A remarkable and invaluable trialogue between three of the most remarkable minds of our times.

An invaluable contribution towards the development of a species that wants to survive in a peaceful coexistence with all of nature.

Should get back in print as soon as possible.

For several years now I have been reading these three great men. They have been trying to explain it as I have been trying to understand. I now understand. I understand that we have to listen to these geniuses' Genesis to a new way of consciousness.

This is a dialogue between three spirits. Inter-resting that it is dialogue, in the true sense, but between three. And so it spreads.

I am only a simple mother waiting to be a grandmother but I can COOK! You bring great food for thought and new recipies for the family of man.

Peter Russell has a new book out available at his site...go there...I did and plan to read it. I consider all these men as Great Chefs and I am following instructions to the Cook.

Without getting too technical, Ervin Laszlo explains one of the most essential sciences of today: general evolutionary theory. This is not the evolution of Darwin, mind you. It is the evolution of ALL things, from matter to life to societies to the cosmos itself. A good starter book.

It is a great book that shows that the rules of the game in management are changing. It is never going to be the same: evolutionary theory shows the world's constraints. Everything needs to take it into account. Management as well. Only a sequel would be mosty useful to be even more practical for managers to apply operational principles.

Systems thinking is more than another new field of scientific and philosophical research. It leads to a new world view, integrating the sciences of nature and man. It is a world view for our times, explaining some some of our most cherished successes and some of our most distressing problems, and showing ways to resume progress toward new achievements. Knowledge of systems thinking is a key to understand modern developments in areas such as physics, business management, ecology, politics, natural resources, etc.

Ervin Laszlo is one of the most important contributors to the development of systems science and philosophy. With "The Systems View of the World" he achieved a remarkably accurate condensation, in a hundred clearly written and pleasantly readable pages, of the fundamental ideas of systems thinking.

The book begins contrasting the systems view of the world, based on integration an understanding of relationships, with the atomistic view of the world, based on decomposition and understanding of parts. He proceeds presenting the concept of system, leading the reader through a series of distinctions and examples. It is interesting to remark that Laszlo does not present a definition of system, coherently with the idea that system is a basic, primitive concept.

Laszlo follows with the explanation of the systems view of nature, summarized in four propositions, which are developed and exemplified:
1. Natural systems are wholes with irreducible properties;
2. Natural systems maintain themselves in a changing environment;
3. Natural systems create themselves in response to self-creativity in other systems;
4. Natural systems are coordinating interfaces in nature's holarchy.

The book's final part deals wit the system's view of ourselves. To do this, Laszlo begins from our cosmic origins, proceeding to the appearance of matter, life, consciousness and finally culture. He emphasizes the importance of values and explains why even traditional values, in spite of their permanent character, must be reformulated to meet the requirements of our times. Laszlo shows how the systems view of the world has a place for freedom and differentiation in an integrated world. He finishes the book stressing the role of religion in human life and proposes that the systems view of the world may offer some openings for conciliation of science with the different religious traditions.

Seidel gives in this book a fantatic account of so many things about which most of us have read, heard or thought ourselves, but said in an incredible lucid style, which is easy and precise at the same time. However, despite the easy syntax and style, this is an extremely profound book. It deals with our intrinsic limitations, that come from evolutionary biology, and from psychology. That alone would make reading it worthwhile. Then it goes on to analyze the limitations we have because we live in organized societies, and how we may indulge in "group thinking". Indeed, it's easier to go along with the crowd; thinking differently requires a lot of intellectual courage. If we choose to do so, we must be prepared many times to withstand criticism, rejection, discrimination and even attacks. However, it is worth it! The book then moves to an analysis of our organizations. It is specially important to note how and to what extent we are being constantly indoctrinated, for commercial and political purposes, and how irrational we may all become as a result. Finally, he offers "solutions". The quote marks are not intended to mean that his proposals are wrong, very much to the contrary. They mean that, at least I myself, am tremendously skeptical that they will ever be implemented. The reason for that lies in ourselves, but to an even larger extent, in the "powers that be", determined to maintain the status quo at all costs. However, I am recommending the book to everybody I care about, and even buying new copies to give to the people I love most. I recommend it without reservations!!!

Five hundred years from now this book will be revered as one of the most important publications of our time. Or it will be discovered by an advanced faraway civilization that will read it and come to the conclusion that it was truly a pity that our unique civilization didn't survive; especially since a man (Peter Seidel) had modestly offered solutions for some of our most pressing problems and was, unfortunately, ignored. By no means are the solutions offered modest. But the gargantuan effort on the part of a modest man demands to be acknowledged by a greatful public. In no other work of its kind does an author attempt, as Seidel does, to integrate important information from a variety of fields and cogently present them to his reading public with such clarity and vision. This is not an easy book to read. I don't mean that the writing is terribly turgid or dull. On the contrary, except in the beginning where the author feels his way into an acceptable style of expression, this book is written for the lay person. Every word and combinations of words, every sentence and combinatioins of sentences are very easy to read. The meaning of those sentences, however, is not always easy to digest. The problem is that Seidel poses some formidable moral dilemas regarding humankind's stewardship of this planet. It is in that sense an uncomfortable book. And probably the reason why it won't be a best seller and will eventually be discovered by that faraway advanced civilization mentioned above. As a filmmaker/teacher I am expecially interested in Seidel's critique of the media in modern society and the role the media plays in perpetuating behavior on the part of the public which renders them inactive, comatose, lobotomized and generally incapable of dealing with important issues -- like the survival of the species and planet. We all want to be entertained and therein lies the crux of the issue. We all feel a little numb, a little dull as vast institutions and agencies move toward us with seemingly benign intentions. It's just that we all feel a little duller, a little less human. And most importantly, we are all rendered less capable of powerful emotions such as moral indignation at acts of injustice, greed and selfdestruction. Although much in the book gives us cause to be depressed, it is surprisingly a very hopeful book. It offers suggestions and courses of action to turn things around. It appeals to the best in us, to the highest aspirations that humans have and the author is modest and humble in suggesting solutions. Seidel is no "expert" . He is rather someone who cares. And if you care, you should order ten copies and pass them out to schools, libraries, friends and strangers. That's what I'm doing.

Peter Seidel's refreshing thinking on the human-environment relationships makes the 'invisible walls' that block up our way to a sustainable world visible. These 'walls' are the limits of our brain in learning the environment, the ways we have conventionally thought about and treated the nature, and the structures in which our societies have been organized. In addition to warning us the existance and the threats of the 'walls', Seidel offers us solutions to overcome the 'walls' emphasizing the importance of the responsible actions of individuals, social groups, and governments. The Invisible Walls is an excellent book with full of insights. I highly recommend it. The book should also be made available in other languages, given the global scope of the issue discussed.

Overall, I think the book carries great meaning and great lessons. We need to have a new mindset - "macroshift", in order to save the planet. I totally agree.

Then why do I only give 3 stars? Because I still didn't see anything new. It is similar to other books, like "Limits to Growth" by Donella Meadows (Club of Rome). The author provides all different kinds of warning signs to ask people "Live simple. Love our Earth and other species". I know it's difficult to have a new pitch to ask people stop wasting or stop smoking, etc. However, we do need a more insightful/creative perspective to really change people.

Overall, I only recommend this book to people who are already buy-in "save the planet" concept.

As much as it is possible for a single book to give its reader a comprehensive and profound understanding of the impending global social, economic, and ecological crisis, this is that book.

According to Dr. Laszlo, human society has passed through three major stages --Mythos, Theos, and Logos--and is on the verge of its next, and perhaps final stage, Holos. But the transition from our Logos civilization to Holos, like those before it, is not quite as automatic as someone simply climbing the rungs of a ladder. According to _Macroshift, there is some real possibility that our civilization may fail to make the leap, in which case it will almost certainly 'break down' into global anarchy--we may have had a terrible foretaste of this in the September 11 attacks. (For a chilling picture of this kind of world, see the classic sci-fi film _The Road Warrior_). But, should it succeed, humanity will be privileged to witness the birth of the first truly global civilization--and a world whose possibilities surpass our dreams.

This is an excellent book. It embodies what I pretty much believe but in such an eloquent and thoughtful way. I highly recommed it to anyone who is searching for a hopeful perspective regarding the future of our world.

Tom

This book is, looking in the metodological way, the best paradigma how such a cinde of books should be wrighten.

Evrebidy who is interesting in the meaning of "globalization", and ofcorse, in the "Global community" should read this book.

Book is very friendly wrighten, and gave as meaning of the modern world.

As a men who is studing the Globalization, this book gave me basis for my todays standings and futur research.

Good luck in the New World.

The "Report to the UNESCO" of the year 1990 was written by an international group of experts. They give a short (and consequently incomplete) overview of world cultures, comprised in chapters ("The North American Culture") This is NOT a travel guide or an academic research. The book is a report praising the diversity of our planet, giving enough reasons to wish it would always stay that way.

10 years after the report was written, the globalization debate renewed the need for initiatives supporting all different cultures and traditions. In the foreword, UNESCO's ex-general secretary Frederico Mayor states it clearly:
"Save the world cultures!"

Recommended for everybody interested and engaged in world cultural affairs.

Pseudo-scientific nonsense. That anyone could believe that
this book had any scholarly merit is beyond my comprehension.
Highly speculative, kooky. This cannot be on the up and up.
Are there such legitimate organizations as the General Evolution
Research Group, the Club of Budapest and the International
Society for Modern Systems all of which the author founded and directs or has directed? The book is suitable for a cult of crystal ball fortune tellers.

I had high hopes for this text after reading the dust jacket while browsing at a local book givaway. I was drawn to the promises of original thought and the revealing of new ways of thinking about paradoxes which are present in our current scientific understanding. My interest of general sciences was piqued by references to evolution, the rise of the Big Bang cosmology, and the search for the Grand Unified Theories. Despite some attempt at delving into these complex subjects, Laszlo fails in delivering on his promise of a "fascinating journey."

Perhaps the first hint that this book wouldn't be the scholarly text I had mistaken it for was its slim size - at a little over 200 pages, the material can hardly do more than brush the surface of the topics it claims to illuminate. Part I, the survey of existing knowledge, is nothing more than a skewed and incomplete history lesson of scientific advances. Part II, wherein Laszlo claims to point out the paradoxes of modern science, merely describes our current point of scientific advance. To Laszlo, a "scientific paradox" is simply an event of phenomena that isn't clearly defined yet. If this is the case, then there will always be these paradoxes. Science, while advancing, will always have a frontier. Parts III and IV are short and underdeveloped.

If you're looking for a very quick review of some topics of science, then the first section of the book has some merit. The rest of the book seems hastily written and incompletely reasoned. The sole saving grace is the fact that Laszlo, an experienced writer, manages to pull off several life metaphors worth nothing and does leave the reader with a handful of questions to ponder. Overall though, this book was a disappointment, and I would not recommend it to any reader who has a serious interest in (or understanding of) science.

One of the core questions our culture faces these days is how to understand ourselves within the context of the universe in which we live. The need is for a model which integrates our growing knowledge of our potentials as conscious subjects with what we are coming to know of the objective world. In both areas, the subjective and the objective, there is growing evidence of subtle interconnections among what we have long taken to be separate.

Laszlo provides an excelent and very readable, non technical, survey of the state of our research knowledge in the areas of the cosmos, of matter, of life and of the mind. He clearly guides us through the paradoxes which appear in this research and shows that many of them may be resolvable if we have some subtle connection among items by which information can be transmitted which is not limited by the currently accepted constraints of time and space.

He shows how a fifth fundamental energy field, the zero energy field of the quantum vacuum, now being studied by some physicists can provide the means for establishing such subtle connections and reviews some of the leading edge research in this area.

What especially recommends this book is the combination of thorough understanding of the science involved with a basically humanistic viewpoint that Laszlo (himself a leading philosopher of science and major contributor to systems theory) brings to this account.

This was Laszlo's attempt to do what no one has done before him -- and, alas, he doesn't come anywhere near to pulling it off. The academic grounding that Laszlo tries here to create makes for too many contorted kinds of arguments. The author points to all the right issues, and he goes at them in ways that might, under another pen, have produced some startling breakthoughs in thought. But Laszlo is not the one to take this on. For those who still hjunger for a grand synthesis of all things -- human and cosmic - I suggest turning instead to someone like Ken Wilber, or -- if you have a few months of non-stop reading time -- to the colletced works of Alice A. Bailey.

I do give him an "A" for effort, however.

Well where do you start when trying to communicate and theorize on something as 'the theory of everything' ? It is a difficult book to read as the concepts are truly mind-boggling, but nevertheless Laszlo draws the reader along to startling conclusions, yes, occasionally going up various side streets, but for a clear purpose, to try and explain, by way of various examples from established scientific principles as well as other emerging ones. If you are searching for the meaning of life, and not quite convinced that it is the number "42" (as per Monty Python), then this book is a must to read. Don't rush it, re-read pages or whole chapters if you are struggling with the concepts. Also think about this: if it were all that easily explainable, then somebody would have explained it a long time ago...yet no-one has been able to, until Laszlo gives it the best try yet. When you finish the book, you will be left with a certain warm cosy feeling that you truly have gained some special insight into creation, the universe, an all. Truly revealing, and a real milestone book - but not for the ordinary Janet or John, that is most of the inhabitants of the USA or England. Not the opium of the masses. Thank goodness for that. Thank Laszlo for that.