A PATH TO PERSONAL FREEDOM

Name: A PATH TO PERSONAL FREEDOM
Author: Tim Cross
ISBN: 978-0-9888344-6-0

by Tim Cross ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2016

An ambitious, often intriguing attempt to show how New-Age spirituality reflects the mysteries of physics by an author whose...

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A Texas architect offers his second book, a blend of contemporary physics and New-Age beliefs that abridges his first work on the same topics.

This volume cites some of the amazing and mysterious findings of contemporary physics to facilitate an understanding of spiritual principles and ideas undergirding New-Age beliefs. While this may sound like an arduous undertaking, the Austin author’s engagement with his subject and his ability to write of these complex and demanding issues in clear and appealing prose make for a usually stimulating read. Cross (The Architecture of Freedom, 2014), whose background includes teaching high school physics and being an ecologist, goes beyond the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics to discuss the possibility that there may be many more than four dimensions. But because of limited perceptions, humans can see their experiences only through their own “viewports.” These cannot detect the magnificent scope of seemingly infinite possibilities for personal growth and understanding that align with the truths unveiled by science. Other worlds just like this one may exist: “In this universe, all worlds lie together within a unified, multidimensional soup, where everything is so deeply enfolded that all possible outcomes are instantly adjacent and available.” Cross writes with enthusiasm about the incredible and magical potential of the universe. The author attempts to convert the astounding and difficult-to-grasp insights of physics into New-Age beliefs that in many cases seem to pale in comparison to ideas that constantly challenge common perceptions and convictions about humans’ experiential reality. Cross lays out his argument with lucidity, especially when talking about physics, but he fails to make true rhetorical bridges from the scientific principles he examines to the various New-Age spiritual beliefs he explores. But because his subject matter is so varied, he perhaps prefers to let the reader make the conceptual connections from the evidence he cites. He discusses such topics as Taoism, Buddhism, gnostic Christianity, manifestation, channeling, out-of-body experience, and precognition—a great swath of subjects that he uses to support his thesis.

An ambitious, often intriguing attempt to show how New-Age spirituality reflects the mysteries of physics by an author whose understanding of science and religion underscores his argument.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-9888344-6-0

Page Count: 350

Publisher: One River Press

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2017

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
WHOLE-ING
by Tim Cross

- BOOK REVIEW
The Architecture of Freedom
by Tim Cross

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.