He recently published a book called The Lifebox , the Seashell , and the Soul : What Gnarly Computation Taught Me About Ultimate Reality , the Meaning Of Life , and How To Be Happy . This book summarizes the various philosophies he 's believed over the years . His recent non-fiction book , The Lifebox , the Seashell , and the Soul : What Gnarly Computation Taught Me About Ultimate Reality , the Meaning Of Life , and How To Be Happy summarizes the various philosophies he 's believed over the years and ends with the tentative conclusion that we might profitably view the world as made of computations , with the final remark , `` perhaps this universe is perfect . ''