Book Description
The book you hold in your hands is revolutionary, a groundbreaking exploration of the science of intention. It is also the first book to invite you, the reader, to take an active part in its original research. Drawing on the findings of leading scientists on human consciousness from around the world, The Intention Experiment demonstrates that thought is a thing that affects other things. Thought generates its own palpable energy that you can use to improve your life, to help others around you, and to change the world.
In The Intention Experiment, internationally bestselling author Lynne McTaggart, an award-winning science journalist and leading figure in the human consciousness studies community, presents a gripping scientific detective story and takes you on a mind-blowing journey to the farthest reaches of consciousness. She profiles the colorful pioneers in intention science and works with a team of renowned scientists from around the world, including physicist Fritz-Albert Popp of the International Institute of Biophysics and Dr. Gary Schwartz, professor of psychology, medicine, and neurology at the University of Arizona, to determine the effects of focused group intention on scientifically quantifiable targets -- animal, plant, and human.
The Intention Experiment builds on the discoveries of McTaggart's first book, international bestseller The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe, which documented discoveries that point to the existence of a quantum energy field. The Field created a picture of an interconnected universe and a scientific explanation for many of the most profound human mysteries, from alternative medicine and spiritual healing to extrasensory perception and the collective unconscious. The Intention Experiment shows you myriad ways that all this information can be incorporated into your life.
After narrating the exciting developments in the science of intention, McTaggart offers a practical program to get in touch with your own thoughts, to increase the activity and strength of your intentions, and to begin achieving real change in your life. After you've begun to realize the amazing potential of focused intention, and the times when it is most powerful, McTaggart invites you to participate in an unprecedented experiment: Using The Intention Experiment website to coordinate your involvement and track results, you and other participants around the world will focus your power of intention on specific targets, giving you the opportunity to become a part of scientific history.
The Intention Experiment redefines what a book does. It is the first "living" book in three dimensions. The book's text and website are inextricably linked, forming the hub of an entirely self-funded research program, the ultimate aim of which is philanthropic. An original piece of scientific investigation that involves the reader in its quest, The Intention Experiment explores human thought and intention as a tangible energy -- an inexhaustible but simple resource with an awesome potential to focus our lives, heal our illnesses, clean up our communities, and improve the planet.
The Intention Experiment also forces you to rethink what it is to be human. As it proves, we're connected to everyone and everything, and that discovery demands that we pay better attention to our thoughts, intentions, and actions. Here's how you can.
Customer Reviews:
FASCINATING..........2007-10-02
"The Intention Experiment" by Lynn Taggart provides fascinating insights on intentional living. This book shows you how thought can affect your life. In essence thought is an energy that has the potential to transform your own life as well as help others.
Focused group intention is also shown to be a highly powerful tool in affecting animals, plants and humans.
Also, the reader is invited to become involved in a rearch experiment about the power of human thought.
My most recent favorite New Age books that highlight self-empowerment and life transformation are:
The Secret
Nexus: A Neo Novel
Wow!.......2007-09-26
This book has a wonderful compilation of scientific studies about intention! It is very easy to read and understand. I was amazed at the
scientific research that has been completed in this area, and even more
surprised that so few of us are aware of this research.
Enjoy.
Fantastic.......2007-09-13
You may believe the reports in the book or you might just be a blind defender of the "offcial" science, but in both cases this is a book to read.
I will suggest it to all my friends.
Advancing the body of knowledge.......2007-09-10
This is a wonderful book, bringing forth highly complex knowledge in a digestible form. It helps if the reader is analytical by nature. Thank you to Lynne Taggart for her writing style and depth of coverage of the topic. I am learning from this book how and why prayer works.
Could You Imagine?.......2007-09-10
Picture this... A World with Peace, a World with Love, A World where EVERYONE has enough. If I am to understand what Lynne McTaggart is saying here, then I am to understand that a simple change in Our Collective thoughts 'could' change Our World. Peace, Love, Harmony. Groovy.
Amazon.com
When Margaret J. Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science was initially published in 1992, it outlined an unquestionably unique but extremely challenging view of change, leadership, and the structure of groups. Many readers immediately embraced its cutting-edge perspective, but others just could not understand how the complicated scientific tenets it described could be used to reshape institutions. Now Wheatley, an organizational specialist who has since coauthored A Simpler Way, updates the original by including additional material (such as an epilogue addressing her personal experiences during the past decade) and reconstructing some of her more challenging concepts. The result is a much clearer work that first explores the implications of quantum physics on organizational practice, then investigates ways that biology and chemistry affect living systems, and finally focuses on chaos theory, the creation of a new order, and the manner that scientific principles affect leadership. "Our old ways of relating to each other don't support us any longer," she writes. "It is up to us to journey forth in search of new practices and new ideas that will enable us to create lives and organizations worthy of human habitation." --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Leadership and the New Science launched a revolution by demonstrating that ideas drawn from quantum physics, chaos theory, and molecular biology could improve organizational performance. Margaret Wheatley called for free-flowing information, individual empowerment, relationship networks, and organizational change that evolves organically -- ideas that have become commonplace. Now Wheatley's updated classic, based on her experiences with these ideas in a diverse number of organizations on five continents, is available in paperback.
Customer Reviews:
"Science - y " for the Science Type.......2007-08-03
Leadership and the New Science is a hard read unless you are the science type. Each chapter starts out like an introduction to evolution, but the ending (the part that you can actually conprehend) is very thought-provoking.
Signficant and Revolutionary Insights to Human Organizations.......2007-07-02
The insights put forth by this book need not be limited to businesses - though that is the stated perspective (ie applying the insight of the new sciences to business managment theory). I think the insights go far beyond business managment and would be of interest to anyone interested in group dynamics and how humans work together - be it on a local community or national level.
For those who may perceive the book as a slam against newtonian physics (as at least one reviewer simplistically decribed it) I do not believe she was invalidating newtonian physics nor mindlessly framing organization dynamics with simplistic generalizations from the "new sciences". She was quite explicit in her introduction that this book was intended as a reflective piece to see what insights might be gained from applying a new paradigm - legitimized by the insights and advances in physics over the last century - to organizational dynamics. To provide context, she demonstrates how our models for organizational theories have derived from newtonian physics and - just as we have learned that this paradigm is not sufficient to describe all of the natural world - perhaps our perspective into other spheres of human activity can be enhanced by applying the insights of the "new sciences" as well.
In short, this book offers a new way of thinking for any human endeavor and its insight are - I believe - essential for progressing into the next millenium.
Disorganized.......2007-05-26
It's really not my type of book. It was required reading for class. I think it was trying to get at some ideas like field vision and systems theory. I found more substantial info in dalai's books. I think it was called seven ways of Buddhism.
Applies quantum theory to management.......2007-05-12
This book is a challenging read and is a good fit for someone who's both scientifically and management minded. It provides some good links between quantum theory and management, but at times, it is a struggle to understand and one must read the section over several times to fully understand.
The author's work at the Berkana Institute is very interesting which believes that leaders are already present in communities and need to emerge. If you like the book, I encourage you to look up the institute!
Challening, Accessible and Interesting.......2007-04-25
This book is challenging, yet accessible, even if the reader does not posses a scientific background. While Wheatley's observations about organizations and their problems are not unique to her, her approach is, and provides an interesting framework to approach organizational development and design.
Book Description
Throughout human history, thoughts, values and behaviors have been colored by language and the prevailing view of the universe. With the advent of Quantum Mechanics, relativity, non-Euclidean geometries, non-Aristotelian logic and General Semantics, the scientific view of the world has changed dramatically from just a few decades ago. Nonetheless, human thinking is still deeply rooted in the cosmology of the middle ages. Quantum Psychology is the book to change your way of perceiving yourself --- and the universe. Some say it's materialistic, others call it scientific and still others insist it's mystical. It is all of these --- and none. The book for the 21st Century, complete with exercises. Picks up where Prometheus Rising left off. Some say it's materialistic, others call it scientific and still others insist it's mystical. It is all of these --- and none. Second Revised Edition!
Customer Reviews:
Interesting - a bit hard to get through.......2007-06-08
I would say this is ideal for an intellectual type, who enjoys a clever professor. A bit tough for me to get through - being that I'm more just generally interested in the topics discussed and not passionate about any particular point of view. Learned some things, forgot some things, let some things just pass by. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Probably wouldn't get another book from the author.
Damaging Your Assumptions.......2007-01-29
This is arguably one of Robert Anton Wilson's best books, along with Prometheus Rising. Although not a quantum physicist by trade or by training, RAW, with unfailingly skill and humour, applies the insights of quantum theory to the psychology of everyday life. If this book alone out of RAW's huge catalogue of works were to be read (and understood), that would be enough to guarantee severe and lasting damage to your previously immutable assumptions...
Radical Uncertainty
This is Anton Wilsons' take on Leary's Eight Neural Circuit model of human consciousness.......2006-12-01
This book offers some interesting variations on the Eight Neural Circuit Model of human consciousness developed by Timothy Leary. The major differences are to be found in Anton Wilson's descriptions of the 6th and 7th neural circuits. The magician and psychonaut may judge for themselves which version of this consciousness model is more useful.
Niels Bohr Meets the Buddha.......2006-11-06
This book revisits the notion that while your brain doesn't actually create the universe, it does create the model of the universe that you are aware of and experience. Many well thought-out concepts; ideal for those who need a different perpective to get them out of a psychological rut. The chapter on the E Prime language was a good laugh. It is the exact opposite of what they taught us in journalism class.
Wilson, as always, inspires. My totally unbiased opinion: he is a national treasure.
Great book.......2006-08-15
This is every bit the mind bender that the blurbs say it is. Wow!
Book Description
It is a widely known but insufficiently appreciated fact that Albert Einstein and Kurt Goedel were best friends for the last decade and a half of Einstein's life. They walked home together from Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study every day; they shared ideas about physics, philosophy, politics, and the lost world of German-Austrian science in which they had grown up. What is not widely known is that in 1949 Goedel made a remarkable discovery: there exist possible worlds described by the theory of relativity in which time, as we ordinarily understand it, does not exist. He added a philosophical argument that demonstrates, by Goedel's lights, that as a consequence, time does not exist in our world either. If Goedel is right, Einstein has not just explained time; he has explained it away.
Without committing himself to Goedel's philosophical interpretation of his discovery, Einstein acknowledged that his friend had made an important contribution to the theory of relativity, a contribution that he admitted raised new and disturbing questions about what remains of time in his own theory. Physicists since Einstein have tried without success to find an error in Goedel's physics or a missing element in relativity itself that would rule out the applicability of Goedel's results. Philosophers, for the most part, have been silent.
_A World Without Time_, addressed to experts and non experts alike, brings to life the sheer intellectual drama of the companionship of Goedel and Einstein, and places their discoveries -- which can only be measured on a millennial scale -- in the context of the great and disturbing intellectual movements of the twentieth century -- in physics, mathematics, logic, philosophy, and the arts. It contains, as well, a poignant and intimate account of the friendship between these two thinkers, each put on the shelf by the scientific fashions of their day -- and ours -- and attempts to rescue from undeserved obscurity the work Goedel did, inspired by Einstein, which made clear for the first time the truly revolutionary nature of the theory of relativity, which to this day is hardly recognized.
Customer Reviews:
more about philosophy than about physics or math.......2007-02-27
A World Without Time is a book about the friendship between Einstein and Godel that occurred toward the end of their lives. The friendship was fruitful in that Godel used Einstein's General Theory of Relativity to prove the existence of what are now called Godel Universes. Godel Universes are universes where time loops back on itself so, if you go sufficiently fast, you would end up back where you started in time. This is interesting but perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book for me was it's philosophical aspect. The author mentions the Vienna Circle and some concepts of philosophy such as positivism and ontology and epistemology which I found very interesting. I found the explanations of Godel's theories hard to follow but got the basic idea. I recommend this book for it's philosophical content. If you want to learn about Godel's Incompleteness theorem I recommend reading Godel, Escher Bach, An Eternal Golden Braid.
Should we dispense with clocks ?.......2007-02-12
The title of the book suggests time does not exist. The justification is a certain solution to Einstein cosmological equation, where the universe is rotating and time travel is possible. A path could reach into the past going around the universe.It is the Godel solution.
Modern cosmology is based on the Robertson Walker metric , or model,where there is a universal time. It fits the obseved universal expansion.The universe was born in a big bang fifteen billions years ago.
Goodel gave too much importance to his solution. After all any equation can allow many mathematical solutions which bear no relation to physical reality or fact.
The book is good reading with old and rare photos.It compelled me to reread "The Godel Solution" in Adler ,Bazin and Schiffer General Relativity.
Early in the century,Kurt Godel had laid a golden egg with his incompleteness theorem, pertaining to pure mathematics, causing some stir among Hilbert and Russell.But his attempt to abolish time, much later in 1949, felt in deaf ears among physicists and cosmologists.This is not about to change any time soon.
Yourgrau does an elegant work in rescuing an old story.It takes us through Europe and the beginnings of the Princeton Advanced Study Institute.
A World Without Time.......2007-01-23
Great book about Godel & Einstein. It tells much about their human side & their friendship. Does good job explaining some of their work.
Very bad book: a waste of your money.......2007-01-17
It is a heap op philosophy, not science. No formula, math, explanation, working examples whatsoever. Just small-talk to fill up the pages. This is NOT a physics book. I was lured into buying it thinking to get a complete textbook on Gödel's explanation of time. Forget it, this book is not worth your money. Go check the internet for PDF's or webpages containing the original publications of Gödel, they are there allright.
A World Without Time.......2007-01-04
I bought this book because I loved the cover. Everyone knows Einstein but it is amazing how few know the equally revolutionary Godel and still fewer know of their freindship. This is an invaluable book for those that (somehow) don't know about Godel's work. I didn't expect much from this book because I know of Godel's revolving universe time paradox. However, I found this book to be extremely interesting. The author's minimalist definition of Godel's theorm (syntax does not equal semantics) was worth the price alone. Unfortunatley the last chapter of the book is muddled in philosophic musings, since I am a Physicist I am less appreciative of pure philosophy.
Book Description
As Kenneth W. Ford shows us in The Quantum World, the laws governing the very small and the very swift defy common sense and stretch our minds to the limit. Drawing on a deep familiarity with the discoveries of the twentieth century, Ford gives an appealing account of quantum physics that will help the serious reader make sense of a science that, for all its successes, remains mysterious. In order to make the book even more suitable for classroom use, the author, assisted by Diane Goldstein, has included a new section of Quantum Questions at the back of the book. A separate answer manual to these 300+ questions is available; visit The Quantum World website for ordering information.
There is also a cloth edition of this book, which does not include the "Quantum Questions" included in this paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Book for Non-scientists.......2007-09-17
I found this book to be very interesting. The only minor drawback is the intense focus on the many kinds of sub-atomic particles (Hadrons, Fermions, Leptons, Pions, W particles, etc.), but I really liked the way the information was presented. A good book for the non-scientist. Makes the completely complicated quantum theory quasi-understandable, if not fathomable. I think it was Neils Bohr you said that something like "anybody who claims to understand quantum mechanics really doesn't", as it is weird science based on probabilities. Not many equations in the book; a few in the footnotes.
A good introduction to Quantum Physics.......2007-09-09
This is a good and readable introduction to Quantum Mechanics with a good collection of questions at the end that will be handy for educators (an answer manual is available to them). The quantum world is so far away from our daily experience that it should not surprise us that the concepts we use in classical physics such as defined trajectories, particles, waves, exact position, etc. get blurred in the quantum world. However, there are fascinating experiments, the best known is the double slit experiment, that show us the weirdness of the quantum, epitomized in the famous Wheeler's question: "How come the quantum?".
The quantum world is fundamentally probabilistic. For example, you do not who whether a specific atom of a radioactive substance will disintegrate in the next second, the only thing you can know is the probability that it will decay.
The book also traces the history of the main discoveries in particle physics and has a good number of photos of the main characters.
To conclude: anybody not familiar with QM and who wants to acquire a minimum scientific culture about one of the two main revolutions in physics of the XXth century (and the one that has had the widest impact in our modern economy) needs to read this book.
I particularly enjoyed the explanation of alpha and beta radioactivity and the discussion on CP violation, "the reason we are here", according to Nobel Prize winner Val Fitch. On the other hand, I missed some clarifications that will confuse the lay reader: why neutrinos are not their own antiparticles or how come there are 8 gluons if there are nine pairs of colour/anticolour. On the other hand, the important Uncertainty Principle is only discussed on page 213, whereas it is mentioned several times before in the book.
Very accessible, but all over the place.......2007-08-28
Emit one photon at a certain point, then detect it at another point. In between, that one photon has traveled EVERY POSSIBLE PATHWAY between the two points. The location where you detect it is determined by probability, not certainty.
This book blew my mind, as I had left physics behind over a decade prior. It was very accessible, but disjointed. I suppose it is difficult to compose a flowing narrative about a subject that no one truly understands. Credit Ford for helping us learn, even if we have to keep flipping back and forth to remind ourselves what leptons and bosons and fermions are.
Great theory book.......2007-08-20
This book an exellent introduction to Quamtum physics but it also talks about the history of quantum mechanics, which is quiet interresting and makes it easier to read.
I was look for an introduction to the Quantum World and this was the one. Sadly, I'm the kind of person who forget what I just read. This book is filled with theory (i.e. all sorts of leptons, quarks, force carriers, etc.) and consequently, really hard to remember.
Im in High School now and I was just curious about Quantum mechanics. I just had some really BASIC knowledge in QM and this book explained me all the rest easily althrought some explanations were incomplete like for the Weak interraction: it just says it is carried by the W and Z particle. The book does say what "carried" means (that is, force carrier) but it doesn't say actually how's it works.
Overall, this book explained a lot of things about QM but it demands the reader to remember a lot of things, especially the particles, their charge and their family (leptons, bosons, fermions, etc.).
This book CAN'T be read like a novel because you have to remember a lot of things but it's still easier to read than a book about relativity or math because it contains only few equations and doesn't ask you to "think" exept for the part when you have to know particles decay and their charge.
You must at least have some basic knowledge about Quantum Mechanics OR simply about physics before reading this. If you're interresed about QM and don't want to have all the complicated sutff (this book doesn't even say the value of Plank's constant), I deeply recommand this book.
Clear, interesting and detailed.......2007-06-22
This book deals mostly with the quantum facts and doesn't deal with the underlying reality interpretations in depth. It is written very clearly with lots of analogies, however the mass and depth of information make it a studious read, though it is easy to get many basic ideas with a skim. It has a lot of history of quantum discoveries and the people that made them. I like this book.
Average customer rating:
- Don't go to "life" without knowing this system!
- quantum memory power
- REmember Getting Ripped OFF
- Awe inspiring
- Great CD Set
|
Quantum Memory Power: Learn to Improve Your Memory with the World Memory Champion!
Dominic O'Brien
Manufacturer: Nightingale-Conant
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ASIN: 0743528662 |
Book Description
Dominic O'Brien, the 7-time world memory champion shares his ultimate tools for developing the perfect memory. Quantum Memory Power tells you how to harness and unleash your memory power so you will have unlimited capacity.
Quantum Memory Power provides practical applications and exercises to test and strengthen your abilities. By engaging your imagination and creative powers you will gain speed, accuracy and poise in the development of your quantum memory powers.
You will learn:
- How your brain operates
- To improve your decision making powers
- To develop laser-sharp concentration
- To build a mental fact file
- To increase your self-confidence.
Customer Reviews:
Don't go to "life" without knowing this system!.......2007-09-09
Don't go to school without knowing this system!
Don't go to parties without knowing this system!
Don't go to work without knowing this system!
Don't go to play smart board games without knowing this system!
Don't try to remember names without knowing this system!
nuff said... wish i had known this twenty years ago... Super for long drives. I listen to each cd twice - listening closely and thinking...
quantum memory power.......2007-02-08
this set of cd's is very awesome.. i've been studying it for a few weeks, and it all comes so clear after just the first cd.. it sounds like alot of knowlege to posess at one time, but when you think about it, he's teaching you how to have a photographic memory. after time it ends up being apart of your natural thinking(so to speak). i give this training course TWO BIG THUMBS UP..thanks to Dominic O'Brien for putting out such an innovative, GENIOUS program for simple joes like me to be able to keep all the knowlege i aquire from books, tv, movies, games, school, ANYTHING, INSIDE MY HEAD! I LOVE YOU !
REmember Getting Ripped OFF.......2007-02-07
The only thing you'll remember if you buy this course is how this guy ripped you off. All these memory courses are the same, except this one is worse than all the others. Dominic constantly recounts anecdotes about his super memory moments, and any substance is given in small bits in between and far between.
People looking to buy this course want to learn specifuc principles that allow you to memorize a lot of stuff quickly. What you learn, in between Dominic's anecdotes, is to do stuff like think of a story abut something you want to remember. So if you want to remember a guy named Baker - guess what you think of - a guy with a baker's hat on. - if you want to remember a chick named Jane Whitehead - imagine a woman with white streaks in her hair - THESE ARE REAL EXAMPLES FROM THE COURSE.
There are a few other silly tips which are just as useful. If yuo want to learn this tips - which are of little value anyway - go to the library and get any memory book and you'll get the same info. Forget about this guy. HE IS AWFUL. If you want to make sure to remember my advice: imagine the name of this course in a tiolet, and imagine it spinning around the bowl as you flush it repeatedly and angrily because you can't get your money back for buying such a stinking product
Awe inspiring.......2007-01-12
Listening to Dominic narrate his own memory adventures and journies is a treat. Suprisingly along the way you learn his methods for commiting just about anything to memory in a way that is so much fun I cringe to think of how much I hated memorizing just a few hundred spanish verbs back in highschool. At one point Dominic explains that in order for him to have enough locations to store the information he needed for a memory challenge he took a physical journey around a town and commited the whole place to memory just so he could store massive amounts of information. Very impressive.
Great CD Set.......2006-11-23
I have nearly all of Dominic O'Brien's books and I find this CD set very detailed and a good educational resource for improving memory.
I think all Dominic's methods are quite easy to learn but his most effective method is the Dominic system which he uses to remember numbers.
Basically he takes sets of numbers 00-99 and converts them to initials of a persons name. Example: 11 would be AA, which would be Andre Agassi. Anyone that knows anything about memory would have to agree its easier to remember a face and a persons name that just a plain number. Each person then has an action so they can be linked to the next person, this can then be put into a journey method.
This system definately works and i was so suprised when it did.
After listening to the CD's Dominic goes on to this system, I decided to stop the CD's until I had learnt this system of 100 names. Like i said, if you really want to learn Dominic's system you have to put in the time and effort. And that is exactly what i have been doing the past few months. I purchased some flash cards and wrote down each number on the back, then the name on the other side and have been learning them for the past few months. I now have 60 of the 100 memorized completely, but i have been taking my time reviewing and go over them as often as possible to put them into long term memory. Those names i kept forgetting, i changed. If you haven't heard of the dominic system you will understand what i mean when you get there.
If you have any hesitations about this system, don't. It works. It just takes the effort and time. It's the same with anything your learning, even a new language, you have to put in the effort and submerse yourself in it in order for it to be effective.
Great Product, well worth it, see you at the next memory championship..lol
Book Description
Science/Anthropology
Customer Reviews:
Don't Bother--Couldn't Finish It.......2004-08-03
As someone who is interested in quantum physics and has been initiated into an order of indegenous shamans I was very interested in this book's subject. Wolf turns a potentially fascinating subject into pure boredom. I tried but could not find any good reason to continure reading this drivel. The author never gets to the root of shamanic practices. His insights fall short of any meaningful contribution to physics or shamanism. Just because he takes ayahuasca with the locals in Peru and hangs out with medecine on American reservations doesn't mean he gets it. Read the World is as You Dream It by John Perkins if you want to learn more about the true shamanic experience.
Self Indulgent and Boring.......2001-08-28
Here we have someone who tries to forcibly mix two different paradigms, that of (not-so-modern) quantum physics and that of (not-so-archaic) shamanism. Had FAW been a really good theoretical or experimental physicist, or an impressive shaman, this work might have been a monumental achievement. Unfortunately, here we have a small time college physics teacher dabbling amateurishly with medicine work and - unsurprisingly - getting "insights" which never transcend the banal first-derivative of the simplistic analogy. This book is sentimental to boot and self-indulgent to the point of exhaustion and the unfortunate cayote reader can only growl with irritation at the lack of philosophical rigor combined with the shallowness of the author's autobiographical profile. I am sure Fred is quite a likeable guy and he appears to have dabbled in enough fields to gain some notoriety in New Age circles chasing a New Unified Theory of Everything. Those will find the book enjoyable. To everyone else I say: if you must read it, borrow it from the local library.
Excellent book.......2001-08-28
Dr. Wolf has accomplished what many cannot, he has written a highly interesting book about his journey to discover the parallelism between quantum physics and the knowledge / wisdom of the ancient shamans -- and has done so without getting lost in the scientific jargon. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for those who are interested in joining their scientific interest with their spiritual journey.
Nicely Done Warrior boy!.......1999-10-07
I speak with Mr. Wolf from time to time and find his knowlage very interesting, but still find it hard to believe that someone who has such knowlege still charges a buck to answer small questions to students! The world goes round by momentum! Not money!
A classic book on shamanism -- a real page-turner!.......1999-04-14
This book stands out as one of the best books on shamanism I've ever seen. The Eagle's Quest is remarkable because it maps concepts from modern physics into the ancient shamanistic world... all the while following the Wolf's very personal true story of his quest for deeper understanding. Because Wolf really wishes to know what's going on in the universe, his book is thorough in its investigations of old world shamanism. This is one of the best books I've ever read combining spirituality and physics: it's full of useful information and well-written. I love all of Fred Alan Wolf's books, and this one is especially enjoyable to me, because it was truly written from his heart. This book is a classic.
Book Description
This volume provides a broad synthesis of conceptual developments of twentieth century field theories, from the general theory of relativity to quantum field theory and gauge theory. The book traces the foundations and evolution of these theories within a historio-critical context. Theoretical physicists and students of theoretical physics will find this a valuable account of the foundational problems of their discipline that will help them understand the internal logic and dynamics of theoretical physics. It will also provide professional historians and philosophers of science, particularly philosophers of physics, with a conceptual basis for further historical, cultural and sociological analysis of the theories discussed. Finally, the scientifically qualified general reader will find in this book a deeper analysis of contemporary conceptions of the physical world than can be found in popular accounts of the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Just over my head.......2007-01-09
On the basis of the publisher's review and those of other readers, I had hoped that I'd be able to follow the path of conceptual developments. True, as advertised, the mathematical rigor was not excessive. Nonetheless, maybe because the author divided the topic into a series of detailed "cuts" at multiple levels, I found myself unable to keep track. If someone replied that the problem was me, not the book, I wouldn't argue.
Thoughtful.......2002-10-25
Excellent (and virtually mathless, save for a few excurses) in-depth analysis of the way our physical thinking evolved. It covers thoroughly all conceptual signposts of the 20th century physics (stemming from distant past)- aether, space, time, space-time, field, gravitation, inertia, quantum concepts like quantization, anomalies and renormalizability. A gift of a bird's (better, eagle's) view for an undergraduate student (that's what you don't understand because you're busy solving the equations); a penetrating analysis for a patient layman (who can grasp circa 70% of the book). Highly recommended.
A rewarding challenge for the serious layman like myself.......2001-08-25
Following is a quote from the Preface: "The book is written primarily for students of theoretical physics who are interested in the foundational problems of their discipline and are struggling to grasp the internal logic and dynamics of their subject from a historical perspective. But I have also done my best to make the text accessible to general readers with a basic scientific education who feel that their cultural curiosity concerning the contemporary conception of nature cannot be satisfied by popular writings." I qualify as the "general reader" in the audience he addresses above who, "'cannot be satisfied by popular writings."
If you've been following my collection of physics books which I post at my 'Shared Purchases' and 'Listmania Lists' portion ..., then you can see that I tend to ambitiously bite off more than I can chew in my choice of intellectual reading. As I admitted in my profile, I am a guy with not much more than half a brain and a driving passion to know what the hell is really going on in this Universe. I have been eagerly searching for a book that will challenge me to grow beyond my comfort level of popular yet slightly technical introductory treatments of physics (specifically Quantum Electrodynamics). Well, I FINALLY FOUND IT! This is a special discovery! As I hope you can tell, I am very excited about my latest exposure to Tian Yu Cao's "Conceptual Developments of 20th Century Field Theories". Cao's wonderful book serves as a didactic bridge across the gapping void we serious laymen come up against when we've finished pussy-footing around with popular-introductory Quantum Physics books and are driven to explore further than our formal education (or lack thereof) will allow when delving deeper into the daunting world of QM. I'm trying to come up to a level where I can get some appreciation and comprehension of the principles in Quantum Field Theories. For example, I ambitiously procured my own copies of "Inward Bound" by Pais, "The Odd Quantum" by Treiman, Schweber's "QED and the Men Who Made it - Dyson, Feynman, Schwinger, and Tomonaga", and Mehera's, "The Beat of a Different Drummer - the life and science of Richard Feynman". I look at these books and think, "QM looks so beautiful! I want to get a comprehensive grip on this stuff'" Hopeless without University level courses in technical mathematics and physics right? I'm not convinced, I suppose I'll find out sooner or later. As it is, I just keep at it. Day after day, I immerse myself in QM literature with a passion driven by my obsessive curiosity of Nature and what we know of her physical reality. Light, Atoms, Electromagnetic Waves, Matter, Particles, and Fields; these are the things I feel compelled to investigate'
Cao's book is another stepping stone in my self-directed journey of intellectual adventure. The pedagogy of the book is at a relatively safe and sane level for the explorer who is moderately courageous and not afraid to be uncertain about his/her competency in the learning curve. As I said, Cao's book bridges the terrible gap between the easy stuff (i.e. non-technical/popular/introductory/historical level) across the abyss towards the tougher stuff (i.e. technical/rigorously mathematical University level Introduction QFT textbooks). This is a very technical book for someone at my level but I believe that if you are somewhat like me (scary thought!) you can benefit from the book's pages when armed with a serious sense curiosity and a sincere desire to grasp deep & fundamental principles of Quantum Field Theory.
There are some scary looking mathematical formulas but if you're courageous you can breeze over them and let the copious qualitative text speak to your understanding. The only subjects in this book that I don't find of particularly immediate interest to me are his sections on General Relativity as I'm not a Gravity (field) enthusiast yet. I've skimmed over those sections and suspect that I'll be back later to visit it with more interest in the future.
Be sure to carefully read the what the other reviewers have to say about their opinions of this book, look at the book description and 'Table of Contents' link above. I suggest looking at some of the following books as a prerequisite to this book if you are anywhere near my level of intellect: "Strange Beauty" by Johnson, "The Force of Symmetry" by Icke, "The Quantum World" by Polkingthorne, "The Second Creation" by Crease & Mann, "The Quantum Universe" by Hey & Walters, "Why Things Are the Way They Are" by Chandrasekhar, "QED (The Strange Theory of Light and Matter)" by Feynman, "The Great Design (Particles, Fields, and Creation)" by Adair, "Paul Dirac (The Man and His Work)" by Pais, Jacob, Olive & Atiyah, "What Makes Nature Tick?" and also "Thinking About Physics" both by Roger Newton
I hope you will forgive my enthusiasm in this review if I seem overly zealous. I'm just a curious cat. ...
Time to leave high school physics behind.......2000-11-26
Even discounting the complexity of the mathematics involved, the motivated reader who has read a number of the listed physics references here, may find the transition to modern quantum field theory conceptually difficult. This reference, will greatly aid in the transition. Explanation of how physical actions such as gravity and electromagnetism are transmitted at a distance has provoked intense debates over the centuries. The electromagnetic field and continuous ether of Thomson and Maxwell, provided a cause for actions at a distance. In Einstein's special theory of relativity the ether was removed. In Einstein's general theory of relativity, spacetime is shown to depend on the gravitational fields. Gravitational fields are considered to be a geometrical programme of field theory, and are discussed in the first part of this reference. The middle part of this reference then considers the quantum field programme. The last part of this reference then considers the gauge field programme whereby gauge potentials can explain fundamental interactions. The motivated reader will also find this reference useful for introduction to many concepts omitted in most introductory physics texts. For example, in describing how Maxwell derived his wave equations, the ability to reformulate Newtonian mechanics in terms of a Lagrangian approach is noted.
Cao's volume on 20th Century Quantum Field Theories.......2000-03-29
If you are not an expert in quantum field theory, or if you are such an expert, you should read this book from cover to cover about a dozen times at least. Cao of Boston University does for quantum theory what investigative reporters do for political or social/behavioral problems. As a renowned philosopher and quantum physicist, he gives the whole picture and nothing but the whole picture. It is even doubtful if many theoretical physicists know the whole story as it is elaborated by Cao. M. Jammer's 1974 volume gave the story of quantum mechanics and its philosophical basis from the beginning until 1974, and Cao continues this from 1974 until 1997. The astonishing changes in quantum theory from the mechanistic to the geometric to the field theory to the gauge field theory to the effective gauge field theory, as largely inspired by and created by Steven Weinberg (the Nobel Laureate), pass before you in these pages, together with the arguments with other physicists and the experimental and theoretical problems, anomalies, and philosophical difficulties. Einstein's field theory is shown to now be incorporated into quantum field theory, and we see Weinberg's final disgust with the problems that plague quantum field theory (even though he invented effective gauge quantum field theory, the latest theory) and his abandonment of field theory for string theory. Weinberg may have overstepped his intuition here, since string theory has difficult philosophical foundations as Cao points out, and in my opinion string theory is at most an approximation to reality. But Weinberg was probably correct in being fed up with quantum field theory and seeking some other direction, as he usually has been correct about everything else. The prolific roles of P. Dirac and P. Jordan, often overlooked, are well documented by Cao (Dirac seems to be at the Weinberg level of creativity and intuition, although he has gone in so many different directions that he even arouses the ire of Cao). The collapse of complementarity is thoroughly documented as well by Cao.
Book Description
Napoleon's Buttons is the fascinating account of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly influenced the course of history. These molecules provided the impetus for early exploration, and made possible the voyages of discovery that ensued. The molecules resulted in grand feats of engineering and spurred advances in medicine and law; they determined what we now eat, drink, and wear. A change as small as the position of an atom can lead to enormous alterations in the properties of a substance-which, in turn, can result in great historical shifts.
With lively prose and an eye for colorful and unusual details, Le Couteur and Burreson offer a novel way to understand the shaping of civilization and the workings of our contemporary world.
Customer Reviews:
Napoleon's Buttons Review.......2006-09-28
While first scanning through Napleon's Buttons, I had expected a completely and utterly useless story that would have wasted my time. After finishing the introduction and a few chapters, however, I found myself more knowledgable. I learned numerous new things already with a few pages. Napoleon's Buttons has seventeen chapters that basically tell the story of seventeen different molecules and how they changed the world. These molecules range from birth control to glucose and spices to dyes. The book also proves how many of the things humans take for granted in modern society were things that were extremely rare years ago. Salt, for example, was something everyone wanted, but not everyone could afford. Today, people put salt on food everyday and throw bags of it on the ground when it snows outside. The book also showed how something as simple as tin buttons could alter the course of history. (You will learn about this in the introduction.) Overall, the book was alright. It was not fantastic, nor was it insanely boring. I learned a lot, and if you choose to read it, you will too. I do not recommend this to any one who is not an adult and has spare time (because it is lengthy). I am glad I took the time to read Napoleon's Buttons, however, because I did learn a lot about history and how humans take so many things for granted.
Excellent read for anyone!.......2006-06-02
What a great book! If you've ever been curious about how people came to discover, develop, and use some of the things we take for granted in our everyday lives, this book is fascinating! If you teach science, it is a must read - so many hooks to get students interested in science while seeing the chemistry connections! If you don't teach, you will still like it, and the authors wrote it on a level every adult can comprehend.
Just my opinion.......2006-05-19
but this best selling book didn't do it for me. I read the first two hundred pages and then put it down for good. It was just too monotonous. I believe that some people can find this book fascinating, but don't understand it myself. Reading this book, I just kept thinking, ok ok, pepper is great, but how many ways can its greatness be expressed? I kept thinking of Forest Gump's friend Bubba: shrimp sandwiches, shrimp Creole, shrimp kebabs, shrimp, shrimp, shrimp... Uhhrg.
Also, the story seemed to be missing from this book. I kept waiting for historical accounts of how these molecules were responsible for turning points in history. Instead, they all seem to have contributed to the evolution of society over eons. Except for the tin buttons on Napoleon's troops, which may or may not have contributed to his downfall (the evidence is flimsy,) the molecules all slowly entered into society and slowly changed the way we live.
Overall, there are better historical accounts of science and nature than this one.
Practical Real-World Chemistry.......2006-01-18
What a fabulous book! This book does a great job of showing how something as mundane(to many people) as chemical formulae can determine the outcome of civilizations. High marks for making chemistry relevant and interesting. At times, some connections seem a bit too speculative for my scientific taste, but overall a fine book. I have read it twice now. If you like this book, you'll probably like "Uncle Tungsten" by Oliver Sacks
Organic chemistry made fascinating!.......2005-10-18
This book is truly worth reading and keeping as a reference in your personal library. I stumbled on it at our local library only because it was next to the physics & math sections and what a stroke of luck that was! This is an extremely clear exposition of organic chemistry in a historical context. The writing is gripping and am not surprised that other reviewers couldn't put the book down. It is truly that good.
My personal favorite is the section dealing with olive oil chemistry where use is made of the simple molecular diagrams developed earlier in the book. They give very valuable insight throughout the book and in this section they help one visualize the physical behaviour of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids.
Book Description
What happens when the Dalai Lama meets with leading physicists and a historian? This book is the carefully edited record of the fascinating discussions at a Mind and Life conference in which five leading physicists and a historian (David Finkelstein, George Greenstein, Piet Hut, Arthur Zajonc, Anton Zeilinger, and Tu Weiming) discussed with the Dalai Lama current thought in theoretical quantum physics, in the context of Buddhist philosophy. A contribution to the science-religion interface, and a useful explanation of our basic understanding of quantum reality, couched at a level that intelligent readers without a deep involvement in science can grasp. In the tradition of other popular books on resonances between modern quantum physics and Zen or Buddhist mystical traditions--notably The Dancing Wu Li Masters and The Tao of Physics, this book gives a clear and useful update of the genuine correspondences between these two rather disparate approaches to understanding the nature of reality.
Customer Reviews:
This is more about Modern Physics than Buddhism.......2006-07-16
Although he does say a few things about Buddhist philosophy, the actual role of the Dalai Lama in these discussions turned out to be acting as the perfect "straight man" for a presentation of some of the bizarreness of modern physics: intelligent but not indoctrinated into the belief that everything "scientific" is necessarily correct.
Most of the material is more-or-less orthodox Quantum Mechanics. Some of the more far-out concepts, as Finkelstein admitted, may not last as long as the end of next week.
Combining Modern Physics with Buddhism.......2004-07-26
Edited by Arthur Zajonc, this slim volume is a series of discussions between five leading physicists and a historian have with the Dalai Lama. It's an attempt to bring together: Quantum theory, Doctrines, Religion - World Religions, Religion, Buddhism - General, and Cosmology.
It is surprising to see how close the relationship might be. Back in 1962, Murray Gell-Mann began to fit the known elemental particles into a series of eight 'families.' Gell-Mann called this beautiful symmetry the 'Eightfold Way' after the Buddha's 'Eightfold path to truth.' This correlation or merger seems to have continued.
In this book, the discussions are far ranging over the nature of matter itself, the experimental evidence, and the nature of the mind and its logic. It is not intended to be a textbook on modern particle physics, but it almost is. Well worth reading.
Books:
- The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
- The Life of Isaac Newton (Canto original series)
- The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
- The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe
- The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
- The Variational Principles of Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics and Chemistry)
- Thin Film Solar Cells: Fabrication, Characterization and Applications (Wiley Series in Materials for Electronic & Optoelectronic Applications)
- Thin Film Solar Cells: Fabrication, Characterization and Applications (Wiley Series in Materials for Electronic & Optoelectronic Applications)
- This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
- Understanding Thermodynamics
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