Written with wisdom and eloquence, this 303-page book thoroughly but sensitively discusses Biblical notions of death, the impact of science, the various attempts by immortalists to describe heaven, and the failure of spiritual "proofs." Corliss Lamont also argues for a new, ethical affirmation of life based upon an appreciation of our common mortality. The book includes an Introduction by John Dewey.

The Illusion of Immortality was originally published in 1932 as Issues of Immortality: A Study in Implications.