Theory of Everything MP3 CD – Unabridged, August 9, 2016

...maybe especially for a skeptic, which I would consider myself. Having studied under Carl Sagan at Cornell and generally being firmly planted in the rational, I think only an approach like that of Wilbur's could get me entertaining some of the concepts I generally consider to be "out there." The reason is that he very inclusively maps a lot of belief sets and areas of science into an inclusive theory, that makes you know he heard your part of it, but points out there's more over in this other area (stage or quadrant or whatever). By being non-dismissive, he makes a more complete theory. I find myself applying the thinking in my daily life to things like evolutionary product design, organizational structure, etc.The downside for me was writing style. I found Wilbur hard to crack, and it took a month or so of time investment in reading several of his books simultaneously for me to start to get it. Before I got it, I found him complicated and tedious. After I began to understand the general framework, I started finding him a bit repetitive (more in other works than this shorter one). I think this could be a challenging read as an intro course, without either some prior Wilbur or a reasonable grounding in a range of other philosophy/psych reading. I'd recommend either reading Wilbur's History of Everything or maybe "The Essential Wilbur" with this.Nevertheless, this book is amazing, as is Wilbur, for his ability to synthesize so much information from so many fields of study into something so elegant.

Integral Metatheory is a revolutionary and evolutionary way to map everything you think, do, and experience, which can help lead to a fulfilling, balanced, and happier life. This book is just the beginning of what could be a global transformation!

I bought this book because I'd read "A Brief History of Everything." In this book Wilber recaps the underlying theory of "History" and then gets into an overview of how to apply that theory to our world. Candidly, I expected more from this book. But, having read it I don't know what Wilber could have done beyond what he did in this book. What he did was give a brief (too brief) synopsis of how to apply the theory (four quadrant analysis/spiral of evolutionary development) using "integral thinking" to various areas of our civilization such as politics, business, education etc. All of what Wilber has written is fine as far as it goes but seemed to get bogged down in an effort to provide a comprehensive survey of how his theory could be applied to various areas of human endeavor. Perhaps the book would have benefited from a more complete and in depth explication of how the theory could be applied to one or two subject areas instead of inadequately summarizing a wide range incomplete applications. But, it's still well worth the read.

Regarding Ken Wilber's A Theory of Everything, and A Brief History of Everything. Wilber's books are very interesting, in his synthesis of latest thinking from all over the spectrum of knowledge--evolutionary biology, economics, psychology, history, physics, etc., to name a few--and his building a unified framework or world view that is profoundly inclusive of ideas from all of these fields. He is a "mapmaker" of sorts, an abstractionist and pattern-finder, plotting out how things relate in the various spheres of knowledge, and hanging them together in a single richly-textured fabric--of categories, structures, hierarchies and relationships. Everything from religion to evolution to particle physics are fit within the framework. I have some questions about the validity of some of the premises on which he hangs some of his notions, but the quadrant system he presents--and the common patterns he observes in all of these various spheres of knowledge--is quite amazing. It is interesting and thought provoking reading, if you are interested in a synthesis of the latest ideas on how "everything" hangs together (the "theory") and how it has come to be this way (the "history").

The book has some interesting concepts, but they are constantly interrupted by the author's attempt to sell himself time and time again, is like reading with ads

Reading made me feel good everywhere. A part of me was sad to see and acknowledge the wreckage of the Green Meme after such a lovely, heat centered start, yet I still feel inspired, hopeful and, honestly, more understood after reading it—I loved it.

We all start at the beginning. It is not a promising condition. Will we evolve more rapidly in time to save our planet?

This was one of the rare books that I actually took the time to read the introduction. It immediately sparked my interest and I carried onward. Everything that Ken said was exactly what I had been thinking about for the past 2 or 3 years, but up until then, couldn't put my finger on it. His explanation of Spiral Dynamics and how it fits in with the world and the people who occupy it left me speechless. I thought, "wow, this must be accepted by many, if not most psychologists out there", but I was incorrect. This is such a new concept that many people in the psychology/philosophy community dismiss it altogether. I can understand when people question new ideas (and this is natural and encouraged by most logical reasoning standards), but when people outright dismiss it because of it's "new age" approach, that's when the advancement is stifled. Whether or not you agree or lineup with these ideas and notions, you are definitely forced to critically think about you as an individual as well as what makes everyone around you think. So don't just dismiss this book and it's ideas solely because it is new, different, and may go against some of your conceptions. Try it out, and see how it aligns/misaligns with your ideas. You'll be surprised with what you read, and remember, narcissism is a crutch for all human advancement. So start getting integral!

please read this book

Well written & simplified theory for the masses. I’m truly glad I got this book & read it cover to cover.In the latter part of the book, the author is justifying what critics have written of his (many) prior books. This part was a little dry; especially if you just finished the first part of the book & were really hyped about the understanding of the TOE!

I ordered a used book and the one I received was in perfect condition !!

Amazing capture of the most relevant ways to figure out the world and a sensible approach to reach better ways. An absolute recommendation,

excellent, concepts very well explained, definitely expanded my horizon