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bean_season's review against another edition
Another reductionist, but I did learn some and it was a pleasure to read for the most part. And as he said: "Deep mysteries call for clarity delivered through a collection of nested stories. Whether reductionist or emergent, whether mathematical or figurative, whether scientific or poetic, we piece together the richest understanding by approaching questions from a range of different perspectives."
My favorite bit (my transcription from audio, so apologies for errors): "Experiences that fully lock our attention and spark emotional responses we value even in the absence (or, perhaps because of the absence) of a fully rational or linguistic description. What's curious, although likely common, is that while my process is thoroughly language-based, I feel no urge to explore these experiences in words. When I think of them, I feel no lack of understanding calling out for linguistic clarification. They expand my world without need for interpretation. These are the times when my inner narrator knows it's time to take a break. An examined life need not be an articulated life.
"The most arresting art can induce in us rarified states of mind and body comprable to those produced by our most affecting real-world encounters, similarly molding and enhancing our engagement with truth. Discussion, analysis, and interpretation can further shape these experiences, but the most potent do not rely on a linguistic intermediary. Indeed, even for language-based arts, it is the imagery and sensations that in the most moving experiences leave the most lasting mark. As elegantly described by poet Jane Hirshfield, 'When a writer brings into language a new image that is fully right, what is knowable of existence expands.' Nobel laureate Saul Bellow speaks, too, to our singular capacity for expanding the knowable: 'Only art penetrates what pride, passion, intelligence, and habit erect around all sides: The seeming realities of this world. There's another reality, the genuine one, which we lose sight of. This other reality's always sending us hints which without art we can't recieve. And without that other reality,' Bellow notes, channeling thoughts set down by Proust, 'existence is reduced to terminology for practical ends which we falsely call life.'"
[Edit to add that I had heard of Saul Bellow but was unfamiliar with his political views. He proudly attended a counterprotest of the Vietnam war and Studs Terkel wrote him a letter saying he didn't like that. Terkel said: "He wrote me a letter back. He called me a Stalinist. But otherwise, we were friendly. He was a brilliant writer, of course. I love Seize the Day."
My favorite bit (my transcription from audio, so apologies for errors): "Experiences that fully lock our attention and spark emotional responses we value even in the absence (or, perhaps because of the absence) of a fully rational or linguistic description. What's curious, although likely common, is that while my process is thoroughly language-based, I feel no urge to explore these experiences in words. When I think of them, I feel no lack of understanding calling out for linguistic clarification. They expand my world without need for interpretation. These are the times when my inner narrator knows it's time to take a break. An examined life need not be an articulated life.
"The most arresting art can induce in us rarified states of mind and body comprable to those produced by our most affecting real-world encounters, similarly molding and enhancing our engagement with truth. Discussion, analysis, and interpretation can further shape these experiences, but the most potent do not rely on a linguistic intermediary. Indeed, even for language-based arts, it is the imagery and sensations that in the most moving experiences leave the most lasting mark. As elegantly described by poet Jane Hirshfield, 'When a writer brings into language a new image that is fully right, what is knowable of existence expands.' Nobel laureate Saul Bellow speaks, too, to our singular capacity for expanding the knowable: 'Only art penetrates what pride, passion, intelligence, and habit erect around all sides: The seeming realities of this world. There's another reality, the genuine one, which we lose sight of. This other reality's always sending us hints which without art we can't recieve. And without that other reality,' Bellow notes, channeling thoughts set down by Proust, 'existence is reduced to terminology for practical ends which we falsely call life.'"
[Edit to add that I had heard of Saul Bellow but was unfamiliar with his political views. He proudly attended a counterprotest of the Vietnam war and Studs Terkel wrote him a letter saying he didn't like that. Terkel said: "He wrote me a letter back. He called me a Stalinist. But otherwise, we were friendly. He was a brilliant writer, of course. I love Seize the Day."
siobhanward's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.0
NYT Notable Books 2020: 26/100
This was a dense read. I thought going in it was going to be a lot more of a philosophy book, and at times it was, but it also had a very hefty physics component. I definitely know a lot more about entropy now than I ever did before! Greene did a solid job of balancing information with explanations. As someone with zero physics knowledge and very little philosophy knowledge, Greene managed to create a narrative that I was able follow (for the most part) while hopefully still engaging folks with a bit more knowledge than me.
This was a dense read. I thought going in it was going to be a lot more of a philosophy book, and at times it was, but it also had a very hefty physics component. I definitely know a lot more about entropy now than I ever did before! Greene did a solid job of balancing information with explanations. As someone with zero physics knowledge and very little philosophy knowledge, Greene managed to create a narrative that I was able follow (for the most part) while hopefully still engaging folks with a bit more knowledge than me.
dinsdale's review
4.0
I know Brian Greene from is guest appearances on the Star Talk podcast. He comes across as interesting and affable and I really enjoyed his latest book.
Greene touches on a plethora of science topics in this book and crams a whole lot in to the 325 pages of text. The book also contains 57 pages of notes if you really want to take a deep dive in to some of the subjects he covers. There is also an extensive bibliography, the author really did his research for this book.
This is sort of a high-level history of the universe, from the big bang to the nuances of the modern human condition, and is written in a more accessible manner than comparable books written by other scientists I've read. Greene has a way of explaining complex hard science topics to common folks like myself without hurting our brains too much, in most cases anyway. He throws some anecdotes in here and there so further explain and illustrate some of his points as well.
The chapters that stood out me were Brains and Belief, and Instinct and Creativity. The former was about how and why humanity developed certain beliefs such as religion and the latter was about the development of the arts and I really related to the music parts. I also liked his take on free will. although I've read deeper explanations from Dan Barker and Sam Harris, his concise explanation against free will made its point.
Some of the deeper cosmological and quantum mechanical ideas went in to my brain and didn't quite register. It's just hard for me to grasp the complexity of these subjects, I'm glad there are smart people out there who understand how the universe works fundamentally.
Overall, I thought this was a good read. Very interesting, not too long, and not too hard to understand, most of it anyway.
Greene touches on a plethora of science topics in this book and crams a whole lot in to the 325 pages of text. The book also contains 57 pages of notes if you really want to take a deep dive in to some of the subjects he covers. There is also an extensive bibliography, the author really did his research for this book.
This is sort of a high-level history of the universe, from the big bang to the nuances of the modern human condition, and is written in a more accessible manner than comparable books written by other scientists I've read. Greene has a way of explaining complex hard science topics to common folks like myself without hurting our brains too much, in most cases anyway. He throws some anecdotes in here and there so further explain and illustrate some of his points as well.
The chapters that stood out me were Brains and Belief, and Instinct and Creativity. The former was about how and why humanity developed certain beliefs such as religion and the latter was about the development of the arts and I really related to the music parts. I also liked his take on free will. although I've read deeper explanations from Dan Barker and Sam Harris, his concise explanation against free will made its point.
Some of the deeper cosmological and quantum mechanical ideas went in to my brain and didn't quite register. It's just hard for me to grasp the complexity of these subjects, I'm glad there are smart people out there who understand how the universe works fundamentally.
Overall, I thought this was a good read. Very interesting, not too long, and not too hard to understand, most of it anyway.
kenreid's review against another edition
4.0
Wasn't sure at first but really began to enjoy it from chapter 2.
harrisjt's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
hjswinford's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure exactly what I expected from this book, but the book I read was very different from my vague expectations. There was far less actual physics than I anticipated, which isn't necessarily bad, but it was different. I found it difficult to focus on the ebook as I was reading it, but found the audiobook a very helpful addition to my attempt to consume this very wide-reaching book. The scope of what Greene discusses is huge. Like, difficult to wrap one's mind around huge. And while there was a lot of really interesting metaphors and discussions along the way, I felt rather underwhelmed. I really enjoyed his book Fabric of the Cosmos and came away from that feeling like I'd learned and my brain was churning. I didn't have that feeling from this book. I'm still glad I read it, though, and once I switched to the audiobook for easier digestion, it went a lot more smoothly.
nikolai_k's review against another edition
2.0
At some point, I was afraid it will literally go on until the end of time, but, thankfully, it finally collapsed upon itself. With a whimper.
josiahrichardson's review against another edition
4.0
Very good. Greene talks about a little bit of everything. And, not being out of character for Greene's books, it is filled with mostly interesting and observant takes with some gobbledygook mixed in. I forget whether Greene would call himself an atheist or an agnostic, though he sounded like the latter quite a bit. But it was interesting to read such an intelligent guy who denies the triune God (let alone any other higher power) try to wade through the ideas of meaning and ultimate purpose. He sank deep and fast, but it was a short and valiant effort.
shodank's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
ryodragon20's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.0