{"title":"Books by Dean Rickles","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780691240596","title":"Life Is Short – An Appropriately Brief Guide to Making It More Meaningful","description":"Why life’s shortness—more than anything else—is what makes it meaningfulDeath might seem to render pointless all our attempts to create a meaningful life. Doesn’t meaning require transcending death through an afterlife or in some other way? On the contrary, Dean Rickles argues, life without death would be like playing tennis without a net. Only constraints—and death is the ultimate constraint—make our actions meaningful. In Life Is Short, Rickles explains why the finiteness and shortness of life is the essence of its meaning—and how this insight is the key to making the most of the time we do have.   Life Is Short explores how death limits our options and forces us to make choices that forge a life and give the world meaning. But people often live in a state of indecision, in a misguided attempt to keep their options open. This provisional way of living—always looking elsewhere, to the future, to other people, to other ways of being, and never committing to what one has or, alternatively, putting in the time and energy to achieve what one wants—is a big mistake, and Life Is Short tells readers how to avoid this trap.   By reminding us how extraordinary it is that we have any time to live at all, Life Is Short challenges us to rethink what gives life meaning and how to make the most of it.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57686002532725,"sku":"9780691240619","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56293868437877,"sku":"9780691240596","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780691240619.jpg?v=1792599322"},{"product_id":"9781032219202","title":"Dual-Aspect Monism and the Deep Structure of Meaning","description":"This book investigates the metaphysical position of dual-aspect monism, with particular emphasis on the concept of meaning as a fundamental feature of the fabric of reality.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295871152501,"sku":"9781032219202","price":46.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781032219202_d9b5ec81-b7b5-4804-a0a7-9a6ca93033d5.jpg?v=1786017132"},{"product_id":"9780745669823","title":"The Philosophy of Physics","description":"Does the future exist already? What is space? Are time machines physically possible? What is quantum mechanical reality like? Are there many universes? Is there a ‘true’ geometry of the universe? Why does there appear to be an arrow of time? Do humans play a special role in the world? In this unique introductory book, Dean Rickles guides the reader through these and other core questions that keep philosophers of physics up at night. He discusses the three pillars of modern physics (quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and the theories of relativity), in addition to more cutting-edge themes such as econophysics, quantum gravity, quantum computers, and gauge theories. The book’s approach is based on the idea that philosophy of physics is a kind of ‘interpretation game’ in which we try to map physical theories onto our world. But the rules of this game often lead to a multiplicity of possible victors: rarely do we encounter a simple answer. The Philosophy of Physics offers a highly accessible introduction to the latest developments in this exciting field. Written in a lively style, with many visual examples, it will appeal to beginner-level students in both physics and philosophy.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298069164405,"sku":"9780745669823","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780745669823_95532e31-af52-4d21-b7ab-84eafcd79580.jpg?v=1786014678"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-dean-rickles.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}