New ideas that will challenge readers and expand their horizons.
Battler’s unified theory of everything, from the fundamental laws of physics to consciousness and free will.
Though Battler offers a wide view of universal structures—ranging from the development of organic life, the nature of forces, and the underlying nature of consciousness, thought and the mind—there’s a marked difference here from many similar books. Battler takes a more philosophical, phenomenological approach—a twist that adds some interesting ideas to the mix. However, this phenomenological aspect isn’t that of classic phenomenologists, such as Husserl, but of his predecessors, namely Schelling and Hegel, the latter playing a strong role in Battler’s sections on the mind. Central to Battler’s thesis is what he calls ontobia—“the property of being that reveals its existence through motion, space, and time.” His book starts with an overview of philosophers who dealt with natural science, including Aristotle, Leibniz, Newton and Kant, as well as Spinoza, Locke and Teilhard de Chardin—welcome additions to the usual list of philosophers. The book’s second part looks at the idea of force through scientific theories related to quantum physics, the Big Bang and then back again through the Big Crunch. In the third section, Battler then turns his attention toward the organic world, particularly the fields of chemistry and biology, with an emphasis on evolution. Finally, in the fourth section, man arrives as Battler considers the development of consciousness, with references to many well-known thinkers, including Penrose, Searle and Sheldrake, to name a few. For a book of moderate size, the thoroughness is impressive, and even when his ideas run against the grain, the well-argued philosophical combat will satisfy inquisitive readers.
New ideas that will challenge readers and expand their horizons.Pub Date: May 10, 2013
ISBN: 978-1484008850
Page Count: 322
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 5, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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