Last Works: Lessons in Leaving

by Mark C. Taylor

For many today, retirement and the leisure said to accompany it have become vestiges of a slower, long‑lost time. In a world where the sense of identity is tied to work and careers, to stop working often is to become nobody. In this deeply perceptive and personal exploration of last works, Mark C. Taylor explores the final reflections of writers and thinkers from Kierkegaard to David Foster Wallace. How did they either face or avoid ending and leaving? What do their lessons in ending teach us about living in the time that remains for us?  
 
Some leavings brought relief, even joy, while others brought pain and suffering. Whether the cause was infirmity, impending death, or simply exhaustion and ennui, the ways these influential voices fell silent offer poignant examples of people negotiating the challenges of ending. Throughout this profound and moving book, Taylor probes how the art of living involves learning to leave gracefully.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy

392 pages, Hardcover

Published January 9, 2018

About the author

Mark C. Taylor, Ph.D. (Religious Studies, Harvard University, 1973; B.A., Wesleyan University, 1968), is a philosopher of religion who chaired the Department of Religion at Columbia University 2007–2015. Previously, he was Cluett Professor of Humanities at Williams College (Williamstown, Massachusetts), where he began his teaching career in 1973.

Reviews

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply insightful and thoughtful treatment of how we experience "endings" in our lives. This was not an easy read for me as I found I had to put it down quite frequently and just think about the contents. Although not "light reading ", I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone facing an important ending in their life (of what ever type).

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ted Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark C. Taylor writes better than most other public intellectuals. He is brilliant, comprehensive, suggestive, probing, and challenging. I am not competent to review him. However, I have read him for years with pleasure, reward, and satisfying dissatisfaction. I highly recommend this one.