Amazon.com: Planetary Mind (9781878448644): Arne Wyller: Books

Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$4.06 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Planetary Mind
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Planetary Mind [Hardcover]

Arne Wyller (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Price: $24.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want it delivered Monday, February 27? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Textbook Student FREE Two-Day Shipping for students on millions of items. Learn more


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Darwin's controversial theory of evolution has, for the most part, been accepted by academia and by society at large. Arne Wyller argues that life has developed far too quickly and that human knowledge is far too advanced for evolution to depend upon natural selection. Resisting the implications that the universe is a meaningless series of natural accidents, Wyller shows not only the error of the thinking that has influenced every commercial and institutional facet of our lives, but also explains how a belief in a guided and principled universe changes our ideas of human determinism, free will, and the role of humankind in the global and cosmic communities.

From Booklist

Astrophysicist Wyller presents a bold and intriguing hypothesis that seeks to connect spirit and matter and expand the conceptual structure of our all-too-limited theory of evolution. He calls his concept the "Planetary Mind Field," which he postulates as a possible approach to answering a key question: How could the vast amount of information contained within the genetic code of complex organisms have evolved purely by chance and natural selection? There just hasn't been enough time for the random generation of such miracles as the human eye and brain, two organs Wyller analyzes at length. He gets creative and positively mystical as he moves from "hard" science to philosophy, quoting from sources as diverse as Aristotle, Einstein, Strindberg, C. S. Lewis, Darwin, and Jung to support his belief in the existence of some sort of cosmic intelligence behind the workings of our "conscious" universe. The implications of this vision are enormous and quite compelling, and Wyller isn't alone in his quest for a new paradigm for comprehending the mysteries of life. Clearly, we have a lot to learn, maybe even to remember. Donna Seaman

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 268 pages
  • Publisher: MacAdam/Cage (December 13, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1878448641
  • ISBN-13: 978-1878448644
  • Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,591,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A mind of its own, January 27, 2002
This review is from: Planetary Mind (Hardcover)
Darwin's theory of evolution is hamstrung by its reductionist cast into positing theories of 'local action' with a mechanical metaphor. And yet a theory of global action, in a biospheric and mathematical sense, seems to haunt the data of evolution. Although it enters dangerous terrain, this work, by a qualified astrophysicist, embarks on this quest for the planetary and non-local factors in the evolution of life. Although I am wary of this kind of thinking, if only because it is hard to be exact, this work is so elegantly done, both as a critique of Darwinism, and an exposition of the Bergsonian theme, that it must stand guard on the genre, too liable to New Age confusions.
The problem is that what we suspect is not quite what we can demonstrate. However this wariness does not do justice to the importance of this perspective which must endure exile in a stone kingdom of positivist evolutionary trilobites.
In any case, the nicely illustrated presentation comprehensively covers the difficulties of Darwinian selection, the statistical problems pointed to by Hoyle and others, the strengths and limitations of theories of self-organization such as those of S. Kauffman, with a brief introduction to the ideas of Bergson and Whitehead.
A look at the history of philosophy will demonstrate a curious 'what happens then...' as far as the argument by design, pantheism, reductionism, and natural law is concerned. This concealed prophecy of the philosophers who skidded between the Spinozas, Kants, Hegels, before the Darwins will alert at least one of the three little piggies to warn the other two, and commence a quiet enquiry in this direction. The rest will soon follow, no doubt...
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject