Martin Demant Frederiksen

Conventionally, if you believe in nothing, or think that everything is meaningless or pointless, you are either: 1) a hell-bent nihilist, 2) atheist, 3) hate God, 4) have no love for your fellow human beings, 5) depressed with no sense of humour, or 6) Morrissey. But Frederiksen says, HOLD ON! That's not what we mean!

And what a big net he casts. He explores the tricky crevasse of meaninglessness and nothingness, drawing on literature, the number zero, boredom, popular TV sitcoms, Sunday anxiety and many more to paint a multidimensional and disparate image of how meaninglessness and nothingness can be defined. In doing so, he shatters the non-moralist, degenerate impressions of meaninglessness and nothingness. Hey, nothing's not so bad after all! Doing nothing can do wonders for your brain (daydreaming), is an act of privilege (economic and class privilege), also a curb on one's personal freedom (denial of pursuing one's goals by poverty), an act of rebellion (Jack Kerouac's On The Road) or a philosophical question on the test of one's faith (Kierkegaard). Nothing, under Frederiksen's pen, can simultaneously be everything at once.

Despite its slimness, I was hooked by the myriad of topics presented, and surprised at how dense it could be. At times, though, the net I feel gets cast too wide. But I never felt pandered to, and the book kept the jargon toned down to quick Google-ability. Highly appreciated.… (mais)