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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful Ontological Pocket Guide Definitely Worth Reading, August 25, 2008
I recently had a chance to read Unity, an ontological/metaphysical work written by an author going only as Apelles. I should actually say I read it several times, as this book tries to tackle life's toughest questions (the concepts of existence and how everything came to be) in an extremely concise manner. Unity is actually more of a pamphlet than a book, which to some people will seem disappointing or lacking while to others it will read as a nice relief from the usually exhaustingly involved and lengthy works on similar topics.
I thought Unity needed a review, though honestly this is a very difficult work to critique, as I think such a complex topic will inspire an entire range of predisposed opinions from readers that may overshadow the fact that this is a beautifully written book and that the author is clearly very passionate about this topic. It's nice to see someone actually attempt the impossible and manage to create a nice piece of literature in the process, but having said that I'm not sure that this work will convert those who fundamentally disagree with the author's opinion that there indeed must be some sort of "Creator". However, that's certainly not to say that the non-believers won't get anything out of this book.
I believe Unity is more or less intended for the lay man (but definitely worthwhile for those familiar with ontology as well), though as I said earlier it will require at least several reads, and you have to keep an open mind/vocabulary when taking it all in.
For what it's worth I'm glad to have read this book and have it as part of my collection, even if it's hard to pinpoint exactly why. I can't say that it's like anything I've ever read before, and I think a lot of people, if you've ever heard of ontology or not, can benefit from some of the wisdom contained within.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent little book!, August 21, 2008
What is existence? What does it mean to be a "thing"? What do all things have in common?
These are the kinds of metaphysical questions that this impressive little book attempts to answer. I say it is impressive because it is remarkably consistent and complete in its treatment of "thingness", while at the same time remaining impossibly concise.
Somewhat against convention, the author has gone to great pains to keep the book short. This is clear not only from the magnitude of ideas and the level of order worked into the text, but also from the semi-poetic prose most of the book is written in. There's a lot packed into a little bit of space, and it can be read several times (and probably should be) without becoming tedious.
Parts of the book can be difficult (impossible?) to understand. The level of thought is quite deep, and there are many philosophical references that are likely to fly below the radar of the average layperson. Hopefully there will be a footnoted edition out in the future.
All in all, however, this is a provocative and very insightful piece. I think you will get out of it as much as you are willing to put into it, and it will be interesting to see what others have to say once some more reviews are posted.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read this book, September 16, 2008
This book is one of a kind--I've never read anything quite like it. It has philosophical, poetical, and at times mathematical elements, but it's none of those things simply speaking. Think of it as very high-level mental exercise. It challenges the reader's mind with rich and thoughtful insights, with a unique style that keeps one constantly engaged. Some parts are very dense and require time to digest, but the point of this work is clearly to get people thinking about deep questions rather than feeding them long-winded answers. Overall, a unique and thought-provoking work. Highly recommended.
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