"A marvelous analysis." --The New York Times Book Review

"[James] is a bell-clear writer . . . and, here, takes home the gold." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Illuminating. . . . A clear and well-informed guide." --The Philosopher

"A beautiful book, essentially a dialogue with Jean-Paul Sartre about work and play. He's arguing that working less and playing more, especially in the surf, is not only an okay choice but a moral one." --Jaimal Yogis, Tampa Bay Times

"Incredibly intelligent and compelling. . . . Provocative and pure. . . . Render[s] complicated ideas easily comprehensible by way of a context of surfing attitude." --The Maine Edge

"Thoughtful and life-affirming. . . . Funny, enthralling and above all wise, Surfing with Sartre offers fresh insights into the human condition that will interest the academic theorist, the casual surfer and everyone in between." --Shelf Awareness

"Carefully and conscientiously crafted and deeply thoughtful. . . . Addresses major questions in philosophy from his unique perspective as both a philosopher and former surfer." --Reason and Meaning

"Provocative. . . . Entertaining. . . . [A] nimble set of essays on topics such as work and freedom." --Kirkus Reviews

"[A] thoughtful meditation on surfing and philosophy. . . . Even for nonsurfers, James convincingly illustrates the ways in which catching a wave can change how people understand the world and try to make meaning from experiences." --Publishers Weekly

"Intellectually bracing. . . . Philosophy stoked with the adrenaline rush of riding one gnarly wave." --Booklist

"[James] knows how to make us think deeply in a fun way. . . . The idea of having a University of California, Irvine, philosophy professor explain key concepts like freedom, being, and epistemology from a surfer's perspective is way too cool." --Library Journal