classics

Helping those in need

Visit Site

MP3 Audio Sample

rating
 
 
goodreads logo

Short Synopsis
From Eric Kaplan, acclaimed comedy writer, scholar, and co-executive producer of The Big Bang Theory, comes a humorous philosophical investigation into the existence of Santa.

Full Synopsis
Metaphysics isn't ordinarily much of a laughing matter. But in the hands of acclaimed comedy writer and scholar Eric Kaplan, a search for the truth about old St. Nick becomes a deeply insightful, laugh-out-loud discussion of the way some things exist but may not really be there—just like Santa and his reindeer.

Even after we outgrow the jolly fellow, the essential paradox persists: There are some things we dearly believe in that are not universally acknowledged as real. In Does Santa Exist?, Kaplan shows how philosophy giants Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein strove to smooth over this uncomfortable meeting of the real and unreal—and failed. From there he turns to mysticism's attempts to resolve such paradoxes. Finally, he alights on comedy as the ultimate resolution of the fundamental paradoxes of life.

Kaplan delves deeper into what this means, from how our physical brains work to his own personal confrontations with life's biggest questions: If we're all going to die, what's the point of anything? What is a perfect moment? What can you say about God? Or Santa?

"Insightful and funny, but we're talking about the writer for The Big Bang Theory who is also a student of philosophy, so what else would we expect from Does Santa Exist??" ---SirReadaLot.org

"Eric Kaplan's Does Santa Exist? is the funniest book of philosophy since . . . well, ever." ---Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons

"A masterpiece." ---Mayim Bialik, PhD
Author Interview
Eric Kaplan

Does Santa Exist?

A Philosophical Investigation

Author Eric Kaplan

Narrated by Sean Runnette

Publication date Oct 16, 2014

Running time 6 hrs

Available Formats

Suggestions?
Let us know!