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Title: God and the Evolving Universe: The Next Step in Personal Evolution by James Redfield, Michael Murphy, Sylvia Timbers, Chris Ryan ISBN: 1-56511-641-0 Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks Pub. Date: January, 2002 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 4 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.94 (16 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Distortedly Simplistic...Good Intentions...But Nothing New
Comment: It is Redfield's genuine sense of optimism that makes me pick up his books and read them. There is something contagious about a positive outlook on life and spirituality. But I have never read a book by him that did not go miles beyond naive in its treatment of religion/spirituality.
Redfield and his associates have loaded a plate for us at the salad bar of religious and philosophical syncretism. They have put some good things there. But the nutritional balance is suspect. Moreover, like mixing chemicals pulled randomly from under the kitchen sink, the resulting combination may be volatile.
My biggest complaint against this book is its willingness to 'spin' religious and philosophical 'developments' so that they fit neatly into their spiritual evolution paradigm. No matter that their notions run cross-currents with the larger context within which many of these religious and philosophical ideas have developed. It reminds me of a kind of inter-religious proof-texting, whereby religious leaders of the ages are all pointing in the direction in which the authors want us to go. But this is NOT where many of the thinkers and religious leaders of the past suggested we go.
Also disturbing is the book's over-simplification of ideas concerning evolution. While the authors deny that they do so, the book is built on the assumption of a linear trajectory that is not well attested by history or science. While I normally spend a lot of time criticizing Post-Modern thinkers, it might be wise for Redfield and company to take some of their critiques seriously and realize that the universe is not a 'just add water and stir' kind of place.
In truth, this is a digested cut and paste book glued together with wishful thinking.
Honestly, though, I think it is done with the best of intentions. And I will undoubtedly pick up Redfield's next book and read it, too.
Lastly, I would caution the reader that there is basically nothing new here. If you have read New Age books before, you have read this one. The strongest part of the book is the annotated bibliography (for which I commend the authors). Again, I don't agree with their interpretation of what they have read, but they are reading a lot of interesting things. To repeat...I can't help but feel good feelings for the authors. But this book leaves a lot to be desired.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wanton Prophecy
Comment: This book is definitely a leap above the Celestine Prophecy. I like the central theory that peoples are encroching on a awareness of enlightenment. That however is the only misnomer of this book. I believe this is thought due to the intelligent life in the USA, however James is obviously not aware of world mental status. Many nations are in fact moving away from James theory, for example the middle east is reinforcing its traditional religious bonds forsaking evolutionary thought at the spiritual or individual level. I would love to agree with the authors, if I could then this book would be real, but it is not, it is hopeful that the world will wake up, I hope so to, we need more authors like this to enlighten those who are in fact slowing the evolutionary process. Example: September 11th 2001.
I highly recommend a extraordinary book that is real and enlightening, for both world and mental peace, an unpredjudiced write, SB 1 or God by Karl Mark Maddox.
Rating: 1
Summary: Neocon New Ageism - Puritan rewrite of human history
Comment: The Chapter "History of Human Awakening" includes mention of nearly every philosopher from Buddha onward. There are Plato, Freud, Jung, Rank and even an account of UFOs, ghost and poltergeiests.
But, in the fantasy world of Redfield and Murphy, no human being ever ingested any substance for the purpose of understanding consciousness. Therefore, Louis Lewin, Aldous Huxley, Carlos Casteneda. Ram Dass and certainly Timothy Leary never existed. The psychedelic sixties never happened, according to Redfield and Murphy.
This book tries to pass off neo-Puritanism as scholarship. Like much current thought, it is in complete denial of human history and human nature. This book is of interest as a striking example of drug war media control. How you talk about spirituality in the past half-century without a mention of entheogens, which drove the greatest spiritual awakening since the Transcendental 1840s?
This is a very strange denial pattern for authors who come from those Esalen days back in the sixties when stuff happened they apparently don't want to remember. There is no credibility for authors who can't present a complete and accurate account of their own history, let alone any pretense of covering "Human Evolution."
If they want to move people beyond drugs, then they need to start with some kind of truth about history. But no, there is not a single mention of any drug in their survey of "evolution," even when they report on Hinduism, Sufism, Taoism and other entheogen-using religions.
This phony and pretentious book isn't about an "Evolving Universe." It's about drug war politics and 12-step ideology. All it really has to say is "Just Say No."
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Title: Tenth Sight: Holding the Vision by James Redfield ISBN: 0446674575 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1998 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Secret of Shambhala : In Search of the Eleventh Insight by James Redfield ISBN: 0446523089 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Celestine Vision: Living the New Spiritual Awareness by James Redfield ISBN: 0446675237 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.99 |
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Title: Celestine Prophecy, The by James Redfield ISBN: 0446671002 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 1995 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Purpose of Your Life : Finding Your Place In The World Using Synchronicity, Intuition, And Uncommon Sense by Carol Adrienne, James Redfield ISBN: 0688166253 Publisher: Quill Pub. Date: 07 April, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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