5 comments about Space, Time and Beyond: Revised Edition.

1. I have read Space-Time and Beyond many times. At first I re-read it to see if there was something I missed in the first reading. Two things you will notice when reading this book.

   First: It was a collaboration between a physicist and a layman.
   Second: The appendix is the meat of the book.

   First, the reader will read a comic book like explanation of mysticism and psychic phenomena. These are the speculative portion of the book. The appendix then verifies these odd occurences through reference to Natural phenomena,at the sub-atomic level. The speculative part is fascinating and very imaginative, but for me now, in Wolf and Toben's vision I see a model of the universe mapped in the macrocosm as extrasensory reality and realized in the microcosm as quantum physics. A visual mnemonic device which the young physicist can utilize to determine the direction of his research based on his own intuition and not that of his mentor.

   Thank you Pam, Frank, Colonel J, Dr A, Harjit, Derrick, Shlomo, Dr B, Dan, Jeff, Trappuzzano et. al.




2. I have read Space-Time and Beyond many times. At first I re-read it to see if there was something I missed in the first reading. Two things you will notice when reading this book.

   First: It was a collaboration between a physicist and a layman.
   Second: The appendix is the meat of the book.

   First, the reader will read a comic book like explanation of mysticism and psychic phenomena. These are the speculative portion of the book. The appendix then verifies these odd occurences through reference to Natural phenomena,at the sub-atomic level. The speculative part is fascinating and very imaginative, but for me now, in Wolf and Toben's vision I see a model of the universe mapped in the macrocosm as extrasensory reality and realized in the microcosm as quantum physics. A visual mnemonic device which the young physicist can utilize to determine the direction of his research based on his own intuition and not that of his mentor.

   Thank you Pam, Frank, Colonel J, Dr A, Harjit, Derrick, Shlomo, Dr B, Dan, Jeff, Trappuzzano et. al.




3. This seemingly light and trivial book covers some extremely heavy and profound concepts. In fact, it is amazing how well a few pictures, diagrams, and cartoons can clarify concepts better than chapters of dense text from more "scholarly" sources. Of course, if the pictures don't do it for you, there is the excellent commentary by Fred Allen Wolf, as well as, an extensive bibliography for further reading.

   I've lost track of how many times I've read this little book since it first started to crack open my narrow Newtonian mind-set back in the '80's. It is an especially good book to read just before going to sleep- the subconscious loves to process this level of material. Here is the best introduction to not only the probably structure of the universe of space-time, but to what lies beyond it. You get very interesting speculations on the nature of paranormal phenomena, reincarnation, the nature of archetypes and the mythological level of perception, survival after death- all of which conventional "science" choses to reject or ignore.

   I especially enjoyed the discussion of how quantum waves can affect all levels of existance simultaneously at different scales of organization from sub-atomic, to the natural world of normal perception, to the human mind, to the stellar and galactic level. It adds new significance to the ancient maxim, "As above, so below." This is especially true when you consider that human consciousness helps function as a co-creator of the perceived material world ( along with our higher Selves beyond space-time.) In fact, the purpose of existance seems to be to reunite ourselves with ourselves so that all of creation may become fully aware of itself in harmony.

   Yeah, I know it sounds pretty "hippy-dippy", that is it does until you begin to seriously contemplate the true nature of things....




4. you're stupid if you don't snap this one up; enough said.



5. This book of physics/metaphysics is clear enough for the layman, very suitable for a dabbler, and interesting enough for the expert. The cartoons cutely explain theories of the universe and consciousness, so that by the time you reach the commentary, you "get it". The deliberate splitting of the book into first cartoons and then commentary stimulates both hemispheres of the brain.

5 comments about Conversations About the End of Time.

1. Four thinkers (Gould, Eco, Jean Delumeau and Jean-Claude Carriere) come together to ponder questions about the end and beginning of the world and the state of mankind and the planet in Conversations About the End of Time. Philosophy blends with science to provide some intriguing thoughts about the nature and future of the world.



2. ---------- ----------

   I'm talking about that Darwinian theory of Natural Selection you keep telling as if it were true. It is "differential reproductive success". So then that means I need at least 2 different things to call some event NS. So then I ask myself what do these 2 different things have to do with each other? So then I say well either they influence each other's reproduction some way, or they could as well be in different environments. So they must influence each other's reproduction some way. So then I ask, what ways can the one influence the reproduction of the other?

   +/- increase reproduction at cost of the other +/+ mutual increase of each other's reproduction -/- mutual decrease of each other's reproduction +/0 and so on -/0 0/0

   but what you do, is pretend like there are only +/- relationships. You ignore all other type of relationships with NS. Your natural selection theory is false, for being unsystematic in describing the relationships between living beings. You make teachers into liars by it.




3. Surely, we can't talk and think enough
   about the state of mankind!
   But these are hazardous waters! Where should we begin
   and where do we want to go from there? So, Having
   Gould and Eco as guides seems like a clever start!

   According to the book, the hebrew language has
   no exact present tense?? The infinitely brief, the
   very essense of the present, is not to be found - it
   can be neither fixed, nor measured. It is therefore
   completely justifiable, grammaticale speaking,
   to leave out the present?

   Yet, obviously, it is from the present we look at the
   past and towards the future.
   Stephen Jay Gould is always a pleasure to listen to -
   and the right one to put time into perspective.
   For a palaeontologist, like Gould, 7000 years
   (timespand of human culture) is really no more than
   the twinkling of an eye. So all we know is really in
   the present - which hardly exist!

   From this position we look out into concepts like
   the eternity - which we obviously really can't grasp.
   And into ourselfes were e.g. DNA was discovered as recently
   as 1953. Mystery upon mystery.
   So, we struggle to discover instances of regularity and
   to fit them together with the help of stories. We throw
   in a little religion "were religions do not
   ask questions, they answer them". Still we are far
   removed from any real "understanding".

   And that is what these conversations are about.
   With Umberto Eco and Stephen Jay Gould - it is
   of course an ok read. But only an appetizer.

   -Simon




4. Conversations About the End of Time is a a discussion of questions and answers given by four thinkers. Stephen Jay Gould, Umberto Eco, Jean-Claude Carriere and Jean Delumeau all answer questions and are given a chapter in this book to espouse their respective answers.

   Just think of a coffee table discussion, of a one on one discussion and you get to read the answers on questions of import. Each answering these questions with their respective insights and down-to-earth style. Each having their respective life experiences to draw from to unravel perplexing questions.

   With fascination you read the thought-provoking answers. The answers will suprise some, others may be right inline with what you'd expect, but nerver boring... challenging, educational, lucid and erudite are more what you'd expect and you are not dissapointed.

   This book reads fast and the questions are cogent with the general topic. Each respective thinker answers in a style of their own and the reader does not feel irrelevant. This is an interesting book in that questions asked make the reader think as well.

   I found the book to be highly interesting and it has a fascination woven throughout the text captivating the reader.




5. This work does not really hang together very well. Each of the respective contributors does his own thing.
   The work contains according to the book - jacket these essays. " Paleontologist Stephen Jay Goud on dating the Creation, evolutionary ' deep time' and the need for ecological ethics on a human scale. Novelist, medievalist and Web fanatic UmbertoEco on the breave new world of cyberspace, and its likely impact on memory, cultural continuity and access toknowledge. Catholic historian Jean Delumeau on how the Western Imagination has always been haunted by ideas of the Apocalypse. ScreenwriterJean- Claude Carriere on the 'art of slowness' and attitudes toward time in non- Western cultures.'
   The work nonetheless contains much interesting information and speculative matter.
   One small piece from the work, the great Paleontologist Goud is asked " How do you see earth looking in a thousand years time? '
   His answer is humble and refreshing.
   " I don't see it. The things one can actually predict are not very interesting. The sun will continue to shine.. But the history of human beings-and that's what your question is about - consists only of unpredictable events. What we are least weel- placed to predict is technological evolution. I can't predict what will happen in fifty years, let alone in a thousand.. Culture evolves in a Lamarckian way, in that it allows the transmission of acquired characteristics. We directly transmit what we have learned to subsequent generations, which is why technological evolution is ultra- powerful, cumulative , directional ..

5 comments about The Cherokee Sacred Calendar: A Handbook of the Ancient Native American Tradition.

1. I don't like or recommend this book for the following reasons.

   1. Why is the Mayan 20 count included in a book about the Cherokee?

   2. Raven Hail goes into an astrological system that seems to imply that one's future is set in stone. It is NOT. I am living proof that one can be anything thet want to be; providing they have the will and desire to change their life.

   The book has a few Cherokee legends.

   Please E-Mail me if you have questions or comments about my reviews. Two Bears

   Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)




2. A New Age version of the Mayan calendar given new Cherokee-esque names. What is reprehensible about this book is that Raven Hail is in fact a Cherokee tribal member.



3. As an official of the Cherokee Nation, let me advise the readers that the "teachings" of "Raven Hail" are not endorsed by the Nation, nor in fact, do they follow any Cherokee historical or cultural beliefs that I have ever heard.



4. The Cherokee Sacred Calendar is a piece of writing that begs for explanations. Why is the Cherokee astrological system essentially the same as that of the Maya and Aztecs and why hasn't this come out before? (We are also informed of the news that the Cherokee counted in a vegisimal system of dots and bars exactly like that of the Maya). Why do only some of the personality descriptions seem to be cleverly lifted (a short string of words at a time) from those in the book "Day-Signs: Native American Astrology From Ancient Mexico" but not others? Why are the tables the same as those in that unmentioned and uncited book? These are questions that both the author and the publisher need to answer.



5. I found this book interesting; the symbolic natal sign easily
   accessed using Raven Hall's charts was most interesting and not at all a surprise to me! I do wish more information as to how Raven Hall's claim this information came from "ancient Native American Tradition" was discovered .Since the system is so strongly similar to Mayan systems, is Raven Hall suggesting Mayans and Native Americans are interrelated? I would love to hear the answer;in spite of this ponderings, I truly enjoyed the book!

5 comments about The Dance of Time: The Origins of the Calendar: A Miscellany of History and Myth, Religion and Astronomy, Festivals and Feast Days.

1. This is actually the wife of the Amazon member. I bought this back in the summer, at the solstice. How quickly i found myself at another, albeit more starkly beautiful solstice ..... The depth of knowledge and the beauty of the prose is outstanding. As one familiar with world religions, anthropology, mythology and the like, i found this book to be a refreshing change from so much of what is currenty available through the new age/earth religion venue: this book is absolutey stunning and will pass the test of time. I brought it to work with me, and it is my companion for this year's quiet, solitary solstice. Such a balm for the spirit, and a comfort ......highly recommended.



2. It's a little disconcerting writing a review of a book when you know the author himself reads them!
   
   The key word in the title of this book is "miscelleny". I think I was hoping for a more comprehensive and studious tour through the wilds of the history of our calendar and how it came to be what it is today. Although it's clear that research was done and a history of how the calendar came to be is indeed tackled, it's all a bit... well, flowery, for my tastes.
   
   Here's a small sampling of what I mean:
   "...Deneb glittering in her beak like a diamond she's plucked from an Eastern treasure horde. High above both, ruby-red Arcturus marks the heel of the kindly shepherd Bootes, who drives the stars of spring across the sky. Orion flees, humbled, below the western horizon..."
   
   It's all well and good, it's just not for me. I'd guess that references to "lovemaking" and related terms are actually used more often than references to the word "calendar". If you enjoy stories and myths from Greek and Roman times, with a smattering from the Celts, Germans, and other "westerners", told somewhat floridly, you'll like this.
   
   One thing that sticks with me is the disturbing story of the Wicker Man. It, and some of the other tales, made me want to know more (how long did this go on, how wide-spread was it, who was chosen to be the victims, etc.), but I kept coming back to that word "miscellany"... it's not MEANT to be thorough.
   
   So to sum up I'd say the book delivers what the title promises, but didn't satisfy my curiosity about the subject!



3. I came across this little paperback tucked in between more impressive-looking tomes at the bookstore in the European History section. If not for the subtitle, "A Miscellany of History and Myth, Religion and Astronomy, Festivals and Feast Days," I'd never have bought it, because the title proper does not satisfactorily describe the content. I am not interested in TIME, per se, but I did write a master's thesis in folkart and am very interested in all kinds of folklore, genealogy, ritual, and comparative religion. So I bought it and have loved it...great bedside companion on these wintry nights. A huge bonus is the beautiful writing style of Mr. Judge - he makes pictures in my head - the highest praise of this artist/folklorist. The book justifies the deep human yearning to celebrate the cycles of the natural world without having to deny one's more conventional religious upbringing (no doubt a growing concern since paganism is one of the fastest growing religions). Comforting.



4. When I got this book, I expected a history of our calendar and its links to the ancient world written for regular people as opposed to scholars. The writing is fluid, but so florid that it's hard to get actual information out of it. The writing is so self-indulgently flowery that it disguises the message rather than delivering it. Since the subject matter is in fact nonfiction, this is not a particularly effective style.
   
   There are a lot of books out there on the history of the calendar that ARE readable, even to the non-academic. This one is not worth buying.



5. As a general reader, I liked the author's poetical, appreciative and sometimes fascinatingly historical, journey thru the months of the year, from antique times onward. Beneath the simplicity of style lies the author's spirit, wisdom and humor - and I think you can't get all the information on the first reading. Besides the months & seasons, there's the holidaze celebrations. In all, this is an imaginative book.

5 comments about Time Travel: A How-To Insiders Guide.

1. If you enjoy reading accounts of strange events then this is probably a good book. Out of app 185 pages only 20 had any "real" information and that was mainly how to do astal or out of body travel. Big Deal many books have much better information about that. Where is the time travel how to? I don't care that "Joe" stepped under a ladder and was never seen again. This book is supposed to be a how to not reports from mag's, newspapers, etc about strange disappearances. Very, Very disappointed and you will see my copy on Ebay.



2. Wish I could go back in time and not buy this book. This is perhaps the first time I really feel regret over the purchase of a book from Amazon. The first sign of trouble were the ads in the back of the book for publications about Black helicopters, conspiracy summits and UFOs. I felt like I was waiting in line at a supermarket thumbing through the Enquirer or The Weekly World News. The publishers bill this book as a How-To guide to time travel when in fact 95% of the book is dedicated to silly anecdotes about unexplained disappearances and Twilight Zone-like time travel episodes. When it finally gets to demonstrating Time Travel techniques it resorts to common new age cheese like Astral projections OBE. And to add insult, they offer childish schematics for gFlux Capacitorsh designed by an admitted mental patient. Ifll let you read that last sentence again in case you thought I was kidding. I could go on about this book, but I think I have already wasted enough time. Suffice to say, your money is better spent on a few cold beers and ohckeep away from anything published by Global Communications unless youfre one that thinks the X-Files is a documentary.



3. this book is a waste of your money and time the title is totally misleading because there is no really info or how to here about time travel like the others reviewers say I gonna sell this book or put it in the garbage save your money.



4. I wish this book really taught me how to travel through time because if it did, I would go back in time and tell myself not to buy this book.



5. As someone who is visiting the year 2004 from the future, I can tell you that this book is bloody rubbish! I was sent here from the year 2097 to gain access to a document the is needed by the USE to provide a legal footing for the suspension of the Kilo-Euro. That document will be sold on eBay in November of this year and lost if I am not able to buy it. I have been here since 01 March to allow time for me to become proficient in the use of non-cerebral interface computers, understand your customs, set up a bank accout and earn money to pay for the document I need. I wish I could go into more detail about how time manipulation works, but that could cause some real problems for me. Let me just say that it is a very simple mechanical process that could have been mastered in the 1920s if someone had just thought of it.

1 comments about On Time: How America Has Learned to Live Life by the Clock.

1. This is a wonderful book! Written by one of America's premier horolgists, Carlene Stephens takes us through a history of the whole idea of time in America, from the earliest colonists to the most recent atomic clocks.
   We all take time so much for granted today - it serves us, apparently at our command; but in fact Stephens demonstrates admirably how time also shaped our whole concept of American society, and how clever men and women took ideas and created institutions that were (are are) time-driven. This started in the agricultural fields of the earliest settlers, loosely bound to a sundial,then to town bells, to tick-tock clocks, to watches, and now cesium clocks good to one second every 20 million years.
   The prose is compelling, never leaden; sometimes one has to turn ahead....to see how it's going to turn out! Stephens has a gentle sense of humor that enlivens the writing even further. The pictures are wonderful and support the writing beautifully (and the frontispiece picture of a tower clock is a knockout!)
   The book is attractively designed, but don't be fooled: this is NOT a coffee-table book. It is meant to be read. There are plenty of "aha!" moments which will make you re-evaluate how and why you do what you do.
   I'd give it 6 stars if Amazon.com would let me!
   So, please follow the lead of the Massachusetts General Assembly of 1633 (quoted by Stephens): "No person...shall spend his time idly or unprofitably, under the pain of...punishment."
   Get thee out and read this book!!!

   Richard Schubert
   Bethesda, MD

No comments about Human Experience of Time: The Development of Its Philosophic Meaning (SPEP).

No comments about Time as History (Philosophy and Theology).

4 comments about Time and the Soul.

1. There were times when I had to just put this book down and breathe because of the truth in its pages. Needleman gets to the heart of "time and the soul." It is a short book and can be read quickly, but one reading will not suffice. An incredibly honest book.



2. Needleman's ideas, while simply stated, need to be pondered and re-read. This book is amazing. You may want to remove the jacket cover - I think it cheapens the book, and you'll notice the "...and how to get it back" portion of the title is nowhere else to be found. Obviously a marketing technique for the lowest common denominator. Needleman's rejection of time management techniques seems to prove to me that the tabloidesque cover was not his idea.



3. If you try to understand this book with your head, you will be torn into a million pieces. It is amazingly difficult to explain what this book is about... you should just know that if you read it, at some point something very strange happens to you... this something is very disturbing, but it is also very sweet. Take a chance and read it!



4. Time and the Soul is not just a book, it is a deep meditation experience. Dr. Needleman is a wise, authentic guide calling us back to our lost Self, and suggesting practical ways to remember who we really are. I keep this book close by and when my spiritual quest feels a bit dry, I return here and find my inspiration renewed. This is the book I most often share with friends and family who are fellow seekers. Today, I am ordering five more copies.

2 comments about Splitting the Second : The Story of Atomic Time.

1. I think a better subtitle would have been, "The Constant Search for Time," because only a third of the book is devoted to atomic clocks. The development of increasingly stable and accurate clocks is covered in detail, thankfully without dwelling on Harrison's efforts (already well covered in other books).

   As better clocks were built, measurements showed increasingly subtle causes for variations in the length of the day ranging from a non-circular orbit, to tidal effects, to crust movements, and down to atmospheric effects on the rotation rate. All these are covered in detail.

   The most convenient source of time with nanosecond accuracy is now the GPS satellites. Jones describes how special and general relativity affect their timekeeping and how these effects are compensated.

   He also goes into great detail about the international organizations responsible for managing UTC and the complex methods used to average the time from the primary standards and hundreds of secondary standards to produce UTC. Jones manages to do this without losing the reader's attention.

   Although the book avoids any math or advanced physics, it does not condescend in any way, and is directed to the mature reader. There are explanations of cesium and rubidium frequency standards, hydrogen masers, and also the latest developments: laser cooling and cesium fountains.

   It would have been nice if the author had included a bibliography, but this is compensated by providing the URLs for all the major world timekeeping organizations and also links to a number of web sites devoted to time.




2. Tony Jones has crafted an excellent history of time keeping from basic astronomy to pendulum and quartz clocks to modern atomic clocks. The problems and successes at each level are clearly explained. The text is at the early undergraduate level and is unencumbered with mathematics. Precision time has become imbedded in the activities of modern civilizations and it is interesting to see how the determination and dissemination of time has become complex as the accuracy has improved.