Jeff Schweitzer
🔗 www.JeffSchweitzer.com
*Jeff Schweitzer* spent much of his youth underwater pursuing his lifelong fascination with marine life. He obtained his doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography through his neurobehavioral studies of sharks and rays. He has published in an eclectic range of fields, including neurobiology, marine science, international development, environmental protection and aviation. Jeff and his wife live in central Texas, moving there after retiring from the White House as Assistant Director for International Science and Technology. Visit www.JeffSchweitzer.com
*Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara* is an evolutionary biologist with a doctorate from the University of California. He serves as a marine policy advisor to various national and international bodies, and has recently represented Italy in multilateral environmental negotiations. Through appearances on television and radio, and the publication of articles and books, he has been striving to increase public awareness of marine conservation. Giuseppe lives with his family in Northern Italy. Visit www.disciara.net
<p>“<em>We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”(</em>Teilhard de Chardin<em>)</em></p><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;"><em>Involution-An Odyssey Reconciling Science to God </em> is as layered as a French cassoulet, as diverting, satisfying and as rich. Each reader will spoon this book differently. On the surface it seems to be a simple and light-hearted poetic journey through the history of Western thought, dominantly scientific, but enriched with painting and music. Beneath that surface is the sauce of a new evolutionary idea, involution; the informing of all matter by consciousness, encoded and communicating throughout the natural world. A book about the cathedral of consciousness could have used any language to paint it, but science is perhaps most in need of new vision, and its chronology is already familiar.</span></p><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">The author offers a bold alternative vision of both science and creation: she suggests that science has been incrementally the recovery of memory, the memory of evolution/involution</span><em style="line-height:1.6em;">.</em></p><p>“<em> Involution proposes that humans carry within them the history of the universe, which is (re)discovered by the individual genius when the time is ripe. All is stored within our DNA and awaits revelation. Such piecemeal revelations set our finite lives in an eternal chain of co-creation and these new leaps of discovery are compared to mystical experience</em>” (From a reviewer)</p><p>Each unique contributor served the collective and universal return to holism and unity. Thus the geniuses of the scientific journey, like the spiritual visionaries alongside, have threaded the rosary of science with the beads of inspiration, and through them returned Man to his spiritual nature and origin.</p><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">The separation between experience and the rational intellect of science has, by modelling memory as theory, separated its understanding from the consciousness of all, and perceives mind and matter as separate, God and Man as distinct. This work is a dance towards their re-unification: Saints and scientists break the same bread.</span></p><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">All of time and all the disciplines of science are needed for the evidence. Through swift (and sometimes sparring) Cantos of dialogue between Reason and Soul, Philippa Rees takes the reader on a monumental journey through the history of everything – with the evolution of man as one side of the coin and involution the other. The poetic narrative is augmented by learned and extensive footnotes offering background knowledge which in themselves are fascinating. In effect there are two books, offering a right and left brain approach. The twin spirals of a DNA shaped book intertwine external and internal and find, between them, one journey, Man’s recovery of Himself., and (hopefully) the Creation’s recovery of a nobler Man.</span></p><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">From the same review “</span><em style="line-height:1.6em;">The reader who finishes the book will not be the same as the one who began it. New ideas will expand the mind but more profoundly, the deep, moving power of the verse will affect the heart.</em></p><p><em>(Marianne Rankin: Director of Communications, Alister Hardy Trust)</em></p><p> </p>
*This is the book that ties it all together - the problems that religion creates in solving our looming problems, and the unholy environmental mess we're in. I'd say that someday we're going to have to listen to this man, but the truth is, that day is NOW." <br /><br />-Bill Maher <br /><p><br />*Beyond Cosmic Dice comes not a moment too soon as we struggle with increasingly dire social crises and an ailing planet. The last thing we need is for religious dogma to get in the way of finding rational solutions to our problems! Jeff's book explains why." <br /><br />-Max and Jason, hosts/producers of Current TV, Al Gore's Emmy winning TV network<br /><br />Anonymous: Now is the time for everyone to read this book. You may not agree with all of it, but discussion about these issues of religion, science, and morality goes beyond being simply relevant and is truly necessary given our current world politics. Beyond Cosmic Dice is an easy read, but densely packed with important ideas. Somehow the authors have managed to pull off making the usually dry subjects of ethics, morality and religion humorous without in any diminishing the serious nature of the discussion. This is actually a page turner! I love the chapter titles, and that irreverence is reflected in the text of the book as well, but without ever being disrespectful toward the long-held beliefs that are being so effectively challenged. If you have ever questioned religion's answers to life's mysteries, then this book is a must read. I do not agree with everything the authors say, but find myself in agreement with their biggest ideas about morality and religion. I loved this book and found it a deeply satisfying read. <br /><br />Anonymous: As someone who believes fully in the divine and in the magical unfolding of the mystery of the Universe, I was curious to see what two scientists would have to say about the dismantling of religion in America and even though I think the author's approach is remarkably linear - the 'call' for 'morality' as a Principled based way of life is extraordinary and for this I give KUDOS to the authors voice in the scientific community for calling on such an action to occur ~ <br /><br />Anonymous: </p>