Customer Reviews

The Fourth Dimension: A Guided Tour of the Higher Universes

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a nice well-written book about what a 4D Universe would be like, and delves a bit into Einsteinian spacetime. The problem with this book is that Rucker wrote another book "Geometry, Relativity, and the 4TH dimension" which has tons more information in it and is at least 1/10th the size of this book. So, in a way, this is just a wordy repeat of his older book.

When I first read this book some twenty years ago I found it to be absolutely mind-expanding. It made me begin to see reality in a new, larger, manner- it began to shake loose my preconceptions. Now, when I review it, I find the concepts to be commonplace. How could I have ever thought otherwise? That's a measure of the transforming process that it began in me. This book will start you on the climb to a new intellectual plateau. Even synchronicity, which I had the hardest time accepting, is now a "given" for me.

Rucker is a highly effective writer- for a mathematician. His prose is clear, readable, and humorous. Plus, he examines the subject from mathematical, scientific, philosophical, and spiritual perspectives. His use of relevant quotes throughout the work is excellent- plus there is a very good bibliography for further study.

If you do feel the need for further study (and you will) then try _Exploring the Fourth Dimension_ by Ralphs, or _Extra Dimensional Universe_ by Violette. Then perhaps you may feel up to eventually tackling _Tertium Organum_ by Ouspensky, and _The Multiple States of Being_ by Guenon.

Though we must accept that all of this is as speculative as ghosts and goblins, the subject matter is handled with the perfect meshing of tongue-in-cheek discussion and serious discourse about the higher dimensions. Rucker makes the reader think twice about what could be out there, both higher and lower than us; in this sense, the book is about humanity. Complete with funny illustrations, this is a perfect choice for finding out about scifi/scireality concepts of spacial dimensions. (A little tough to follow in the time travel section, but give it a try.)

Great Book on higher dimensions, I found that I could not put it down. Illustrations could be updated a little but over all great material. I can also say that I understand gravity better now.

For all those of you who have questioned your surroundings, this is the perfect book to get you started on a long journey. I read this book over the summer, and it taught me a lot. Not only does Rucker accurately cover the fourth dimension, but it allows your mind to take it other concepts you might have ruled out before. Even though he starts off a little advanced for the beginning reader, it's pretty easy to figure out if you piece everything together. Granted, the end of the book starts to unwind a bit, and the drawings are a little childish, but overall this is one of the best books I've read. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the fourth dimension or concepts beyond their grasp.

This book is easy to read, but electrifying. I read it when I was twelve, and it changed my life forever. I cannot imagine what kind of person I'd be if I had not read this book.

Of all the books I've read with technical basis, intending to introduce the reader to scientific or mathematical theory - this is among the most entertaining and important I've ever read.

The information in it may be too commonplace for some scientists or mathematicians, but I'd heartily recommend it to the ordinary person who's curious about the world around them!
(& To the scientists and mathematicians I'd still say ... just give a whirl.) :)

This book was a fun read, and I was surprised how well Rucker (whom I had considered a fiction author primarily) was able to convey the ideas in this book in a very understandable fashion. It covers time and space as well as paradoxes. In general an interesting and fun book.

After I read "The Power" by James Mills [which I ordered from Amazon], I wanted to try to understand higher concepts that were a backdrop of the story; concepts such as quantum physics, the fourth dimension, plasma, holograms.

I didn't get very far into "The Fourth Dimension." It was just like math textbooks explanations of how to solve problems. When somebody explains it to me: one step or more has been omitted because it was assumed that it was known or understood.

Then I went back and read "The Fourth Dimension" an Amazon customer review" It advised Rucker's "Geometry, Relativity and the Fourth Dimension," was easier to understand.

This book is very informative and educational and will provide insights into higher dimensional spaces not only to the layman, but to researchers hoping to get a better feel for the subject. Pictures help greatly in visualising the ideas and questions (with answers) at the end of each chapter test the readers understanding.

Rudy Rucker's The Fourth Dimension... is an excellent introduction to concepts of multi dimensions. His book is a popular account of higher dimensions which maintains a mathematical basis for his ideas throughout. At the same time, he explores how perception and metaphysics extend our understanding of reality. The book is readable using wit and humor in many instances to clarify concepts and make them palatable. Many of the ideas are presented through analogy. For example, when discussing properties of the fourth dimension in contrast to the third, he uses comparisons between the second and third dimensions as metaphors for the third and fourth. The book is divided into three sections which includes puzzles, and answers to them. He also includes discussions of spacetime, the block universe (the image of spacetime being created all at once) and the idea that the passage of time is an illusion as exemplified in Einstein's special theory of relativity. His language can be evocative at times: "The simple process of eating and and breathing weave all of us together into a vast four-dimensional tapestry...I find this insight a great comfort. Instead of thinking of myself as a decaying bag of meat, I can think of myself as a part of eternal spacetime." This is one of the books which was quite influential for my own book: Parallel Worlds: Paintings and Drawings as Metaphors for Ideas in Art and Science. If you like Rudy Rucker's book, you may like my book which is also available on Amazon. Here is the URL for more information on my Parallel Worlds: Paintings and Drawings as Metaphors for Ideas in Art and Science book: [...]