The Extinction of Desire

What would you do if you suddenly became rich? Michael O’Meara had never asked himself this question. A high school history teacher in Maryland, Michael is content- until, after a freak accident, he unexpectedly finds himself the beneficiary of a million dollars that disrupt his life and leave him questioning everything he had and everything he thought he wanted. The Extinction of Desire blends Buddhist philosophy and fiction to maps the course of one man’s voyage to uncover the fundamental truths about what is really valuable in life.



An engaging novel that seeks to portray a philosophical depiction of the author’s worldview theory

Addresses core topics in philosophy and religion - knowledge, reality, self and others, value-in narrative form

Confronts the place of materialism and instant gratification in our world views

Includes a foreword by Charles Johnson, winner of the American National Book Award for fiction in 1990, for his book Middle Passage

Accompanied by a supporting website offering a wealth of additional resources, including discussion points for reading groups and a teachers’ guide: www.blackwellpublishing.com/publicphilosophy/boylan