A thoughtful, surprising work on the nature of consciousness.
Richheimer questions our assumptions about the basic structure of the universe in this work blending philosophy, spiritualism, and physics.
What if the world is not made of atoms, as science teaches us, but of consciousness? Richheimer suggests this in his treatise on the ways modern people misunderstand the nature of reality. The materialism of the title refers not to consumerism, of course, but to the concept of literal material: the upward causality theory of reality in which elementary particles form the basis of everything we experience. The alternative, which Richheimer calls spirituality, says just the opposite: “It postulates that consciousness is the ‘ground substance’ of creation and follows ‘top down’ causality since it hypothesizes that consciousness is transformed into cosmic mind and then into the material world.” While spirituality seems almost by definition beyond the purview of science, Richheimer argues that recent developments in quantum mechanics and biology have suggested otherwise. He takes the reader through such mysterious territories as near-death experiences, the mind-body connection, animal instinct, and life after death. By eschewing dogmatism and approaching each topic with an open mind, the author hopes to challenge the reader’s assumptions regarding how the universe really operates. Despite the specialized material, Richheimer’s prose is accessible enough for the general reader to follow: “There is no question that psychedelic drugs can produce many of the same experiences described by mystics,” he writes. “This has led many neuroscientists to label all mystical experiences as a product of abnormal brain chemistry.” The author has a doctorate in chemistry, but the influence of New Age spiritualism suffuses his work. The book is dedicated to the spiritual guru Shrii Shrii Anandamurti—Richheimer’s “spiritual preceptor and guide” and inspiration—and there’s some talk of God. While the premise might alienate some readers, Richheimer approaches his arguments with honesty and curiosity and little preachiness. Those interested in the intersection of spiritualism with contemporary hard science will find him to be a suitable guide: knowledgeable, nonjudgmental, and expansive.
A thoughtful, surprising work on the nature of consciousness.Pub Date: July 15, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 308
Publisher: Innerworld Publications
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasure for fans of old-school historical narratives.
Avuncular observations on matters historical from the late popularizer of the past.
McCullough made a fine career of storytelling his way through past events and the great men (and occasional woman) of long-ago American history. In that regard, to say nothing of his eschewing modern technology in favor of the typewriter (“I love the way the bell rings every time I swing the carriage lever”), he might be thought of as belonging to a past age himself. In this set of occasional pieces, including various speeches and genial essays on what to read and how to write, he strikes a strong tone as an old-fashioned moralist: “Indifference to history isn’t just ignorant, it’s rude,” he thunders. “It’s a form of ingratitude.” There are some charming reminiscences in here. One concerns cajoling his way into a meeting with Arthur Schlesinger in order to pitch a speech to presidential candidate John F. Kennedy: Where Richard Nixon “has no character and no convictions,” he opined, Kennedy “is appealing to our best instincts.” McCullough allows that it wasn’t the strongest of ideas, but Schlesinger told him to write up a speech anyway, and when it got to Kennedy, “he gave a speech in which there was one paragraph that had once sentence written by me.” Some of McCullough’s appreciations here are of writers who are not much read these days, such as Herman Wouk and Paul Horgan; a long piece concerns a president who’s been largely lost in the shuffle too, Harry Truman, whose decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan McCullough defends. At his best here, McCullough uses history as a way to orient thinking about the present, and with luck to good ends: “I am a short-range pessimist and a long-range optimist. I sincerely believe that we may be on the way to a very different and far better time.”
A pleasure for fans of old-school historical narratives.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781668098998
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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