Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger, Volume II: Down To Earth [Paperback]

Robert Anton Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2009

While this, the second volume of the Cosmic Trigger trilogy, continues along the path set by the original Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati, it also stands solidly on its own. Any reader with an open mind and a sense of humor cannot help but be entertained and enlightened while following Wilson's explorations into such subjects as the future of cyberspace; the peculiarities of Irish jurisprudence; links among the Mafia, the CIA and the Catholic Church; anal-eroticism in The White House; the Dog Castrator of Palm Springs; and many more observations from his infinitely fertile brain.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A 21st Century Renaissance Man funny, wise and optimistic the Lenny Bruce of philosophers.-- Denver Post "A Super-Genius He has written everything I was afraid to write." -- Dr. John Lilly "Dazzling the most thrilling tilt-a-whirls and daring loop-o-planes on the midway of higher consciousness." -- Tom Robbins author of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues "One of the funniest, most incisive social critics around, and with a positive bent, thank Goddess."-- Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade -- Author Reviews

Hilarious, multi-dimensional. A laugh a paragraph. -- The Los Angeles Times

The Lenny Bruce of philosophers. -- The Denver Post

Wilson is a Quantum leap. -- Israel Regardie, author of "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic"

About the Author

Robert Anton Wilson was the co-author (with Robert Shea) of the underground classic the "Illuminatus!" trilogy, which won the 1986 Prometheus Hall of Fame Award. His other writings include the "Schrodinger's Cat" trilogy, called "the most scientific of all science fiction novels" by New Scientist, and many non-fiction works of Futurist psychology and guerrilla ontology. Wilson, who saw himself as a Futurist, author, and stand-up comic, regularly gave seminars at Esalan and other New Age centers. Wilson made both a comedy record (Secrets of Power), and a punk rock record (The Chocolate Biscuit Conspiracy), and his play, "Wilhelm Reich in Hell," has been performed throughout the world. His novel, "Illuminatus!," was adapted as a 10-hour science fiction rock epic and performed under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Great Britain's National Theatre, where Wilson appeared in a special cameo role. He was also a former editor at Playboy magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: New Falcon Publications; 1St Edition edition (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561840114
• ISBN-13: 978-1561840113
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ever wonder where conspiracies come from?, April 22, 2002

By 

Benjamin Miraski "fxdirect" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger, Volume II: Down To Earth (Paperback)

Building on the revelations that Robert Anton Wilson reveals in his first book of this series, Wilson hits a home run with the second book. The writing becomes clearer and Wilson does an excellent job of intertwining at least 5 story lines at once. One of these lines is an autobiographical tale which may help a slighty confused reader of the first book to truly understand the changes that occurred in RAW from his experimentation.

Along the way, the book dives deep into the Mafia, the CIA, the Vatican, the Masons and a host of other topics. Wilson expertly describes his voyage through uncovering a vast web of a conspiracy that unfolds right in front of him. Wilson is a master of his craft and a leading thinker in the psychological space. This book is by far the best of the series and stands alone quite well. For a reader new to Wilson, this is a good starting point. For a fan, this is definitely a must have.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A genuine genius at his best, March 6, 2001

By 

Tim Burness (Brighton, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger, Volume II: Down To Earth (Paperback)

For anyone new to the genius of Robert Anton Wilson, stand by for something very different! This is more factual and less occult than Cosmic Trigger I, and more easily understood than Cosmic Trigger III. For me, Wilson gets the balance just right in this one.

Cosmic Trigger II is semi-autobiographical, presented mainly in short sections of one or two pages which can mostly be read separately from each other. It is a good book for opening up at random now and again, and pondering on one of these short chapters. You might get some sobering observations on the human condition, or a bit of enlightenment and a really good laugh! There are also however, many interconnecting themes running throughout the book. Along the way, just about every belief system in human experience is called into question. A whole range of political, religious, scientific, and philosophical points of view are embraced and/or seriously challenged, not to mention the mechanical thought patterns of the reader as well. By continually shifting his and your perception, Wilson gets you to WAKE UP!

A brief selection from the table of contents might give newcomers at least some idea of the range of this book: A Sociological Horoscope, Attack of the Killer Spider, Cosmic Economics, The Square Root of Minus One and Other Mysteries. The author suggests that the important lesson of Cosmic Trigger II can be summed up as follows: "1. Never believe totally in anybody else's Belief System. 2. Never believe totally in your own Belief System." Excellent. Read this book and free your mind!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information Double, December 2, 1999

By 

rareoopdvds (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger, Volume II: Down To Earth (Paperback)

This book of Information Doubling is appropriate in that he backtracks to Cosmic Trigger 1, also leading to new experiences which is a compilation of small stories dealing with the life and times of the author. Continuing forward, R.A. Wilson argues Science and its theories as a contradictory logic, discovers Korzypiski and Non-Aristotilean Logic as a means of not only changing reality, but also seeing reality as it is. A step away from Sirius, and 23's (although minute references are made, this volume focuses on Earthly problems of secret societies, from Roberto Calvi, Vatican Bank, and Joanne Hayes, as well as murders and suicides that are much bigger than at first sight. Wilson covers lots of ground here and doubles the information from the first page to the final page.