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Summary: An excellent synthesis of very disparate ideas
Review: Wilber is the first person (and a Westerner too) to finally put the many aspects of life into one "format". Unfortunately those still stuck in the age of "Enlightenment" won't understand as they will be forever mired trying to rationalize concepts which barely fit within our abilty to imagine, much less our ability to verbalize.Much like a book on Zen - not much fun, let alone any use, for someone who has never been enlightened but a much different experience for those who are open.
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Summary: A BHoE is a provokative and immensely intelligent book.
Review: I think that Wilber's insight into the state of the world here at the end of this millienium is both daringly accurate and exceptionally important for the future of our world.
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Summary: An aptly named, super-book guaranteed to make/help you think
Review: This is my first Ken Wilber book and I loved it! Reading Ken's work IS work - defintely not for the lesser intellect - but the effort is worth it. This book brought me insight after insight, tracing the evolution of (human) consciousness from primitive hunter-gatherer thru the non-dual, ascended self of post-post-modern practitioners. Although I didn't agree with everything I read, "A Brief History ..." made me question a lot of long held beliefs and filled in some amazing gaps.
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Summary: A book that befuddles
Review: He seeks out a lot of important ground and introduces you to it in his own evangelistic way, inextricably mixing in his many confusions. The innocent who reads this book first will probably struggle to unlearn it for decades.
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Summary: Wilber's world view is logically inconsistent
Review: Wilber is one of the leading pantheistic (or nondual) thinkers of the day. His ability to synthesize vast amounts of material is impressive, as is his literary output. However, his fundamental world view is philosophically inconistent and denies things sane people take to be true. His philosophy of nondualism (or monism) logically entails the elimination of the duality of good and evil. In some places Wilber admits this; in others he assumes the ontologically reality of good and evil. This is contradictory, and therefore, false. There is a thick contradiction at the heart of his worldview. No amount of meditation can dissolve that. Wilber speaks of enlightenment as beyond words and language, but then uses words and language to describe it. This, too, is contradictory, and, therefore, false. And on it goes. He takes the Ultimate or Absolute to be impersonal, thus leaving no philosophical explanation for ourselves as personal beings. For a full review of this book see my essay in The Christian Research Journal (September/Ocotber, 1997), p. 50-51. Douglas Groothuis
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Summary: Marriage of science and spirituality
Review: Ken Wilbur is so brilliant that it is frustrating to read this book. By using complex multi-level models and charts, he is basically saying that we need to bring left brain and right brain, science and theology, creativity and logic, etc. together for a new paradigm. Having advanced through periods where religion dominated our culture followed by science dominating our culture, history suggests we are now ready to face the Millenium by bringing together these formerly unreconcilable areas. I believe this is Wilbur's central message and, indeed, good news for humanity.
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Summary: not bad
Review: I have just finished reading reader's comments and I find it interesting that Ken's biggest detractors on this page have spelled his last name wrong. Not only that, but their spelling in general leaves something to be desired. To be sure what is presented here is no great revelation for any serious student of philosophy- it has been written a thousand times before. But he must be commended on his unique and entertaining way of getting the point across. There is definitely something to be said about his fluency and the clarity of his thoughts. Here is a true scholar. I feel sorry for the readers not able to appreciate the truth and the beauty contained here.
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Summary: An amazing overview of how we've evolved to be as we are now
Review: This book will open your eyes and heart to a place right under your nose, but so hard to grasp. It's about who we are emotionally, socially, and spiritually, and what our place is in the universe.
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Summary: Still trying to peel myself off the ceiling!
Review: As a doctoral student in psychology, I can say in a clarion voice that Wilber is perhaps the most original thinker of the day. The book reveals a profound grasp of the broad sweep of philosophy - both East and West. The author also has and impressive, in-depth grasp of science and history as well. Aside from that, the book is engaging and highly entertaining. Having never heard of Ken Wilber prior to first reading his work in the last six months, I can say that he ranks among the foremost thinkers in the world today. I say this with more than a passing knowledge of philosophy. Rarely, since my first reading of Carl Jung, have I ever been so excited about someone's work. Read and find yourself on the ceiling!
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Summary: An excellent introduction to reality.
Review: This book--a simplified, not "dumbed down," version of Wilber's massive tome _Sex, Ecology, Spirituality_--provides a wonderfully clear explanation of humanity and the various means by which humanity has tried to understand itself. It is, indeed, "a brief history of everything," covering everything from matter to body to mind to soul to, finally, the absolute No-thing that transcends and embraces all those things. It is humorous, very well-written, highly informative, and the product of an obviously profound spiritual realization. As with all of Wilber's work, I recommend it to anyone.
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