The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems [Hardcover]

Fritjof Capra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

The vitality and accessibility of Fritjof Capra's ideas have made him perhaps the most eloquent spokesperson of the latest findings emerging at the frontiers of scientific, social, and philosophical thought. In his international bestsellers The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, he juxtaposed physics and mysticism to define a new vision of reality. In The Web of Life, Capra takes yet another giant step, setting forth a new scientific language to describe interrelationships and interdependence of psychological, biological, physical, social, and cultural phenomena--the "web of life."



During the past twenty-five years, scientists have challenged conventional views of evolution and the organization of living systems and have developed new theories with revolutionary philosophical and social implications. Fritjof Capra has been at the forefront of this revolution. In The Web of Life, Capra offers a brilliant synthesis of such recent scientific breakthroughs as the theory of complexity, Gaia theory, chaos theory, and other explanations of the properties of organisms, social systems, and ecosystems. Capra's surprising findings stand in stark contrast to accepted paradigms of mechanism and Darwinism and provide an extraordinary new foundation for ecological policies that will allow us to build and sustain communities without diminishing the opportunities for future generations.



Now available in paperback for the first time, The Web of Life is cutting-edge science writing in the tradition of James Gleick's Chaos, Gregory Bateson's Mind and Matter, and Ilya Prigogine's Order Out of Chaos.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his bestsellers, The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, physicist Capra charted a paradigm shift from a mechanistic to an ecological worldview. In his new book, a rewarding synthesis that will challenge serious readers, he claims that a comprehensive theory of living systems is now emerging. Applicable to cells, chemical structures, people, ecosystems and social systems, such a theory flows from deep ecology (which assumes humanity's embeddedness in nature's processes), systems thinking and the new mathematics of complexity. Capra identifies a pattern of organization common to all living systems, characterized by internal feedback loops and self-organizing behavior. His own theorizing builds upon the work of important scientists, including American microbiologist Lynn Margulis and British atmospheric chemist James Lovelock, the co-founders of the Gaia hypothesis, who see planet Earth as a living, self-regulating organism. Capra also draws from the work of Chilean neuroscientists Francisco Varela and Humberto Maturana, whose theory of autopoiesis ("self-making") defines organisms as "network patterns" whose components continually transform one another. Extrapolating from ecosystems research, he sets forth guidelines for building sustainable human communities based on interdependence, cyclical flow of resources, partnership and conflict resolution. Illustrated.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In previous books (The Tao of Physics, Shambhala, 1991; Belonging to the Universe, LJ 2/1/92), Capra was never timid about expounding grand, scientific/philosophical theories of the physical universe. Now, he offers this sweeping discourse on the life sciences. Incorporating elements from such contemporary schools of thought as the Gaia hypothesis, deep ecology, complexity theory, systems theory, and even eco-feminism, Capra herein pronounces a new synthesis that integrates all into a single conceptual context. Many of these ideas are still being developed, though, and many disputes remain unresolved. Advocates will find Capra's theories intellectually and spiritually satisfying. Others will quibble; some will rage. For this to become a true synthesis, it must gain consensus, which will be difficult. Regardless, this book is breathtakingly ambitious and certain to generate response. Public and academic libraries will need it.?Gregg Sapp, Univ. of Miami Lib., Coral Gables, Fla.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 347 pages
• Publisher: Anchor Books/Doubleday; 1st edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385476752
• ISBN-13: 978-0385476751
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,028,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars scientific justification for web surfing adicts, January 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems (Hardcover)

Frijtof Capra has made a literary career out of bridging previously polarized points of view. The Web of Life raises the concepts in The Tao of Physics to another quantum level. Profound not only in its understanding of 20th century science and the paradigm shift implied by systems theory, this book has social, political and even spiritual ramifications that challenge many of our most comfortable presumptions about "the real world." Offering the architecture of the web as a replacement for linear thinking, the book leads us through important examples to the revolutionary conclusions

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful introduction to systems thinking, February 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems (Hardcover)

I was delighted by the initial sections of the book - the first time I have seen 'systems thinking' properly defined, and also a very useful sketch of the historical development of these ideas. I will therefore be recommending it to my students - it really is a useful book. But do I agree with it? I think the whole thesis falls down in the application to ecosystems; here the evidence gets really shaky and I wasn't convinced.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable., May 31, 2007

By 

milo dunbar (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems (Audio Cassette)

This is a wonderful book. In his recent books Capra has marvelously introduced us to thought, and work, that are generally disparate in the public mind. His narrative, while addressing complex material, is exceedingly easy to read and to grasp. All of us "bring forth" broader personal horizons from engaging his books. Thanks Professor Capra.

In his own book Leon Lederman---who won a Nobel Prize in physics---rebuked Capra for having the temerity to suggest a connection between physics and eastern mysticism-----an amazing arrogance in view of Lederman's book title: "The God Particle". Anyone who has read both authors will recall Lederman's flashing egotism, as against the virtual absence of ego in Capra's writing. Clearly Capra's mind has ventured into realms that Lederman has yet to even imagine.

If you are curious about the nature, mechanisms, and "reach" of life, and about those who endeavor in this search, THE WEB OF LIFE (and THE TAO OF PHYSICS) will fascinate you.