One beat more is a non fiction book from Kevin Aho. I discovered him via a cowboy bebop video essay on depression. The video essay is based on Aho’s “Depression and Embodiment: Phenomenological Reflections on Motility, Affectivity, and Transcendence” paper.

Unfortunately the only way I could find to read the paper was the google AI stolen summary:

  • Disrupted Spatiotemporal Flow: Depression disrupts habitual, unconscious bodily movement (motility) and navigation of space, making everyday actions feel difficult. Situational
  • Indifference: The “life-world” contracts, as the depressed individual feels emotional detachment and inability to distinguish what is meaningful.
  • Reduced Self-Creation: The illness restricts the ability to envision or move toward future possibilities and different identities.

Which I thought it was very insightful, in particular in relationship with time.

As existentialism is part of his subjects I decided to buy one of his books. My local bookstore only had “One beat more”, so I purchased it.

The premise of the book is very simple: Existentialist author suffers a crisis that forces a reevaluation of his life. In essence the source of every middle life crisis, but amplified to the extreme. An unhealthy dose of “Memento Mori”.

I think as a premise is notoriously unoriginal. In a very shallow sense it reminded me of Tuesdays with Morrie. It also reminded me of the last chapter of “On writing” by Stephen King (titled “On living”). All of them are accounts of people defying the fear of death, and embracing life.

However below its surface there is a notable amount of references to philosophers accompanied of introspection. In the book they constantly flow and exchange roles, reading as a coherent exchange of ideas within the author.

An example: In the chapter “Be the poet of Your Life” the author examines Alzheimers. At first he quotes Heidegger assertions on the meaning-giving capacity of humans, which means that losing your cognition is as bad as losing your humanity.

But there is more to the selfhood, so Merleau-Ponty starts a narrative path of body recognition. Beauvoir’s struggle with aging, Camus rebellion as an antidote for Cartesian dualism, back to Heidegger on the illusion of calm through being busy, through Buddah to Nietzsche.

A common existentialism framing of being authentic while finding beauty in the fragility of life, supported by many concepts and quotes the lead the author to the wisdom that he shares.

Most chapters have a similar serendipitous quality with the anchor in reality provided by the author’s crisis. The crisis doesn’t feel slightly exaggerated like Stolen Focus or Notes from apocalypse, probably because it was more tangible and direct.

It felt engaging in a genuine way, and the richness of the philosophical viewpoints supported the general thread of the book.