A fascinating—if not particularly convincing—theory of everything.
A debut author blends science and philosophy in this metaphysical reconceptualization of the universe.
“Since the dawn of human history,” writes Vaessen in the book’s opening lines, “mankind has been consumed by an insatiable curiosity to understand the very fabric of existence.” In this exploration of the ubiquitous questions asked by humanity across time and culture (“Why are we here? What is the origin and purpose of life?”), the author begins with an analysis of religion, noting that since the rise of organized civilization, humans have tended to answer these questions with the existence of a deity. First looking at religion through a philosophical lens (for example, cosmological and teleological arguments for the existence of a divine being), Vaessen also includes scientific scrutiny of spiritual systems and considers the failure of empirical evidence to provide insight into the existence of God. Taking a broad view of spiritualism beyond the conventional Abrahamic religions focused on by the West, the author argues that “The Golden Rule” (or, the ethical maxim to treat others as you would like to be treated) is universal to all religions, as well as secular philosophies like humanism. After his analysis of religion, the author transitions to more scientific topics related to quantum physics, Einstein’s theory of general relativity, and the nature of time itself. Blended with his quantitative, data-driven scientific explanations are metaphysical reflections on how they apply to human life and meaning.
Boldly offering a new “model for the Origin of Everything” that blends scientific data with philosophy, the book suggests that engaging with its ideas could “reshape our perception of the universe.” While this sweeping declaration may be overselling things a bit, the work does offer intellectual fodder for those left frustrated by science’s failure to answer questions about meaning and by traditional religious explanations centered around anthropomorphic deities. Calling his theory “Potentiality-based-Panpsychism” (PBP), Vaessen posits the existence of “two intertwined realms”: the first is traditional spacetime as articulated by Einstein, and the second is an existential state the author calls Non-Spacetime, which transcends the confines of spacetime and the laws of physics. A key aspect of PBP is the positioning of consciousness as the primary force that triggered the Big Bang and spacetime as we know it. This concept is intriguing, and a useful thought experiment; Vaessen urges skeptics to approach PBP with an open mind and invites scientists and philosophers alike to dissect its arguments. It is unlikely that most readers will be convinced, though the author displays an impressive interdisciplinary grasp on both metaphysical philosophy and science and a keen awareness of classical philosophy, world religions, and modern scientific theorems. The text’s engagement with complex scientific and philosophical arguments makes for an occasionally jargon-heavy read, though the more scholarly-minded may be dismayed by a lack of formalized citations and references. Helpful charts, diagrams, and other visual aids are provided throughout the book, and each chapter includes “Key Takeaways” and summaries, which help to mitigate against the more esoteric passages. While his self-aggrandizing claims often ring hollow, Vaessen offers a rare blend of science and philosophy that provides ample avenues for readers to question existing paradigms in an intellectually safe environment.
A fascinating—if not particularly convincing—theory of everything.Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2024
ISBN: 9789090376936
Page Count: 250
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Some of Avant’s mantras are overstated, but her book is magnanimous, inspiring, and relentlessly optimistic.
Memories and life lessons inspired by the author’s mother, who was murdered in 2021.
“Neither my mother nor I knew that her last text to me would be the words ‘Think you’ll be happy,’ ” Avant writes, "but it is fitting that she left me with a mantra for resiliency.” The author, a filmmaker and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, begins her first book on the night she learned her mother, Jacqueline Avant, had been fatally shot during a home invasion. “One of my first thoughts,” she writes, “was, ‘Oh God, please don’t let me hate this man. Give me the strength not to hate him.’ ” Daughter of Clarence Avant, known as the “Black Godfather” due to his work as a pioneering music executive, the author describes growing up “in a house that had a revolving door of famous people,” from Ella Fitzgerald to Muhammad Ali. “I don’t take for granted anything I have achieved in my life as a Black American woman,” writes Avant. “And I recognize my unique upbringing…..I was taught to honor our past and pay forward our fruits.” The book, which is occasionally repetitive, includes tributes to her mother from figures like Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton, but the narrative core is the author’s direct, faith-based, unwaveringly positive messages to readers—e.g., “I don’t want to carry the sadness and anger I have toward the man who did this to my mother…so I’m worshiping God amid the worst storm imaginable”; "Success and feeling good are contagious. I’m all about positive contagious vibrations!” Avant frequently quotes Bible verses, and the bulk of the text reflects the spirit of her daily prayer “that everything is in divine order.” Imploring readers to practice proactive behavior, she writes, “We have to always find the blessing, to be the blessing.”
Some of Avant’s mantras are overstated, but her book is magnanimous, inspiring, and relentlessly optimistic.Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9780063304413
Page Count: 288
Publisher: HarperOne
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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