Last year, actor Rainn Wilson surprised us with his insightful and utterly un-Dwightlike thoughts on creativity. As it turns out, Wilson is scholar of human nature and the creative process. His newish book, SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions, explores the human condition from a rich and fascinating array of angles, spanning life and death, art and creativity, sex and relationships, the brain and the soul, science and technology, and just about everything in between.

When I got so well-known for The Office, I just wanted to create something positive on the Internet. There’s so much crap out there. I wanted to create something really positive and uplifting, and this blends philosophy, creativity and spirituality.” ~ Rainn Wilson

Beautifully written and exquisitely designed, the book is based on Wilson’s site of the same name (another fine addition to our running count of blog-turned-book success stories) and is the product of his collaboration with social media entrepreneur Devon Gundry, photographer and writer Golriz Lucina, and award-winning journalist Shabnam Mogharabi.

With stunning art by nearly 100 up-and-coming artists and designers, as well as essays by like creative thinkers and doers like Amy Sedaris (whom you know we love)a, David Lynch, Jesse Dylan, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Josh Ritter and Saul Williams, the book is a remarkable feat of philosophical inquiry and creative discovery.

SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions is a treasure trove of insights, poems, art, quotes and thought starters on pretty much everything that matters in life — a visually astounding and conceptually compelling journey into being human.