The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of A New Era [Paperback]

Steve Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2005

The Fall is a major work that overturns mainstream current thinking on the nature of civilization and human nature. It draws on the increasing evidence accumulated over recent decades that prehistoric humanity was peaceful and egalitarian, rather than war-like and crude. It is not natural for human beings to kill each other, for men to oppress women, for individuals to accumulate massive wealth and power, or to abuse nature. The worldwide myths of a Golden Age or an original paradise have a factual, archaeological basis.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An important and fascinating book about the origin, history and impending demise of the ego - humanity's collective dysfunction. The Fall is highly readable and enlightening, as the author's acute mind is at all times imbued with the higher faculty of spiritual awareness. —Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth, The Power of Now and many more

It is my fervent wish that this important book will have a wide audience. In a world where the very existence of humanity is threatened, Steve Taylor offers a visionary yet practical path out of the morass that distorts human nature. —Stanley Krippner, Professor of Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, California

This is an important book which deserves to be read widely. Ultimately Taylor brings a message of hope. He challenges us all to transcend the ego and integrate the intellectual brilliance it has given us with the intense connectedness and aliveness that spiritual practices can bring us. He challenges us to make a difference to the world by transforming ourselves through meditation and the pragmatic activities of service, living lightly and promoting social change. He presents a vision of a possible future in which there is no war ... male domination and social inequality, no shame of sex or the body, and no domination of other species and the natural world. Written in clear, lucid prose, this book is easy to read and Taylor s sources are well referenced for those who want to dig deeper. I strongly recommend it. , —Malcom Hollick, author The Science of Oneness

From the Publisher

Ultimately Taylor brings a message of hope. He challenges us all to transcend the ego and integrate the intellectual brilliance it has given us with the intense connectedness and aliveness that spiritual practices can bring us. He challenges us to make a difference to the world by transforming ourselves through meditation and the pragmatic activities of service, living lightly and promoting social change. He presents a vision of a possible future in which there is no war ... male domination and social inequality, no shame of sex or the body, and no domination of other species and the natural world. Written in clear, lucid prose, this book is easy to read and Taylor s sources are well referenced for those who want to dig deeper. I strongly recommend it. , --Malcolm Hollick, author of The Science of Oneness: A worldview for the twenty-first century

Stanley Krippner, Professor of Pscychology, Saybrook Graduate School, California

It is my fervent wish that this important book will have a wide audience.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: John Hunt Publishing (September 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905047207
• ISBN-13: 978-1905047208
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > History > Historical Study > Civilization & Culture
  • #27 in Books > History > Ancient > Early Civilization

More About the Author

Steve Taylor is the author of The Fall, Making Time and his new book Waking From Sleep. Eckhart Tolle has described his work as 'an important contribution to the global shift in consciousness' while Ervin Laszlo has called Waking From Sleep 'the most enlightening book about enlightenment I have ever read.' Steve is a lecturer in psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK, and is now a researcher in transpersonal psychology at Liverpool John Moores University. He also writes poetry and music. For more information see www.stevenmtaylor.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book, May 26, 2006

By 

Simon "Simon" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of A New Era (Paperback)

I bought this book after reading Eckhart Tolle's endorsement: "A fascinating and important book on the origin, development and the imminent demise of the ego...Highly readable and enlightening, as the author's acute mind is imbued with the higher faculty of spiritual awareness." Eckhart Tolle's books have changed my life so I was sure this book would be important for me too, and haven't been wrong. I've read it through over the last three days and feel also though my whole outlook on the world has been altered. This book is a complete revisioning of human history from a spiritual point of view, seeing human history in terms of the development of the ego, looking at how the ego has given rise to thousands of years of violence and oppression. Taylor looks in turn at warfare, male domination, social inequality, alienation from the body, abuse of the natural world and so on, showing how the over-developed sense of ego produces these problems.

The book makes the important point - using a massive range of research - that earlier human beings and many of the world's native peoples - did not have our strong sense of self or ego and so were free from all of this disorder. The book's depiction of how the insanity of so much human behaviour is produced by the ego is riveting and extremely impressive. After reading this there is no way you can look at "normal" human behaviour in the same way. Taylor makes it absolutely clear that what we consider as normal is, in many ways, insane. And just as impressively, Taylor puts together an extremely good case for the idea that we are beginning to transcend the insanity of the ego and moving into a new era. This is one of those books which makes you look at the world in a new light, and gives you inspiration and hope for the future. Somehow it gives me the inspiration to try to fight for a better world, to contribute to the collective change which is taking place, and rekindle the state of harmony which the human race has lost.

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fascinating!, December 28, 2007

By 

La Coccinelle - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of A New Era (Paperback)

This book had me riveted. If we'd read books like this in high school history class, I would have been a lot more interested. The author does a great job of combining history, anthropology, gender studies, and spirituality (among other things) into a fascinating account of the past 6,000 years of human history.

I know that, after reading this book, I'll never look at the world the same way again. The premise behind the work makes so much sense, and helps to explain why things (good and bad) are the way they are.

Typos and grammar issues bother me, and there were some really horrendous ones in this book. However, I am willing to overlook them in this case and give this book five stars because I believe it is so important to our understanding of ourselves.

This is one of the best books I read in 2007. I highly recommend it.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book to make you think, May 22, 2006

By 

CQB "Helen" (Teignmouth, Devon, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of A New Era (Paperback)

I loved Steve Taylor's lucid account of why he thinks the world is in such a bad way, how we got to be in this sorry state and how we can get out of it. It skillfully blends history, psychology, sociology and spirituality to produce a book that is not only thought provoking and enlightening but also enjoyable to read. Despite the potentially depressing nature of the issues covered, Steve Taylor manages to remain positive and provide solutions for a way forward to a better world. This is an uplifting book and recommended to anyone searching for answers to difficult questions.