The book's articles (chapters) describe models of nature's way of controlling motion. The models are built in the tradition of Bernstein, which means that they assume that the motion phenomena under cosideration are aimed at solving a certain problem based on a model of the future. The model of the future exists in the brain of the person/animal performing the motion. This approach is different from the theory of reflexes. In reflex theory everything that happens now has a cause in the past, and this completely expains motor activity. The Bernstein-inspired approach proposes that motor activity is performed with some outcome in mind - the human or animal has a model of desired future according to which the actions are taken.

I am a plant scientist, and approached this book attracted by the name of one of the greatest biologists of this century. I did not expect, however, the deep emotions which emanate from this enticing story. Well written; investigative journalism at its best. Almost Dr. Zhivago-like true story under the Stalin regime. I enjoyed every line. Mandatory for Plant Biologists, but undoubtedly appealing to any reader with interest in Science and modern History.

If you've ever been concerned the fate of your soul and the existence of god this is the book to read.It provides you with both the freedom to worship or the freedom to blaspheme. Berdyaev enacts valid and convincing moral arguments to make paramount the freedom of man to choose his destiny; heaven or hell. You very well may come away,like I did, from his still relevant arguments with a deeper appreciation for your freedom and stronger will to resist all forms of tyranny:the social, the religious and the economic.Ultimately the moral liberty of the individual to be an agnostic or a believer is superior to any religion's determination to get him/her to heaven.

This book is an interesting, fast-paced tour through the and ideas that shaped Russian thought in the 19th and 20th Century. The style is at times expository, at times anecdotal, but never overly difficult. It's a great tool for students of Russian history, politics and culture.

For me personally the most interesting discussion in this book is the place of religious symbolism in Russian social and political thought. Berdyaev draws some interesting parallels between the Slavophile and Liberal visions for Russia that help to shed light on the Revolutionary vision that defined the nation in the 20th Century. The book remains relevant to post-Soviet Russia as a guide to the intellectual heritage of current Russian political and social thought. It is also an excellent companion to the study of Russian literature.

Also valuable is Berdyaev's discussion of the influence of 19th Century German philosophy on the Russian intellectual tradition and his analysis of the mystical ("religious", if you will) aspects of Russian atheism.

Use this book as a starting point for your study of modern Russia, but don't make it your only stop in the journey. Treat it rather as a "bibliography in expository prose" for further investigation.