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Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being
An electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave—from cells to human beings, ecosystems, the known universe and beyond—that profoundly reframes our understanding and illuminates our interconnectedness.
Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. Throughout the skies, in oceans, and across lands, life is endlessly on the move. In its myriad forms—from cells to human beings, social structures, and ecosystems--life is open-ended, evolving, unpredictable, yet adaptive and self-sustaining. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is in fact a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it. Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise makes accessible this “theory of being,” one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. He notes the surprising underlying connections within a universe that is itself one vast complex system—between ant colonies and the growth of forests, cancer and economic bubbles, murmurations of starlings and crowds walking down the street.
The implications of complexity theory are profound, providing insight into everything from the permeable boundaries of our bodies to the nature of consciousness. Notes on Complexity is an invitation to trade our limited, individualistic view for the expansive perspective of a universe that is dynamic, cohesive, and alive—a whole greater than the sum of its parts. This takes us to the exhilarating frontiers of human knowledge and in the process restores wonder and meaning to our experience of the everyday.
Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. Throughout the skies, in oceans, and across lands, life is endlessly on the move. In its myriad forms—from cells to human beings, social structures, and ecosystems--life is open-ended, evolving, unpredictable, yet adaptive and self-sustaining. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is in fact a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it. Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise makes accessible this “theory of being,” one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. He notes the surprising underlying connections within a universe that is itself one vast complex system—between ant colonies and the growth of forests, cancer and economic bubbles, murmurations of starlings and crowds walking down the street.
The implications of complexity theory are profound, providing insight into everything from the permeable boundaries of our bodies to the nature of consciousness. Notes on Complexity is an invitation to trade our limited, individualistic view for the expansive perspective of a universe that is dynamic, cohesive, and alive—a whole greater than the sum of its parts. This takes us to the exhilarating frontiers of human knowledge and in the process restores wonder and meaning to our experience of the everyday.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2023
About the author
Neil Theise
2 books62 followersNeil Theise is a professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Through his scientific research, he has been a pioneer of adult stem cell plasticity and the anatomy of the human interstitium. He is also a longtime student of Zen Buddhism. Dr. Theise’s studies in complexity theory have led to interdisciplinary collaborations in fields such as integrative medicine, consciousness studies, and the science-religion dialogue.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
November 19, 2023
Like many other reviewers, I really enjoyed the first half of this book. However, the second half lost me. The author made some basic but important wrong turns that made his argument fall flat.
Before I get to the specifics though, I want to make clear that I was totally there for the *idea* of the second half of the book. I do believe that complexity theory has something to tell us about consciousness and that religion, despite its problems when taken too literally, does provide insights into consciousness and being. I was looking forward to someone taking my vague intuitions in this space and making the connections clearer. After reading the first half of this book, I was especially excited to see that done in the author's clear yet rich style.
Sadly, the book failed to deliver. Instead of making a clear path from complexity theory to religion and consciousness, the author took the *vibe* of complexity theory and used that as a tenuous launching point for talking about vague parallels to several religions and then talking about his own version of metaphysics, Fundamental Awareness.
Along the way, he made a couple of choices that made his already hand-wavy argument even more problematic. The big one is that he misinterpreted quantum decoherence, the collapse of the probabilistic wave function of a quantum particle, as requiring *conscious* observation. Even I know enough to know that this is a mistake. Observation doesn't require consciousness, just interaction that constraints the probabilities.
The author's discussion of materialism, panpsychism, and idealism also was unsatisfying because he seemed to be putting a strawman version of materialism up against a hand-wavy sense of idealism. He also spent way too much time talking about the Vienna Circle and vilifying their goals instead of focusing on comparing the ideas.
That said, the first half of this book was one of the most concise and comprehensible discussions of complexity theory I've seen so far. I especially liked the way the middle of the book was structured around exploring how "quenched disorder", the reining in of disorder which keeps a system poised between disorder and mechanical predictability, applies at different levels of existence.
Despite the fact that I would actively warn people away from the second half of the book, the first half was excellent enough that the book managed to get 2 stars from me instead of 1.
Before I get to the specifics though, I want to make clear that I was totally there for the *idea* of the second half of the book. I do believe that complexity theory has something to tell us about consciousness and that religion, despite its problems when taken too literally, does provide insights into consciousness and being. I was looking forward to someone taking my vague intuitions in this space and making the connections clearer. After reading the first half of this book, I was especially excited to see that done in the author's clear yet rich style.
Sadly, the book failed to deliver. Instead of making a clear path from complexity theory to religion and consciousness, the author took the *vibe* of complexity theory and used that as a tenuous launching point for talking about vague parallels to several religions and then talking about his own version of metaphysics, Fundamental Awareness.
Along the way, he made a couple of choices that made his already hand-wavy argument even more problematic. The big one is that he misinterpreted quantum decoherence, the collapse of the probabilistic wave function of a quantum particle, as requiring *conscious* observation. Even I know enough to know that this is a mistake. Observation doesn't require consciousness, just interaction that constraints the probabilities.
The author's discussion of materialism, panpsychism, and idealism also was unsatisfying because he seemed to be putting a strawman version of materialism up against a hand-wavy sense of idealism. He also spent way too much time talking about the Vienna Circle and vilifying their goals instead of focusing on comparing the ideas.
That said, the first half of this book was one of the most concise and comprehensible discussions of complexity theory I've seen so far. I especially liked the way the middle of the book was structured around exploring how "quenched disorder", the reining in of disorder which keeps a system poised between disorder and mechanical predictability, applies at different levels of existence.
Despite the fact that I would actively warn people away from the second half of the book, the first half was excellent enough that the book managed to get 2 stars from me instead of 1.
February 21, 2023
First, I would like to thank publisher Speigel & Grau and distributor Edelweiss for the advanced reader copy of Neil Theise's Notes on Complexity. In author Theise's own words, the book weaves "together aspects of all three important streams of human exploration of the nature of reality - empirical science, philosophy, and metaphysics." Theise is an accomplished liver pathologist who has also spent his adult life exploring spiritual practices. The book begins by explaining the science behind life. How everything in our physical world is connected by a self-organizing complexity theory. He then layers in philosophies, and finally adds several metaphysical practices. By observing these three disciplines, Theise helps us understand our place in this beautiful and complex world we live in. He uses these three disciplines in tandem to explore the nature of consciousness. And this connectedness - from subatomic particles to galaxies becomes a lesson we desperately need as we burst into our post-pandemic world. Each of has to continually find healthy ways to connect deeply and personally with the world around us. To once again quote the author, "It is our misapprehension that each of us is an unimportant cog in an unfeeling, nonliving universe. It is our collective delusion that we are separate and alone." This truth has implications far beyond the confines of the book. No matter who you are, no matter your background, or intellect, reading this heady book is a reminder to reach out and continue to connect with people and the greater world.
Notes on Complexity lands digitally and in print on May 9, 2023.
Notes on Complexity lands digitally and in print on May 9, 2023.
May 26, 2023
Neil Theise’s “Notes On Complexity” is a surprisingly easy-to-read and yet dense work that brings together so many threads, it should’ve been titled “A Theory Of Everything.” He describes our roles as active and complete agents in this universe. Theise describes features and links of our universe from the subatomic and atomic up to the cellular, to the self, and further macro to space/time and the entirety of the universe. The entirety of the universe and our connection to it, the impact of our consciousness: this book has opened my eyes. We all are a part of an amazing, wonderful interconnectedness.
November 23, 2024
A really good 100 page introduction into complexity theory, how it can be used to understand subjects as seemingly disparate as the molecular make up of the cell wall or Goedel’s incompleteness theorem. Followed by a second half that takes a much bolder step in evolving these ideas into a theory of consciousness, into a kind of ethics / metaphysics. The author is particularly interested in a consistent trend of meditation in “traditional” spiritual practices and hypothesizes that these methods allow a person to connect with the big-C Consciousness that is shared between all things within the universe.
Yet we don’t take what to me feels like the next logical step. If the great delusion of humanity is a refusal to recognize our fundamental interconnectedness, is that not a huge flashing arrow pointing toward a collectivist political project? In a book so interested in the experience of daily life and the relationship that governs our experience, how is “capital” not a word that pops up once?
Yet we don’t take what to me feels like the next logical step. If the great delusion of humanity is a refusal to recognize our fundamental interconnectedness, is that not a huge flashing arrow pointing toward a collectivist political project? In a book so interested in the experience of daily life and the relationship that governs our experience, how is “capital” not a word that pops up once?
November 19, 2024
If the reader takes this book as the title instructs, i.e. as "notes", it's okay. Namely, they will find sketches of ideas, scattered all over the place, mixing the scientific with the spiritual, and the mystic.
It's definitely not what I expected, as actual complexity is discussed only very briefly, but I give it this, it's a nice introduction. To what? I don't know, but clearly not to complexity as a scientific or even philosophical problem. More to various problems of systems as wholes and their parts.
It's definitely not what I expected, as actual complexity is discussed only very briefly, but I give it this, it's a nice introduction. To what? I don't know, but clearly not to complexity as a scientific or even philosophical problem. More to various problems of systems as wholes and their parts.
May 29, 2023
Not much on complexity theory here except in a basic introductory way. Mostly this book seemed to focus on science in general and the history of science as well as some thoughts on metaphysics and spirituality. It was a bit of a waste of time, but the subject matter is fun to revisit even though I have heard it all before.
December 3, 2023
Nothing special or earth shattering in this book! The author makes a lazy attempt to connect theories and discoveries from multiple disciplines which ends up being shallow and forced! And of course quantum mechanics is the star of the show every time a new age author like this wants to bring in metaphysics to wrap all the scientific theories around !
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September 11, 2023The book was way over my thinking. I don’t know if that makes it a bad book or just bad for me. So I don’t want to rate it. I loved an interview I heard with the author about the topic but just couldn’t follow it on the audio format. Maybe a written book would have been better?
November 10, 2024
The first half was fantastic, distilling down the key components of complexity quite well for a layperson like myself. As the book shifts into quantum mechanics it gets pretty challenging to follow but I’ll chalk that up to the inherent density of the subject matter. But when he delves into consciousness and religion, I got completely lost and disinterested. I couldn’t find the thread between the first half and his discussion of religions. Maybe it’s simply too much to accomplish in one book. Or maybe I should’ve gotten the hint based on the title of the book that it’s “notes” on complexity rather than a unified thesis (which probably would require a book 3x the length to properly bring the reader along).
September 3, 2024
Huge props for trying to make complexity theory comprehensible to a lay person like me. I felt like a genius reading it, then put the book down and realized I'm me, again. But for a few shining moments I understood molecular interactions as they occur on the "edge of chaos" and how their manifestations result in the structure of the cosmos and...lol I have no idea what I'm talking about.
October 9, 2023
This book is in my head pretty much every day since I finished it. I have never been a religious person, but the scientific discoveries that shed light on our interconnectedness give me so much peace. I have been recommending this to everyone who is willing to listen to me blabber on about it.
November 17, 2023
The book wasn't for me. It was a long list of thesis and studies related to complexity. Cells, molecules... I read it until the end, thinking he was presenting the studies to reach some conclusion or new idea, but that didn't happen. The cover is beautiful, though.
January 2, 2024
I loved this book and will likely read it again. I love contemplating the universe and human existence from multiple lenses and perspectives. Quantum physics, religious traditions, and Theory of General Relativity all work together here.
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May 23, 2024Near the book's conclusion, when laying out his and Menas Kafatos's concept of fundamental awareness, Neil states "By weaving together aspects of all three important methods of human exploration of the nature of reality - empirical science (complexity theory), philosophy (idealism), and metaphysics (Buddhism, Kabbalah, Vedanta, Saivism) - we find that the realm of the Platonic ideal is nothing other than this nondual realm of pure awareness, a fundamental awareness before any split into subject-object duality." (p.161)
If you haven't read the book yet, you're probably surprised to see complexity theory is only one-third of what Neil is weaving together to arrive at his concept of fundamental awareness. Perhaps a better title for the book would have been "Navigating Complexity Through Science, Philosophy, and Metaphysics" or something of that nature.
You're not going to find many books like this. It serves as an introduction to basic science, philosophy, mathematics, and religious concepts with a clarity and connectedness that is very comforting. He also manages to do all of this in fewer than 200 pages! Yes, some of the jumps from empirical science to idealism to religion can be a bit jarring but again, he's pondering all scales at a breakneck speed.
I would've appreciated more empirical science in the chapter on consciousness. I would've loved his clear explanation of complex systems applied to neuroscience. Give me the quenched disorder of neurons! It could serve as the foundation for what he offers philosophy/metaphysics-wise, much like the rest of the book. I heard in an interview he is planning to write a book about his father having Alzheimer's. Maybe he will explore neuroscience in that book...
Highlights: 1.) Origins and key players in complexity theory. 2.) Characteristics of complex systems as demonstrated by ant colonies 3.) Inability to view a world composed of fundamental building blocks. He succinctly introduces cells, then molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, and quantum foam. If only I had learned science this way when younger. Imagine starting with astronomy and then slowly zooming in throughout one's grade school science courses. 4.) Lovelock's Daisyworld 5.) Idealism and the many mathematics and science figures who believed in idealism. The sections on Kurt Gödel were fascinating!
If you haven't read the book yet, you're probably surprised to see complexity theory is only one-third of what Neil is weaving together to arrive at his concept of fundamental awareness. Perhaps a better title for the book would have been "Navigating Complexity Through Science, Philosophy, and Metaphysics" or something of that nature.
You're not going to find many books like this. It serves as an introduction to basic science, philosophy, mathematics, and religious concepts with a clarity and connectedness that is very comforting. He also manages to do all of this in fewer than 200 pages! Yes, some of the jumps from empirical science to idealism to religion can be a bit jarring but again, he's pondering all scales at a breakneck speed.
I would've appreciated more empirical science in the chapter on consciousness. I would've loved his clear explanation of complex systems applied to neuroscience. Give me the quenched disorder of neurons! It could serve as the foundation for what he offers philosophy/metaphysics-wise, much like the rest of the book. I heard in an interview he is planning to write a book about his father having Alzheimer's. Maybe he will explore neuroscience in that book...
Highlights: 1.) Origins and key players in complexity theory. 2.) Characteristics of complex systems as demonstrated by ant colonies 3.) Inability to view a world composed of fundamental building blocks. He succinctly introduces cells, then molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, and quantum foam. If only I had learned science this way when younger. Imagine starting with astronomy and then slowly zooming in throughout one's grade school science courses. 4.) Lovelock's Daisyworld 5.) Idealism and the many mathematics and science figures who believed in idealism. The sections on Kurt Gödel were fascinating!
May 30, 2024
Excellent Definition of the Levels of Complexity.
I really enjoyed Theise’s journey down through the levels of Complexity from Macro to Quanta in the first part of the book. It was well written and comprehensive.
While I chose this book for its attempt to draw the lines between this Complexity of The Universe to the Consciousness we employ to experience it. Here is where I was disappointed. Any discussion of the study of Consciousness must include the Masters of Philosophy, Logic, Physics, and Cosmology who spent their lives tracing its roots. We are treated to the History of this effort and this too is mostly well done. Unfortunately, as we get closer to the Present, the Author’s Zen bias injects itself.
He dismisses any validity to a Materialist Theory of The Brain/Sensorium’s ability to conjure up Consciousness, instead assigning Godel’s Theories the task of limiting Science’s capabilities. To fill in the gaps caused by these shortcomings he elevates the role of “Metaphysics”.
Ignoring the fact that this word is usually used to introduce Theology and The Spirit World into any Philosophic discussion, he reduces his theory to a very cliched and Woo-Woo statement that since “there are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”, those things must be found in Intuition, Spirituality or Meditation. He devotes the rest or the book to arguments for this theory because of its similarity to Buddhist, Kabbala, Vedanta, et al practices.
I completely agree that Today’s Science has yet to trace all the roots of Consciousness but it gets closer every day. I also agree that any Scientific approach should be supplemented by Inspiration drawn from everyday experience. But only a combination of the two will lead to a valid, provable explanation. Meditation may be a useful tool but resorting to outdated and debunked Theologies will only lead to dead ends!
All in all though, I enjoyed hearing his mind work and Notes was a good read. Four Stars for the writing. ****
I really enjoyed Theise’s journey down through the levels of Complexity from Macro to Quanta in the first part of the book. It was well written and comprehensive.
While I chose this book for its attempt to draw the lines between this Complexity of The Universe to the Consciousness we employ to experience it. Here is where I was disappointed. Any discussion of the study of Consciousness must include the Masters of Philosophy, Logic, Physics, and Cosmology who spent their lives tracing its roots. We are treated to the History of this effort and this too is mostly well done. Unfortunately, as we get closer to the Present, the Author’s Zen bias injects itself.
He dismisses any validity to a Materialist Theory of The Brain/Sensorium’s ability to conjure up Consciousness, instead assigning Godel’s Theories the task of limiting Science’s capabilities. To fill in the gaps caused by these shortcomings he elevates the role of “Metaphysics”.
Ignoring the fact that this word is usually used to introduce Theology and The Spirit World into any Philosophic discussion, he reduces his theory to a very cliched and Woo-Woo statement that since “there are more things on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”, those things must be found in Intuition, Spirituality or Meditation. He devotes the rest or the book to arguments for this theory because of its similarity to Buddhist, Kabbala, Vedanta, et al practices.
I completely agree that Today’s Science has yet to trace all the roots of Consciousness but it gets closer every day. I also agree that any Scientific approach should be supplemented by Inspiration drawn from everyday experience. But only a combination of the two will lead to a valid, provable explanation. Meditation may be a useful tool but resorting to outdated and debunked Theologies will only lead to dead ends!
All in all though, I enjoyed hearing his mind work and Notes was a good read. Four Stars for the writing. ****
October 4, 2024
I hesitate to give five stars to a book that I understood so little. The expedition into quantum physics was far beyond what my little Newtonian mind can grasp; and, of the spiritual traditions explored, I have only a passing familiarity with Buddhism and almost no knowledge of the others. But even without comprehension I found the discussions fascinating and wanted to know more and understand better. Isn’t that what a good book is supposed to do? I give it five stars for provoking my curiosity. As for argument, I think the thesis in the science section is that in every field of science beginning with the smallest possible unit, there is an innate drive for those units to organize themselves into increasingly complex interconnected units; in the great philosophical/ religious traditions there is an underlying assertion of and desire to be part of a permeating generative consciousness; and, that these two “sides” (science/ philosophy-religion) are, in fact, two ways of describing the same thing. At least, I think that is what the author means. This is not a book to be read once, but one to go back to often to contemplate in small parts.
January 2, 2024
This is an absorbing and elegant read that merges science with art, philosophy, and religion instead of pitting them against each other. I sometimes associate the word complexity with human intelligence and human nature’s tendency to complicate, often in a destructive way. However, complexity within this book is a beautiful and harmonious blending of concepts, theories, and perspectives. I can’t stop thinking about chaos and order tugging at each other in space-time until something emerges from randomness and about how we are made of non-living and living parts in an alive and conscious universe. Hopefully, one day soon I’ll be able to stop saying, “We’re all just quantum foam.” However, I hope to hang on to thoughts of big-c consciousness, Gödel’s intuition, metaphysics, and the feeling of awe that transpires while reveling in it all.
April 9, 2024
Wow, I wanted to like this. I heard the author speak on a podcast and was excited to read the book, and was so disappointed. The opening sections are a very basic primer on complexity theory, which were clear and useful, and aimed at a very general audience. Everything after that felt like hand-wavey, surface-level appropriations of spiritual ideas. He set forth ideas that are directly contradictory to Buddhist ideas, such as this idea of oneness of all existence, and a universal consciousness, and these are literally the orthodox Indian ideas that all the early Indian Buddhist thinkers were directly arguing against. He continually makes statements that seem relatable only to form, not mind, and then conflates living things with sentience (not explicitly, but his language suggests they are the same). It just felt sloppy and a willful reading into a spiritual tradition what he wanted it to say. I am not going to criticize his spiritual practice or insights, or how they have improved his life, but I didn’t find anything compelling in this book regarding spiritual or religious exploration or how it specifically supports scientific inquiry. This dis-interest is magnified in the final chapter, when, instead of just (mis?)appropriating Buddhist ideas he goes to do the same for three other mystical spiritual traditions, each getting barely a page of explanation followed by the idea that somehow these four random traditions are syncretic in how they work together to form some sort of complementary idea of Consciousness that can exist behind complexity theory. He kind of put his whole ethos on display here with the line, “To (over)simplify this in a way that I find useful,” which felt like justification for highlighting surface level observations to fit his pre-existing vibes. None of his evidence or narrative here felt additive or compelling in any way.
There was a long digression about the Vienna Circle and Kurt Gödel, which all seemed like a journey that added nothing to the conversation except giving himself, as a scientist, permission (from within the tradition) to incorporate intuitive/spiritual/non-empirically-provable ideas into his scientific outlook. None of this felt necessary for me, as a reader. The Mind & Life Institute has been around since 1987, where prominent scientists and (Western) philosophers have these annual conferences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist thinkers and leaders, with consciousness studies being a huge component of those conferences; none of this is new or radical, at least outside of scientific-orthodox circles. This whole section felt like a digression at the end that pulled me far away from his project.
He concludes, in the afterword, with some really interesting rallying cries about how complexity theory can motivate us to be better. “Complexity tempts us into taking notice. Complexity spurs us into taking part. Complexity humbles us, showing us how we are but infinitesimal parts of a stupefying vast whole.” This is what I wish he had focused on. Instead of the wishy-washy, hand-wavey attempts at integrating broad spiritual conjecture, after giving a primer on complexity theory, show us how this theory can be incorporated into our lives to make us better human custodians, of this planet and of each other. Sure, part of that can be that complexity can show us a parallelism between scientific inquiry and spiritual practice, but that isn’t the only way it is compelling. This is where his strengths really seem to lie, his actual personal experience of understanding and applying complexity into his participation in reality. I wish he shared more of that with us.
There was a long digression about the Vienna Circle and Kurt Gödel, which all seemed like a journey that added nothing to the conversation except giving himself, as a scientist, permission (from within the tradition) to incorporate intuitive/spiritual/non-empirically-provable ideas into his scientific outlook. None of this felt necessary for me, as a reader. The Mind & Life Institute has been around since 1987, where prominent scientists and (Western) philosophers have these annual conferences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist thinkers and leaders, with consciousness studies being a huge component of those conferences; none of this is new or radical, at least outside of scientific-orthodox circles. This whole section felt like a digression at the end that pulled me far away from his project.
He concludes, in the afterword, with some really interesting rallying cries about how complexity theory can motivate us to be better. “Complexity tempts us into taking notice. Complexity spurs us into taking part. Complexity humbles us, showing us how we are but infinitesimal parts of a stupefying vast whole.” This is what I wish he had focused on. Instead of the wishy-washy, hand-wavey attempts at integrating broad spiritual conjecture, after giving a primer on complexity theory, show us how this theory can be incorporated into our lives to make us better human custodians, of this planet and of each other. Sure, part of that can be that complexity can show us a parallelism between scientific inquiry and spiritual practice, but that isn’t the only way it is compelling. This is where his strengths really seem to lie, his actual personal experience of understanding and applying complexity into his participation in reality. I wish he shared more of that with us.
May 21, 2024
The first half of the book delves into complexity theory, offering a very accessible explanation of the topic. However, the rest of the book feels scattered. Initially focused on complexity, it soon diverges into unrelated subjects without a clear connecting thread.
The discussions on the Vienna Circle and Gödel's incompleteness theorem do not meaningfully connect to the initial theme. Similarly, the discussion on religion, consciousness, Advaita Vedanta, and Zen Buddhism is very surface-level. The connections drawn between these ideas and complexity, materialism, panpsychism, and idealism often feel superficial and sometimes incorrect. The book adds little to the existing literature and reads like a School of Life video on metaphysics.
The discussions on the Vienna Circle and Gödel's incompleteness theorem do not meaningfully connect to the initial theme. Similarly, the discussion on religion, consciousness, Advaita Vedanta, and Zen Buddhism is very surface-level. The connections drawn between these ideas and complexity, materialism, panpsychism, and idealism often feel superficial and sometimes incorrect. The book adds little to the existing literature and reads like a School of Life video on metaphysics.
January 1, 2024
I enjoyed how interconnected so many of the concepts of this book are with my unique experiences. Concepts of complexity at different scales, mathematics and metaphysics, and Buddhist meditation are all reoccurring themes in this book and it was assuring to hear an author tie these concepts together in ways I hadn’t thought of before. I enjoyed the first half of the book but I found it harder to follow in the second half as it got a bit too hand wavey for me.
October 1, 2024
Found this because I wanted to read more about the interstitium; obviously, this is not that! But it was still super interesting and, while I am far too dumb to fully understand, I like thinking about these things and I liked these ideas. I'm not 100% on board with them, but lots of food for thought.
September 9, 2023
Much like many of the other reviews have said, the first half or so of the book was fascinating. It broke down some very interesting and complex science concepts into bite-size, chewable, and understandable concepts. The last part of the book had me absolutely lost. I honestly don't even know what I just read and don't think it'll digest.
I heard about the book from the author on the podcast, "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown." The episode held my interest and made me excited to read the book. I think I was expecting more of the same kind of material as the episode, but without a host guiding the author along to keep it simple for the lay person, things got lost for me.
All in all, not a waste of a read because of the parts that I did understand and learn from. But if you get to the point in the book where things just aren't working for you anymore, don't feel bad about not finishing it.
I heard about the book from the author on the podcast, "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown." The episode held my interest and made me excited to read the book. I think I was expecting more of the same kind of material as the episode, but without a host guiding the author along to keep it simple for the lay person, things got lost for me.
All in all, not a waste of a read because of the parts that I did understand and learn from. But if you get to the point in the book where things just aren't working for you anymore, don't feel bad about not finishing it.
November 1, 2023
Essential reading
I’m a professor of law and am assigning portions of this remarkable book in one of my courses to expand the awareness of my students in areas outside of “law” into fields that examine the nature of rules in different contexts.
I’m a professor of law and am assigning portions of this remarkable book in one of my courses to expand the awareness of my students in areas outside of “law” into fields that examine the nature of rules in different contexts.
September 26, 2024
Great first half, lost my interest in the second half, and then came roaring back the last three pages. Now I'm probably going to have to reread it with a different perspective and I reserve the right to edit my rating.
July 5, 2023
So good - adding to my list of fave/must-read books. Thoughtfully written and incredibly enlightening.
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November 13, 2023
A fantastic book that explains very complex ideas and fields in a way that maintain their complexity while being able to be understood by the layman. An extremely interesting read that connects the dots between scientific thought and traditional concepts on mindfulness and consciousness.
October 5, 2024
Unfortunately, the author included enough inaccuracies or stated confidently ideas which I think warrant uncertainty. So I distrusted his intellectual reliability on points I didn't have enough background with to judge well myself.
May 26, 2023
Takes a lot of high-level stuff and boils down into easy language, even though the concepts aren’t inherently easy. Got me to understand some stuff. I’ve been struggling with for a long time one of those books that I will be thinking about and re-reading for a long time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews