Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38038 in Books
• Published on: 1983-09-08
• Original language: German
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

About the Author
Fritjof Capra received his PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Vienna and has done research in high-energy physics at several European and American universities. Capra has written and lectured extensively about the philosophical implications of modern science and is author of 'The Tao of Physics', 'The Turning Point' and 'Uncommon Wisdom'. Currently Director of the Centre for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, he lives in Berkeley with his wife and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Finding your Tao
I have no experience of particle physics, being an ordinary lay man not involved with any intellectual mathematics. However Capra's books point to the Buddhist view of contemplating the extremes as "posts" for understanding the relationships to the whole, from the relativistic view of the each observer.. For that I thank deadflower47 from Leeds, for his view and would appreciate further comment from him to enhance my own "enlightenment". Capra's books are clear and easy to understand and have helped me to understand questions I have had with Eastern teachings over the years. However if Physics is not your "Cup of tea" read someone else's experience of enlightenment to find your "Tao".

So that's why I can't Engineer my way out of this mess...
As a graduate Engineer, I had the benefit of a classic reductionist education and instinctively looked for solutions to complex problems in simple "piecemeal" fixes. When my girlfriend Emily (an Environmental Scientist) insisted that I read this book, little did I know that it would set in motion a course of events that would lead to a change of job, outlook and attitude.

Fritjof explained why my work always failed and encouraged my latent interest in the human and systematic elements of complex problems.

Mid-way through a major improvement project, I had to re-evaluate my whole approach and eventaully conceived a comprehensive systemic solution which, unfortunately, went down like a lead brick with my old-school employers who clearly thought I had gone mad when I presented my "holistic plan". Never mind, I left that job and moved into Quality Systems where I found a natural home for an holistic view and have become much more successful in my career.

"The Turning Point" really was just that for me and empowers the reader to look much more clearly at all accepted wisdom with a cynical eye. If you have long suspected that our esteemed scientific community have got it wrong and that wisdom relies on a balanced view of the logical and the intuitive - read it.

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Capra's book tries to tie the concepts of theoretical physics to his view that the world is undergoing a vague ecological and spiritual transformation. The result is a complete swindle and despite the author's Phd he seems to misunderstand some of the basics of quantum physics, twisting them out of shape to present absurd, sensationalist conclusions. Current uncertainty as to the implications of theoretical physics has been exploited to try to justify a ludicrous epistemic free-for-all.