It's official: I'm writing a book, and now I can talk more about it

The contract is signed and the publisher has made their announcement.

Since the contract is signed and the deal has been reported in Publishers Marketplace, I can finally (officially) say that I am writing a book that will be published by Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

The working title – which very much could change, depending on my publisher’s preferences – is The Intellectual Life. (Publisher’s have final say on titles and covers — I learned that recently!)

I’ll be exploring the vita contemplativa, the problems of modern technology, techniques for reading better and more deeply, and similar issues. In the first chapter, I’m citing Hannah Arendt, Agnes Callard, Byung-Chul Han, Plato, Aristotle, and Nietzsche. I think it is shaping up to an interesting and helpful book.

This book is partly inspired by a book from A.G. Sertillanges of the same name. (Interestingly, Sertillanges writes that his book was inspired by an earlier book: Les Sources by Auguste Joseph Alphonse Gratry. In this way, I feel like I am carrying on a tradition.) Reading Sertillanges’ book was essential for me finding a way to explore philosophical issues outside of the academy. It is one of the books I consider truly life-changing. As I wrote in an early draft:

When I read [The Intellectual Life], it was as if this author, writing nearly a century ago, were writing with me directly in mind. It was as if he were reaching out to me, taking me by shoulders, and shouting: Live! Think! Pursue the life of the mind! Sertillanges helped me recall the thrills I had felt earlier in my philosophical career as I grasped the structure of a great philosopher’s arguments or perceived a novel connection between two seemingly distinct ideas. In other words, Sertillanges reminded me of my calling. He reminded me of my vocation.

My hope is that the book will be available for purchase in 2026, but this too is up to my publisher. I’ll be sharing updates here on Commonplace Philosophy. I think anyone who likes my YouTube channel or this newsletter will enjoy the book.

I can try my best to answer questions below.