Having spent nearly ten years as the director of the Oxford University L'Chaim Society, the dynamic Shmuel Boteach, a hasidic rabbi, has seen it all ! In his weekly essays which are contained in this heavy two-volumes book, he has addressed all aspects of University life, as well as other topics of relevance to students - from study to sex, from life to Israeli politics, from the Shoah to death... and more. He has seen it all through the unique eyes of a hasidic rabbi, in the world's most unique university.

This book marvelously accomplishes its objective: providing in easily digested bites a concise reference to major recent (past couple of decades) developments in mathematics and science that are significantly affecting technology and society, frequently across multiple disciplines. In addition, a 30-page introductory section describes the mosaic of which the individual entries are pieces.

Unfortunately, it lacks a bibliography or list of suggested further reading. With on average a 1.5 page description devoted to roughly 200 topics with lots of internal cross-references, this book would make an ideal web site. On paper, it is organized alphabetically by topic, which is convenient for looking things up, but not necessarily for browsing, which is what the curious will find themselves doing compulsively.

Like with a good encyclopedia, you might open the book expecting to read just one or two entries, and then find yourself following the plentiful cross-references or just what catches your eye, till you've read half the book. If you've been hearing terms like game theory, nano-machines, super-strings, sociobiology, quarks, chaos and complexity theory tossed around but were too embarrassed to ask for an explanation, this book will help build your confidence.

I recieved this book on a Tuesday. I couldn't stop picking it up until Friday. Even now I still have it out on my desk. This isn't the type of book that you'll want to read from front to back at one sitting. Its a good reference book and an outstanding introductory book to not only the new style of physics, but physics in general.

The meat of the book does exactly what it says, it introduces the reader to the most advanced scientific principles of today. However, what I became even more interested in, (although I was plenty interested in the new ideas) was the epistimological difference between newtonian physics and quantum physics. In sparked in me an interest into the philosophy of science.

The length of the definitions of the ideas range from a half a page to three and a half pages. There is somewhere around 200 different "new ideas" of science that it introduces. All the definitions are written well with exceptional clarity, (which I was glad to see because I would of been lost otherwise.)

Reading this book has reawakened an interest in me to learning about math and physics. Though the book does not delve into the mathematics of the topics discussed, it provides a clear, well-sculpted image of each, meant for the lay-reader. It is particularly exciting to me because the ideas explained in "Who's Afraid of Schrodinger's Cat?" are revolutionizing the way that humans view their world, their perspective in it, and, as is necessary to address at such a philosophical level, our possible purpose for being in it. The resulting conclusions from comtemporary physics are profound and inspiring, presented in this book, fittingly, in a non-linear, or 'quantum', fashion, so that the reader is brought to an understanding of the ideas presented by the greatest scientific minds of our century with an open mind leaping at the possibilities and thought-provoking implications of it all. This book makes a great introductory gate-way to its subject and a very convenient reference work (for the second read that is virtually necessary and equally profound). I am eager to explore other works by the authors.

The basis of this book is that consciousness can be explained as a Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms in the neurons. Interesting idea, sadly impossible. Bose-Einstein condensates can only exist at very low temperatures. The inside of the brain certainly doesn't qualify. The authors could've easily established the impossibility of their claim by looking up B-E condensates in any textbook on statistical mechanics.

The idea of trying to define consciousness and understand it in a scientific context is something I'm highly interested in. This book has some great ideas which I find highly intriguing, but to be convincing the author needs a stronger foundaiton in science. For instance, she constantly refers to neurons as having "cell walls", but a freshman college science major would no that no animal cell has a cell wall, period. This leads me to wonder how informed Zohar may be on the other scientific issues, such as physics, in this book. That sais, I think she's on the right track, and thinking about the subject in the proper way. But i think we need to look for more authoritative scientific sources on the subject, such as Roger Penrose...

This book is highly informative and thought provoking although some of the ideas behind it are confusing. For example, as someone else mentioned, neurones don't have cell walls, because no animal cells have cell walls. And also, the author does not explain the hypothetical Bose-Einstein condensate in the brain very well, even though the idea is one of the central ideas behind the book, nor why it has to be in the brain. The "Frohlich pumped system", if it is indeed responsible for consciousness, it would only require energy, which is existent throughout the human body. Moreover, it is unclear how such a pumped system would come about in the human body, and how it would have been created in the first place through evolution.

However, these shortcomings are more than made up by revolutionary ideas (even for now, a decade later), its interpretation of "relationship", and its reasonable scientific backing. No, the real reason I gave it a 4 stars and not 5 is because the middle chapters are kind of repetitive, culminating in a rather hideous chapter "Getting beyond narcissism" which was neither relevant nor philosophically sound. But the last couple of chapters were excellent, and I'd certainly recommend this to any open-minded science buffs (not to laymen, however).

Of the many books written about the new physics, this is one of the most precise, and is apparently unafraid of skepticism, which I respect even if it means instigating more erroneous rants about "New Ageist science" is rampant and the "real science" is not from an ill-informed skeptic.

If you're looking for a philosophical, out-of-the-mainstream approach to restructuring your company, author Danah Zohar offers it. She presents an exhaustive, if at times repetitive, case for replacing inflexible, old-line companies with more agile, quantum organizations. Problematically, Zohar devotes too many words to theory and not enough to practical steps for restructuring, and her book is light on examples of companies that have successfully used quantum theory to reorganize. Still, her underlying case is strong. Anyone stuck in a staid bureaucracy would prefer a company where assumptions are actively questioned. To her credit, Zohar offers a starting point for the difficult task of streamlining stodgy organizations. We [...] recommend her ideas to any manager seeking an unusual and thoughtful look at corporate restructuring.

The new science, quantum theory, and related branches of physics are clearly defined and related to business structures and people within "Rewiring the Corporate Brain"

To some, the whole notion of "The New Science", let alone it's relation to the business world may seem like a bunch of new age babble. We (in the US especially) are used to thinking in terms of action-reaction, events, actions, and people, as individual and isolated. We make distinctions and often-strict divisions between work and the rest of our lives. We thrive on predictability, being able to determine outcomes, and control environments, which can inhibit the ability to quickly adapt to and accept change.

"Rewiring the Corporate Brain" recognizes this, and uses quantum theory to illustrate that we might be missing something. The author demonstrates the shortcomings of the common, rigid Newtonian thinking and organization that permeates so many companies and minds, yet also recognizes that a pure quantum approach is not a cure all. The author presents a hybrid model that recognizes the importance of managing and living to obtain certain objectives, while allowing and encouraging the creativity, exploration, and openness to continually grow and adapt to the torrid pace of change. Not only does the application of quantum thinking make sense for the development and management of organizations, but also when trying to bring the separate parts of ones' life together into a more holistic, satisfying existence.

The book refers to a few related "new science" books, which may be of interest to the reader. It also draws on some early Fast Company articles from the good ol' days before Fast Company became the useless waste of paper it is today.

This book is not technical or difficult to read. You'll be able to polish it off within a few hours. If you liked this book, and would like to read more on the "New Physics", or would simply like to explore it ("New Physics") w/o the business context, pick up a copy of:

"The Dancing Wu Li Masters : An Overview of the New Physics"

"We live largely in a world of Newtonian organizations. These are organizations that thrive on certainty and predictability. They are hierarchical; power emanates from the top, and control is vital at every level. So, often, is fear. They are heavily bureaucratic and rule-bound, and hence inflexible. They stress the single point of view, the one best way forward. They are managed as though the part organizes the whole. Newtonian organizations do not respond well to change. Their primary value is efficiency. Human beings work and live in such organizations, but we often feel like passive units of production. Our lives serve the organizations, but the organizations serve only our utilitarian needs, and that only so long as we conform to the organization's purposes and are vital to the organization itself. The emphasis on control isolates these organizations from their environments. They don't interact with or respect those environments, including the people who work within them. It is my purpose here to describe a wholly different kind of organization. I hope to offer a new model for structure, leadership, and learning within organizations that can thrive on uncertainty, can deal creatively with rapid change, and can release the full potential of the human beings who lead and work or live within them. Such organizations, like the human brain, have the potential for self-organizing creativity just waiting to be unleashed within them. This new model is based on the thinking, ideas, language, and imagery of the new science-quantum physics, chaos and complexity, and the latest brain science. I believe that understanding the philosophical basis of these sciences, understanding the new paradigm from which they emerge, is critical to rewiring the corporate brain" (from the Introduction).

In this context, Danah Zohar divides this invaluable book into two parts:

I- Using the New Science to Rewire Corporate Thinking. In this part, she basically:

* describes the uses and limitations of traditional paradigms in business activities and other life contexts.

* focuses on three kinds of thinking (serial thinking, associative thinking, and quantum thinking) that the human brain can do, and discusses their advantages and disadvantages.

* contrasts eight key ideas from Newtonian science/old paradigm, and their effects on business thinking, with eight key ideas from quantum science/new paradigm and their application to new thinking about leadership, and thus constructs a management-leadership chart that puts the features of these two contrasting paradigms as follows:

- N.certainty, Q.uncertainty

- N.predictability, Q.rapid change; unpredictability

- N.hierarchy, Q.nonhierarchical networks

- N.division of labor or function fragmentation, Q.multifunctional and holistic (integrated effort)

- N.power emanates from top or center, Q.power emanates from many interacting centers

- N.employees are passive units of production, Q.employees are cocreative partners

- N. single viewpoint; one best way, Q.many view points; many ways of getting things done

- N.competition, Q.cooperation

- N.inflexible structures; heavy on bureaucratic control, Q.responsive and flexible structures; hands-off supervision

- N.efficiency, Q.meaningful service and relationships

- N.top-down (reactive) operation, Q.bottom-up (experimental) operation

II- Structure and Leadership of the Rewired Corporation. In this part, she basically:

* discusses Western/Newtonian and Eastern/Networked models of the self/person and organization, and then attempts to reach a Quantum model of self and organization drawn from the thinking of the new science. And she shows the features of these three models as follows:

- W.conflict and control, E.cooperation, Q.dialogue

- W.self (the personal) wholly excluded and isolated; interactions grounded in universal principles, E.self wholly embedded and contextual; no universal principles, Q.self embedded and contextual with universal dimension

- W.stability achieved through excluding the self and the emotions, and organizing only the predictable and controllable aspects of relationships, E.stability achieved through reinforced familiarity and discipline of the self, Q.stability balanced with instability

- W.rigid boundaries, E.ambiguous boundaries, Q.flexible boundaries

- W.dictatorial leadership, E.consensual leadership, Q.leader relies on trust and feel for situation

- W.rule-bound, E.habit-bound, Q.no set framework from rules or habits

- W.mechanical, E.organic, Q.both naturally unfolding (organic) and that which can be made from it (mechanical)

- W+E.rely on stability, Q.open to change

- W+E.weak in dealing with unexpected change, Q.open to change

- W+E.seek to dampen down or exclude the unexpected, Q.thrives on unexpected

* argues that servant leadership is the essence of quantum thinking and quantum leadership, and then presents a new model of servant leadership.

Finally, she writes, "much of the book contrasts the Newtonian and new sciene, or quantum, approaches to leadership. But this is not to convey a message of either-or. All the fundamental thinking of the new science is about both-and. The new science incorporates the old. Quantum physics does not invalidate Newtonian physics. It just shows that Newton's laws are restricted to one band of reality. But they are still necessary to corporate leadership as the new paradigm, quantum thinking. The core competence I hope to convey in this book is about 'managing at the edge' - that is, becoming aware that there are different paradigms and cultivating the judgement to know when to use one or another, or when to remain at the edge between the two."

I higly recommend this unique study.

It depends on what you are looking for ... I was looking forward to ways of developing my SQ to make my life more meaningful. This book, however, was more to do with: what is SQ, arguments supporting its existence, the IQ-EQ-SQ concentric circles model, personality types. Contents related to personal enhancement that can be used by me is about 1/10 of the book (later part), and are quite generic materials about self awareness.

Compared with the AQ and EQ books I read previously, this book was not easy to understand. The authors were more keen to establish their authoritative position in this SQ concept - instead of communicating and helping the readers. The book applied substantial materials from various people's experiments, quotations, religious and philosophical ideas. Some people may like the wealth of sources it drew; but it was hard-to-read, dry and fragmented for readers who didn't have all those background knowledge and diverse interests.

Spiritual Intelligence is a concept whose time has come. It will soon be bursting upon our present scene making a powerful impact. This cutting edge Book by Zohar and Marshall will change the way of our thinking of psychology and education, to family values and personal identification.

This Book brings together four specific streams of research speaking to the discovery of the God Spot, the relationship between IQ. EQ and SQ, the new MEG (magneto-encephalographic) technology and the evolution of symbolic imagination.

Spiritual Intelligence can be used to wrestle with problems of good and evil, life and death, the deepest origins of human suffering and often despair. It is universal with no cultural, ethnic or religious ties. Spiritual Intelligence is not a program, or a technique or a psychology. It is rather a life style. The good news is, it comes from the bottom and moves up. We do not have to wait for some program to come down from above. It is already here waiting to be discovered, used and shared by everyone and with everyone.

As the Author of "The Spirituyal Intelligence Handbook" I found this approach different but confirming. SQ research is the pioneer concept for this century. Zohar and Marshall's "Spiritual Intelligence" with be a foundation book for our time.

Reading the New Golden Bough was one of the most significant experiences of my youth. That book showed the remarkable similarities in the cultural stories and myths across cultures. From reading these perspectives, one arrives at a more fundamental understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature, people and community, and people with themselves. Reading SQ Connecting with our Spiritual Intelligence left me with a similar feeling. I thought that the opening quotes for the chapters were especially well designed to draw one into the points the authors wanted to make. I got a new sense of how nothingness can provide meaning (such as the hole in the middle of the wheel that allows it to be connected to the source of power). As someone with a very modest knowledge of psychology, I enjoyed the sections that integrated psychological and religious thinking about the meaning of life. There is a part of the book where you can take personality tests and help focus on the questions that will allow you to make your spiritual journey. As someone who has been a meditator for some time, I was fascinated by the reports of research on how vibrations provide wholeness in the brain. Certainly, that's what it feels like when I am meditating. I especially like books that provide a new perspective on something that I have been thinking about a lot. I found the questions for spiritual progress to be quite interesting. They certainly caused me to shift my attention in new ways that will undoubtedly lead to new learning. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in more self-awareness, particularly aimed at getting in touch with one's real nature. If you work in a business, you might also enjoy Rewiring the Corporate Brain, also by Danah Zohar.