essays On Life, Death, Meaning, And The Far Future has now been published. I’ve spent the last year writing and rewriting the book’s essays. If interested you can view the reviewer’s comments below.

Praise for Short Essays On Life, Death, Meaning and the Far Future

“I never thought I would find myself saying a book of philosophical essays is “great fun,” but Short Essays by John Messerly showed me wrong. This is a lively collection of pieces that is ostensibly directed to his grandchildren but truly it is directed to everybody. Serious discussion about serious topics in a thoroughly non-pompous style. Highly recommended.”
– Michael Ruse, Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor and Director of HPS Program, Florida State University, Gifford Lecturer, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and The American Association for the Advancement of Science, author of A Meaning To Life 

“Reading John’s essay “Cosmic Evolution and the Meaning of Life” was a happy and transformative moment in my own search for meaning. So much so that I have a framed copy on my office wall.”
– Caspar Addyman, University of London, author of The Laughing Baby

“One of the ways to experience life to its fullest–to be most fully human–is to learn and wonder about the meaning of our lives and our place in the universe. And there can be no better tour guide on this quest than John Messerly. In this collection of essays culled from a lifetime of wide learning and original thought, Messerly hits the sweet spot of clarity and accessibility for everyone from the professional philosopher to the person who doesn’t usually give these issues much thought. From teaching what great minds from the past have contributed, to stimulating thought on the interplay of how hope, despair, technology, and cosmology all play a fundamental role in your experience of personal meaning now and for the future, Messerly’s lifetime of work is not to be missed.”
– Larry Rifkin, MD

“The originality of John Messerly’s beautifully written Short Essays lies in the way in which they illuminate the thoughts of past thinkers through the lens of John’s own intellectual history and intimate quest. They form a very inspiring collection of courageous and lucid reflections on hope, despair, courage, optimism and, as it promises, the meaning of life.
– Louis de Saussure, Professor of Linguistics, University of Neuchatel,  (Switzerland)

“John has spent a lifetime researching philosophical questions and he has developed a coherent and inspiring worldview that tells us why our lives matter. He’s also managed to distill this message into a compact, engaging, and profound collection. I had the good fortune to read this during the week I turned 50 when I was already reviewing my life and considering what else lay in store for it. John’s essays helped immensely and I now plan to reread them every year or so since I’m sure I will always get something new from them. I only wish I’d found these sooner.”
– Ed Gibney, Author and Evolutionary Philosopher 

“John Messerly seems like a philosopher from an earlier age, before academic hyperspecialization. His writing is clear and direct, and the philosophical topics he addresses are comprehensive and relevant to the lay reader. I have learned much from his essays over the years.”
– James J. Hughes, Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, Associate Provost for Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning, and Senior Research Fellow Center for Applied Ethics, University of Massachusetts Boston

“These brief essays on the meaning of life touch the heart and inspire the soul with hope. They range from reflections on the magnitude of the universe to the poetry of Walt Whitman. They will remain with you.”
– Robert J. Richards, Morris Fishbein Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Science and Medicine, University of Chicago

“Sincere, thoughtful, and digestible reflections on great thinkers and big ideas, including themes such as wisdom, meaning, religion, life extension, transhumanism, death and hope. John has thought deeply about the meaning of life for many years and these short essays summarize his thinking.”
– Thaddeus Metz, Professor of Philosophy, University of Pretoria, South Africa, author of Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study (Oxford); God, Soul, and the Meaning of Life (Cambridge)

“What is the meaning of life, evolution, immortality or religion? In this series of essays written in pristine prose, John Messerly shares with passion his life-long quest for a big-picture meaning and offers unique insights. A must read!”
– Clément Vidal, Researcher, Center Leo Apostel (CLEA) for transdisciplinary research Vrije Universiteit Brussel, author of The Beginning and the End: The Meaning of Life in a Cosmological Perspective

“This is a wonderful collection of essays about Messerly’s intellectual development as well as his reflections on a number of big questions. They will especially be of interest to thinking people who share his broadly naturalistic outlook and deep concern for the future.”
– Cory Juhl, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin

“Those familiar with John’s The Meaning of Life will recognize that nobody knows the philosophical literature on this topic better than he does. His Short Essays draws on years of intensive study and relates his substantial knowledge of the topic in an approachable style, with existential honesty and analytic acumen.”
– Darrell Arnold, Honors Faculty Miami Dade College, Former President of The Humanities and Technological Association

“Short Essays” is an absorbing book. John Messerly clearly introduces and assesses a variety of topics, focusing on those which have broad appeal, brilliantly illustrating their philosophical significance.”
– Laurence Houlgate, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

“Through a masterful combination of autobiography and philosophical speculation, Messerly deals with issues important to everyone. His clear explanation of some of the most difficult philosophers’ commentaries on the central questions of human existence provides an insightful guide to those seeking to understand how to live well and accept life’s limitations and opportunities.”
  – Laurence W. Mazzeno, President Emeritus, Alvernia University

Liked it? Take a second to support Dr John Messerly on Patreon!