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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Thesis - A Bit Inaccessible, February 14, 2001
This review is from: Myth of Invariance: The Origin of the Gods, Mathematics and Music from the RG Veda to Plato (Paperback)
McClain begins with the interesting thesis: for "ancient" civilizations music was a science through which the intersection between this world and the divine could be expressed and understood. The invariability (or permanence) of music standing in sharp contrast to the impermanence of the world. In this context music is properly understood as an expression of and the motive for mathematical study. The "key" to unlocking this science comes from a study of the mathematical relationships between various musical notes. McClain analyzes the Rg Veda, Babylonian, Greek (Plato), and New Testatment (Revelations) using this key, along with ancient definitions of numbers as "male", "female". The point here being that this "Pythagorean" analysis was fairly common and underlies much of literature of these and other cultures. While McClain's analysis alone is worth at least a "4", I have given this book a lower grade. The analysis is very detailed and heavily dependent on a knowledge of music, scales, etc. I found it difficult to follow in many parts. The book's intended audience seems not to be the general public (like me) but rather a more learned audience. My guess is that this work either is his Ph D thesis or was based on it. It's a pity that the work is not more accessible. For those with an appropriate background, the book will yield a great deal more than I was able to wring from it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ernest G. McClain's The Myth of Invariance, March 21, 2006
This review is from: Myth of Invariance: The Origin of the Gods, Mathematics and Music from the RG Veda to Plato (Paperback)
I must begin by stating that I have known Ernest G. McClain personally for 13 years, and that I have been reading his books and papers for over 26 years. While I am clearly biased in my opinion of him and his work I feel, nevertheless, that my personal contact with him has given me a certain edge over those who may have read his books but who don't know him. His work delves into the lost connections between the musical/mathematical/cosmological theories of the ancient world and the philosophies of the ancient Greeks, the ancient Hebrews, the ancient Hindus, and the ancient Babylonians. In our modern world we use our highest technology to find a unified field "theory of everything". The ancients were no different, except that they used their highest technology to find a "theory of everything" that was based on musical tuning, an ancient sort of "string theory". Make no mistake. McClain's books can be hard to follow, but that's not surprising: his material has been out of date for 2500 years. The Dutch-Canadian musicologist Siemen Terpstra read The Myth of Invariance (MoI) from cover to cover three times before he felt that he understood it. I've found that the rewards can make it worth it. The Torah holds hidden insights, references, and bawdy jokes which Ernest has only recently, at age 87, brought to light. Read the MoI, read The Pythagorean Plato, then get on the Internet, Google BIBAL (sic), and read the works of Ernie's colleagues. You won't be disappointed, you'll be among the avant guard.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't really rate this, October 15, 2010
This review is from: Myth of Invariance: The Origin of the Gods, Mathematics and Music from the RG Veda to Plato (Paperback)
The book is EXTREMELY profound. I studied it at length for two years. Made charts, diagrams, a monochord, and even taught a mini course. I received my Masters Degree in Music Theory. All this being the case, I must say, that frustratingly, the Myth of Invariance is one of the most inaccessible books I have ever read ("read" is perhaps not the write word - maybe more like unpacked with the aid of a jackhammer). The mathematical/musical subtlety packed into each sentence requires INTENSE unpacking and study: Babylonian mathematics, logarithms, Ancient Greek tuning theory, reciprocity, "Vedic Lattice Methodogy", astronomical concepts, etc, and all compressed way down: a sentence about this, a sentence about that, a connection to this, that and the other thing all within a paragraph. McClain assumes way too much by way of the reader's prior knowledge, much less trying to follow his stream of consciousness. It's like McClain is sharing a great secret but only provides a skeleton with all other organs implied or hinted at. For me it is a frustrating paradox - a brilliant thesis, yet nearly completely inaccessible (interestingly, McClain refers to Hamlet's Mill, the only other book I would deem equally brilliant, and equally inaccessible!). I cannot rate this book really.
I remember when Stphen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" was published, and suffered the same problem...brilliant man, bad writer. There was a subsequent book written by another author interpreting Hawking's book. It was well written and really helped. This is what McClain's study REALLY needs - an interpreter. I had studied it back in the 80's, actually attained some mastery but am far too lazy, and have forgotten much of it.
The Myth of Invariance is a work of genius, and will unfortunately remain obscure simply due to its presentation.
loved it...hated it...loved it...
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