Fritjof Capra's "Web of Life" is a good introduction to the kind of thinking involved in our re-examination of our views on the origins of life and the interactions in ecology. An enjoyable read, this book however lacks the discussion of evidence which support the several hypotheses Capra propose. More a philosophical work (and a good one) than scientific, this book give us much to think about, but Capra's scant discussions of hard scientific evidence left my analytical mind somewhat disappointed. Much to think about, but I did not feel convinced of Capra's conclusions, which ranged from the well-thought and plausible to the downright silly (see the section on "eco-feminism" for an example). Worth the read, but I would recommend going elsewhere for those desiring a more analytical discussion.

This book is an excellent synthesis of those intriguing and sexy scientific terms you'd like to understand but don't know where to begin. Systems theory, complexity, chaos, cognition, autopoeisis, symbiosis, gaia theory. For these and more the answer is to start reading here.

Those who already have half a clue about what these terms may refer to will notice that Capra's overview is emphatically cross-disciplinary. His bringing together of work in different fields of inquiry makes him well worth reading to see something of the 'bigger picture'. There is also likely to be something here you didn't already know. For instance, I was intrigued by Capra's description of the work of Candace Pert on the role of peptides, and her conclusion: 'I can no longer make a strong distinction between the brain and the body' (p. 276). Time after time I was filled with the strong desire to know more about the wonderful world Capra is describing, and to chase up the references on each page.

Capra's approach, along with his conclusions, are controversial and all the more stimulating for that. Even if you don't swallow the whole story, his vision of life in which everything is connected to everything else will make you question many preconceived ideas about the nature of nature. Despite what might be claimed for a book such as this, Capra hasn't quite reached the 'holy grail' of a complete, holistic account of life. In fact, it is exciting to consider how much there is that we still don't know and can't agree on. I give 'The Web of Life' four stars. I felt is petered out somewhat toward the end. If there had been a more dynamic conclusion to the book, it would be worth five.

The Web of Life has been a revelation to me: I have always been struck by the beauty to be uncovered in the study of biology; however, I have found too many books on biology to be dry and reductionist, completely ignoring the metaphysical, aesthetic aspect of the life sciences.

This book is the first of many more I hope to read on this deeper aspect of biology and ecology. Capra looks at the life sciences through the lens of systems theory, and thus provides a very good introduction to systems theory for those (like me) who are novices. He also gives an account of life, from its earliest origins on up to the beginnings of human consciousness, working with the ideas of the main developers of systems theory over the past several decades.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this theory (or perhaps I should say set of theories) for me is how it describes and works out in more detail a basic intuition that many of us have even as children (and that many spiritual traditions have always recognized): that all things are connected in a giant web-work (wheels within wheels within wheels....). Anyone responding to this intuition knows that no being can be understood without looking at both the patterns it comprises, as well as the greater patterns it is a part of.

Another provocative aspect of these theories is how they push the definition of life out farther and farther, for in many ways all dissapative systems (economies, cultures, hurricanes) can be seen as having living qualities.

I disagree with the criticisms of the reviewers who complain that this book is derivative and contains too few original ideas. The author's intent here was to present a synthesis of teachings on a subject which is still new to many people, whilst arguing for a more appreciative and reverent attitude towards the world we live in. The result is a book which is not only fascinating but inspiring as well.

I was disappointed. This book (which I ended up scanning through after a while) didn't provide me with any additional value. On a serious trek of digesting the work of Fritjof Capra, this book was clearly not a strong representation of his work (aside from the fact that it was the capture of dialog rather than a concentrated capture of ideas; typical of Capra's works). If uncovering the "mind of Capra" is your goal, stick with "The Turning Point" and "The Web of Life".

The format of the book is to record the conversation between three men regarding science, theology, spirituality, and human nature. I found the discussions of theology in particular to be interesting, as one of the discussants is a monk. The topics are covered in a non-dogmatic way, with a genuine questing spirituality evident. Without descending into New Age pap, the book explores fresh ways of approaching tradition in science and religion.