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The Seven Mysteries Of Life: An Exploration of Science and Philosophy
An American Book Award finalist, Guy Murchie's The Seven Mysteries of Life "embraces all the important information about everything humanity needs to know for continuance aboard planet Earth, or anywhere else in the universe" (Buckminster Fuller).
"All life in all worlds"—this was the object of the author's seventeen-year quest for knowledge and discovery, culminating in this book. In a manner unmistakably his own, Murchie delves into the interconnectedness of all life on the planet and of such fields as biology, geology, sociology, mathematics, and physics to provide an astonishing journey into the essence of science, philosophy, and inspiration.
"Murchie has a remarkably comprehensive knowledge of science and writes about it with the gifts of a poet plus a highly personal, visionary, mystical spirit."— Wall Street Journal
"A good book to take to a desert island as sole companion, so rich is it in knowledge and insight."— New York Times best-selling author May Sarton
"All life in all worlds"—this was the object of the author's seventeen-year quest for knowledge and discovery, culminating in this book. In a manner unmistakably his own, Murchie delves into the interconnectedness of all life on the planet and of such fields as biology, geology, sociology, mathematics, and physics to provide an astonishing journey into the essence of science, philosophy, and inspiration.
"Murchie has a remarkably comprehensive knowledge of science and writes about it with the gifts of a poet plus a highly personal, visionary, mystical spirit."— Wall Street Journal
"A good book to take to a desert island as sole companion, so rich is it in knowledge and insight."— New York Times best-selling author May Sarton
690 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1978
About the author
Guy Murchie
17 books25 followersGuy Murchie (Jr.) son of Ethel A. and Guy Murchie (Sr) was a Chicago Tribune photographer, staff artist and reporter, who had served as a war correspondent in England and Iceland from 1940 to 1942. He was briefly married to Barbara Cooney.
He was a flight instructor and a practising member of the Bahá'í Faith. His books included Men on the Horizon (1932), Song of the Sky (1954), Music of the Spheres (1961) and The Seven Mysteries of Life (1978). Murchie also illustrated his books with etchings and woodcuts of his own making. The American Museum of Natural History awarded him the John Burroughs Medal in 1956 for Song of the Sky.
He was a flight instructor and a practising member of the Bahá'í Faith. His books included Men on the Horizon (1932), Song of the Sky (1954), Music of the Spheres (1961) and The Seven Mysteries of Life (1978). Murchie also illustrated his books with etchings and woodcuts of his own making. The American Museum of Natural History awarded him the John Burroughs Medal in 1956 for Song of the Sky.
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September 21, 2015
I can't remember how I first heard of this book--probably from reading book reviews on Amazon. I must have been impressed with the reviews because I bought one but when I received my first copy I was disappointed to find that the copyright was dated 1978 and every third or fourth page was illustrated with detailed, hand-drawn sketches that reminded me of my high school Biology class where I made similar drawings of cells and plants. My first reaction was that the book was a little less than cutting-edge. Nevertheless it was a new book and I started to read it.
I had a hard time finding the rhythm of the book for many pages. It got better.
After several nights of reading the book in bed, I distinctly remember that one night I stopped reading, opened my eyes wider, looked at the cover of the book, and I said out loud, very slowly and deliberately, "This is a good book." The next night I said to myself, "Every single page of this book is full of interesting ideas. I could pick any page of this book at random and really enjoy reading each page." There was no filler in the book at all. Every page, even every sentence was a work of art, thought provoking, and delicious. I reconsidered my opinion of the hand-made illustrations and instead of seeing them as low-tech productions I saw them as the careful drawings of a masterful philosopher, scientist, poet, or artist--I wasn't sure which.
Guy Murchie began his book's preface with these words: "When I undertook this work in the spring of 1961, I was quite aware that I would almost certainly be thought presumptuous in attempting to write about all of life in one book. But I have to go ahead in the faith that any such seemingly impossible, if not harebrained, project on such a universal theme could hardly help being worthwhile--largely because of its rarity."
Rarity is an understatement. Murchie's book is more densely packed with great ideas than anything I had ever read before. Unlike many popular science books that spend 300 pages restating the same three ideas, or unlike other science books that are impenetrable because of a masochistic writing style that heaps abuse upon any would-be reader, Murchie's book is a sheer delight to read and constantly surprises the reader with insights about life, the universe, and what it all means--insights that are expressed so freshly that they seem new. Murchie took seventeen years to write this magnum opus and "averaged less than one finished sentence a day during all this time," he said in his preface. He called his writing, "painstaking" which must be true because I can't imagine any poet laboring more over word choices than Murchie obviously did. His writing flows, is enchanting and reveals a universe that is more beautiful, rational, and caring than anything I had ever heard from science before--although later I would discover similar joy from guys like Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman.
Unlike a magician who astounds by what he does not reveal, Guy Murchie astounds by what he does reveal that we have not been seeing but which has always been in plain sight. Murchie is, then, in this sense, a revelator.
Toward the end of his book, on page 614, Murchie wrote some kind words about the prophet Baha'u'llah. I immediately started to worry that the author of this great book that I had been falling in love with would suddenly reveal himself to be an unbalanced follower of yet another cult leader. I researched the Baha'i Faith religion that Baha'u'llah founded and encountered what seemed to be a peace-loving-enough community. After reading a list of their core beliefs (and after reading Murchie's book), I honestly felt that I had never read a one-page list of beliefs written by someone else that I could agree with more than this one. Nevertheless, I knew that what looks good on paper may not necessarily be so beautiful when practiced as an institutional religion. So I haven't attempted to learn much more about the Baha'is except to find out they conduct meetings in San Diego that I would like to attend once just to get an idea about how successful they have been at putting their wonderful ideas into the messy realm of organized religion. I wish them well.
I searched for "Guy Murchie" on the internet and learned that he was a tall man and just as gracious and charming, by others' accounts, as I had imagined him to be. Although I would love to read a little biography about him, it is not really necessary for his writing sufficiently reveals the man Murchie to be one of my all-time favorite human beings whose hand I would be honored to shake while expressing a little gratitude for creating a work so beautiful that I can only describe it as art, an odd choice of words for the book that I would most like to take to a desert island.
I had a hard time finding the rhythm of the book for many pages. It got better.
After several nights of reading the book in bed, I distinctly remember that one night I stopped reading, opened my eyes wider, looked at the cover of the book, and I said out loud, very slowly and deliberately, "This is a good book." The next night I said to myself, "Every single page of this book is full of interesting ideas. I could pick any page of this book at random and really enjoy reading each page." There was no filler in the book at all. Every page, even every sentence was a work of art, thought provoking, and delicious. I reconsidered my opinion of the hand-made illustrations and instead of seeing them as low-tech productions I saw them as the careful drawings of a masterful philosopher, scientist, poet, or artist--I wasn't sure which.
Guy Murchie began his book's preface with these words: "When I undertook this work in the spring of 1961, I was quite aware that I would almost certainly be thought presumptuous in attempting to write about all of life in one book. But I have to go ahead in the faith that any such seemingly impossible, if not harebrained, project on such a universal theme could hardly help being worthwhile--largely because of its rarity."
Rarity is an understatement. Murchie's book is more densely packed with great ideas than anything I had ever read before. Unlike many popular science books that spend 300 pages restating the same three ideas, or unlike other science books that are impenetrable because of a masochistic writing style that heaps abuse upon any would-be reader, Murchie's book is a sheer delight to read and constantly surprises the reader with insights about life, the universe, and what it all means--insights that are expressed so freshly that they seem new. Murchie took seventeen years to write this magnum opus and "averaged less than one finished sentence a day during all this time," he said in his preface. He called his writing, "painstaking" which must be true because I can't imagine any poet laboring more over word choices than Murchie obviously did. His writing flows, is enchanting and reveals a universe that is more beautiful, rational, and caring than anything I had ever heard from science before--although later I would discover similar joy from guys like Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman.
Unlike a magician who astounds by what he does not reveal, Guy Murchie astounds by what he does reveal that we have not been seeing but which has always been in plain sight. Murchie is, then, in this sense, a revelator.
Toward the end of his book, on page 614, Murchie wrote some kind words about the prophet Baha'u'llah. I immediately started to worry that the author of this great book that I had been falling in love with would suddenly reveal himself to be an unbalanced follower of yet another cult leader. I researched the Baha'i Faith religion that Baha'u'llah founded and encountered what seemed to be a peace-loving-enough community. After reading a list of their core beliefs (and after reading Murchie's book), I honestly felt that I had never read a one-page list of beliefs written by someone else that I could agree with more than this one. Nevertheless, I knew that what looks good on paper may not necessarily be so beautiful when practiced as an institutional religion. So I haven't attempted to learn much more about the Baha'is except to find out they conduct meetings in San Diego that I would like to attend once just to get an idea about how successful they have been at putting their wonderful ideas into the messy realm of organized religion. I wish them well.
I searched for "Guy Murchie" on the internet and learned that he was a tall man and just as gracious and charming, by others' accounts, as I had imagined him to be. Although I would love to read a little biography about him, it is not really necessary for his writing sufficiently reveals the man Murchie to be one of my all-time favorite human beings whose hand I would be honored to shake while expressing a little gratitude for creating a work so beautiful that I can only describe it as art, an odd choice of words for the book that I would most like to take to a desert island.
November 22, 2012
One of my favorite books ever, and though quite a tome, I'm due for a third reading. This book makes the connection between the natural world, physics, and "the divine". Murchie is a scientist who cannot quite accept that there is nobody behind the curtain, and yet this book never feels the least bit preachy or pedantic. It explores the unexplainable phenomena of life and says, "this is fantastic...how can such things be?" A must for anybody who has entertained the idea that they may be a pantheist. It celebrates wonder. It leaves you feeling like you are the tiniest part of a very grand event. It is, indisputably, fucking great.
April 9, 2008
The best book I have ever read, and continue to read often. It you have an interest in restoring, growing or discovering your wonder, this is the book.
Murchie is a modern day Leonardo, who has mastered so many pursuits it's astonishing. The first half of the book is an exhaustive description of the natural world and how everything works from trees to individual cells, the life of dunes, to 26 human senses (not just 5). These things are described in ways that are revelatory...such new and excellent ways of explaining things we take for granted, and things we have never contemplated.
Then the second half is dedicated to 7 mysterious principles like Transcendance, Interconnectedness, the Omnipresence of Life, Life's analogies on Land, Sea and Sky, Living geometry and order, the polarity principle, the germination of worlds, and divinity.
You can open the book anywhere and become fascinated in seconds. He is a scientist who writes with the heart of a poet, so even when he is describing an intricate biological function, I find myself smiling and completely engrossed.
Especially great for writers, both as inspiration and reference.
Murchie is a modern day Leonardo, who has mastered so many pursuits it's astonishing. The first half of the book is an exhaustive description of the natural world and how everything works from trees to individual cells, the life of dunes, to 26 human senses (not just 5). These things are described in ways that are revelatory...such new and excellent ways of explaining things we take for granted, and things we have never contemplated.
Then the second half is dedicated to 7 mysterious principles like Transcendance, Interconnectedness, the Omnipresence of Life, Life's analogies on Land, Sea and Sky, Living geometry and order, the polarity principle, the germination of worlds, and divinity.
You can open the book anywhere and become fascinated in seconds. He is a scientist who writes with the heart of a poet, so even when he is describing an intricate biological function, I find myself smiling and completely engrossed.
Especially great for writers, both as inspiration and reference.
August 22, 2009
I've only read a few pages of this book, but I can tell I'm going to love it. I did some additional research on Murchie, and apparently he left Christianity to join the Baihai faith which originated in modern Persia. I also read about that particular religion, and it's fascinating. The basic idea reminds me of the whole point (or what I interpreted to be the point) of John Lennon's song Imagine.
I'm not about to drop Christianity in favor of Baihai, but what I have read of this book makes a whole lot of sense to me.
I'm not about to drop Christianity in favor of Baihai, but what I have read of this book makes a whole lot of sense to me.
January 23, 2016
Which came first: the hen or the egg? If you consider this question as classic and unanswerable, then your knowledge of science needs brushing up! Of course, the egg is easily proclaimed the winner by half a billion years as the hen has only been here for fifty million years.
This is just one of the lighter gems found in one of the most wonderful books ever written: The Seven Mysteries of Life by Guy Murchie. Here, a look at the first mystery which he calls The Abstract Nature of the Universe. Murchie's writing is so insightful and provocative that any summary or analysis runs the risk of extending beyond the length of an accessible review, so I will procure brevity.
"... this is the world where objects, without much plausible reason, shrink with distance, where thrushes pull up worms to turn them into songs, where an acorn becomes a giant oak in a century because it was forgotten by a squirrel. In other words, there is ... something fundamentally and profoundly abstract" about this world which in turn is so importantly mysterious that it almost unavoidably falls into place as the first of the Seven Mysteries of Life.
"Consciousness implies an appreciable awareness (and control) of matter, an interaction involving both the developing body and the emerging mind that is at once abstract and close to the quick of life. Indeed the fact that you can move your legs and walk, or your tongue and talk, makes you alive. And so does the fact that you can control the engine and wings and tail of your airplane when you fly. You may object that the airplane is not really alive because it is not a natural organism but only man-made and artificial. But I reply that so is a bird's nest artificial for it is bird-made and not strictly a part of the bird's body. And so too is coral artificial in the sense that it is made (or excreted) by the coral polyps. And so is the oyster's shell built of calcareous substances out of the sea. And so also are the shells of bird's eggs and a bird's feathers made of things the bird eats. And so are even your teeth and bones and your fingernails and hair, in fact your whole body. There is no definite line, you see, where artificiality begins. And there is no absolute boundary between life and the world. ... Just as your house is your shell and your coat your pelt, in effect, so does your consciousness form your aura of personal life..."
Perhaps the least abstract thing we can imagine is our body for it allows us contact with other material substances. However, "the reason a living body can be made of such everyday stuff" as water, fat, carbon, phosphorus, magnesium, etc... "of course is that it is complex and flowing and the stuff is not really the body but only what passes through it, borrowed in the same sense that an ocean wave borrows the water it sweeps over." In this sense, if we could ignore time then a wave could be considered material, but as we cannot ignore time it can only be considered abstract as "science knows a wave to be made not of matter at all but purely of energy, which is an abstraction."
"...reflecting on it at length and in the full context of time, the body progressively becomes as abstract as a melody - a melody one may with reason call the melody of life. ...although I had intuitively assumed life itself abstract, the physical body had always seemed simply material and I did not see how it could be otherwise. Then I tried to define the physical boundaries of the body and began to realize they are virtually indefinable, for the air around any air-breathing creature from a weed to a whale is obviously a vital part of it even while it is also part of other creatures. The atmosphere in fact binds together all life on Earth, including life in the deep sea, which 'breathes' oxygen (and some air) constantly. And the water of the sea is another of life's common denominators noticeable in the salty flavor of blood, sweat and tears, as are the solid Earth and its molecules present in our protoplasm compounded of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and a dozen lesser elements."
"... practically all of our material selves is replaced within a year" and if we consider even the most stubborn atom of iron in hemoglobin and even the bones which are continually dissolving and reforming, after five years one can presumably consider one's physical body completely new down to the very last atom. "Assuming this is approximately so, then of what does the body really consist? For a while I thought the body's essence might somehow lurk in the nucleus of each cell where the genes physically direct growth and development. ... Essentially no single atom or molecule or combination of them can be indispensable to a body for they are all dispensed by it. It is only the pattern with its message that proves really vital to life. On the ocean one could make the analogy that it is not the saltwater but the abstract energy that shapes and powers the wave. Likewise it is not the atoms in the DNA but their geometric relation that makes the gene. And it is not the paper and ink but the words and meanings that compose the book."
"The point is that it is the pattern of design itself that is the indispensable thing, and not just its representation on paper or in bricks and mortar. Of course the design is not really a thing in the material sense for it is abstract. Indeed it is a kind of intangible essence, something like Lao-tzu's best knot which, as he explained, was tied without rope. ... Thus our very bodies that we always thought were material ... turn out to be essentially only waves of energy, graphs of probability, nodes of melody being mysteriously played in our time."
As logical as this sounds, it is still challenging to grasp and its implications seem way beyond my current understanding. Our bodies are supposed to be material and the mysterious union formed with the soul is the necessary arena in which the soul can be tried, tested and matured. But, if the body is essentially abstract, then exactly what is the "material" context in which the soul progresses? Must this context be, as we seem to have conceived so far, such a concrete thing or is the illusion of tangibility enough to do the trick? Is the illusion of solidity what differentiates this earthly plane from such purely spiritual realms characterized by immortality and similar limitlessness?
This is just a look at a bit of the first mystery, the others are just as fantastic. This is an absolute must read for basically everybody.
This is just one of the lighter gems found in one of the most wonderful books ever written: The Seven Mysteries of Life by Guy Murchie. Here, a look at the first mystery which he calls The Abstract Nature of the Universe. Murchie's writing is so insightful and provocative that any summary or analysis runs the risk of extending beyond the length of an accessible review, so I will procure brevity.
"... this is the world where objects, without much plausible reason, shrink with distance, where thrushes pull up worms to turn them into songs, where an acorn becomes a giant oak in a century because it was forgotten by a squirrel. In other words, there is ... something fundamentally and profoundly abstract" about this world which in turn is so importantly mysterious that it almost unavoidably falls into place as the first of the Seven Mysteries of Life.
"Consciousness implies an appreciable awareness (and control) of matter, an interaction involving both the developing body and the emerging mind that is at once abstract and close to the quick of life. Indeed the fact that you can move your legs and walk, or your tongue and talk, makes you alive. And so does the fact that you can control the engine and wings and tail of your airplane when you fly. You may object that the airplane is not really alive because it is not a natural organism but only man-made and artificial. But I reply that so is a bird's nest artificial for it is bird-made and not strictly a part of the bird's body. And so too is coral artificial in the sense that it is made (or excreted) by the coral polyps. And so is the oyster's shell built of calcareous substances out of the sea. And so also are the shells of bird's eggs and a bird's feathers made of things the bird eats. And so are even your teeth and bones and your fingernails and hair, in fact your whole body. There is no definite line, you see, where artificiality begins. And there is no absolute boundary between life and the world. ... Just as your house is your shell and your coat your pelt, in effect, so does your consciousness form your aura of personal life..."
Perhaps the least abstract thing we can imagine is our body for it allows us contact with other material substances. However, "the reason a living body can be made of such everyday stuff" as water, fat, carbon, phosphorus, magnesium, etc... "of course is that it is complex and flowing and the stuff is not really the body but only what passes through it, borrowed in the same sense that an ocean wave borrows the water it sweeps over." In this sense, if we could ignore time then a wave could be considered material, but as we cannot ignore time it can only be considered abstract as "science knows a wave to be made not of matter at all but purely of energy, which is an abstraction."
"...reflecting on it at length and in the full context of time, the body progressively becomes as abstract as a melody - a melody one may with reason call the melody of life. ...although I had intuitively assumed life itself abstract, the physical body had always seemed simply material and I did not see how it could be otherwise. Then I tried to define the physical boundaries of the body and began to realize they are virtually indefinable, for the air around any air-breathing creature from a weed to a whale is obviously a vital part of it even while it is also part of other creatures. The atmosphere in fact binds together all life on Earth, including life in the deep sea, which 'breathes' oxygen (and some air) constantly. And the water of the sea is another of life's common denominators noticeable in the salty flavor of blood, sweat and tears, as are the solid Earth and its molecules present in our protoplasm compounded of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and a dozen lesser elements."
"... practically all of our material selves is replaced within a year" and if we consider even the most stubborn atom of iron in hemoglobin and even the bones which are continually dissolving and reforming, after five years one can presumably consider one's physical body completely new down to the very last atom. "Assuming this is approximately so, then of what does the body really consist? For a while I thought the body's essence might somehow lurk in the nucleus of each cell where the genes physically direct growth and development. ... Essentially no single atom or molecule or combination of them can be indispensable to a body for they are all dispensed by it. It is only the pattern with its message that proves really vital to life. On the ocean one could make the analogy that it is not the saltwater but the abstract energy that shapes and powers the wave. Likewise it is not the atoms in the DNA but their geometric relation that makes the gene. And it is not the paper and ink but the words and meanings that compose the book."
"The point is that it is the pattern of design itself that is the indispensable thing, and not just its representation on paper or in bricks and mortar. Of course the design is not really a thing in the material sense for it is abstract. Indeed it is a kind of intangible essence, something like Lao-tzu's best knot which, as he explained, was tied without rope. ... Thus our very bodies that we always thought were material ... turn out to be essentially only waves of energy, graphs of probability, nodes of melody being mysteriously played in our time."
As logical as this sounds, it is still challenging to grasp and its implications seem way beyond my current understanding. Our bodies are supposed to be material and the mysterious union formed with the soul is the necessary arena in which the soul can be tried, tested and matured. But, if the body is essentially abstract, then exactly what is the "material" context in which the soul progresses? Must this context be, as we seem to have conceived so far, such a concrete thing or is the illusion of tangibility enough to do the trick? Is the illusion of solidity what differentiates this earthly plane from such purely spiritual realms characterized by immortality and similar limitlessness?
This is just a look at a bit of the first mystery, the others are just as fantastic. This is an absolute must read for basically everybody.
March 21, 2009
It's crazy to me that I never quite finished this book. It's such an AMAZING read, and I plan to finish it one of these days. It's super-long and very scientific though, so I always read it in small increments. If I put it down for too long, though, I forget what I learned and have to start over again!
I do want to go on record to say that this is still one of my favorite books. It's a perfect, non-didactic marriage between science, philosophy, and spirituality, and every time I pick it up I'm left marveling at the wonders of the natural world. The author is brilliant, yet maintains this contagious, almost childlike joy. My father lent this to me as a teen, and since then, I've lent it to and bought it for countless friends. If you're in the mood for some deep thought, I suggest you pick it up too (and tell me what you think!)
I do want to go on record to say that this is still one of my favorite books. It's a perfect, non-didactic marriage between science, philosophy, and spirituality, and every time I pick it up I'm left marveling at the wonders of the natural world. The author is brilliant, yet maintains this contagious, almost childlike joy. My father lent this to me as a teen, and since then, I've lent it to and bought it for countless friends. If you're in the mood for some deep thought, I suggest you pick it up too (and tell me what you think!)
October 14, 2008
The science and theoretical stretches Murchie attempts are generally weak (and maybe even a bit mystical or spiritually pious), but the whole is an effective and tremendously substantial meditation on the utter bizarreness of biology. I like his scalar format, but there's a tendency toward extreme brevity that is sometimes frustrating in the more interesting parts. understandable, given the scope and goals of his book. I groaned at the fabulism of an exploration of the 'seven mysteries' of life (which, apparently, include both 'divinity' and transcendence'), but it turns out that Murchie scripted a rara avis with this book, a thoughtful and completely readable text that thinks about the broader implications of scientific knowledge.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 4, 2011I saw this book while browsing in a book store; I read a few pages and was very interested. But then I noticed it had been publish in 1978. that turned me off, since it is an exploration of science and philosophy. It is surly outdated. Back at home I googled it and found a review of the book on Goodreads by someone who had the same concern that i had but read it anyway, he gave it 5 stars. So I decided to give it a try. By the way, that is the day I joined Goodreads.
I'm reading this one really slow.I would say I'm nibbling at it every other day(70 pages in 2 weeks), and when I do read it, I'm always stopping to go on Wikipedia to learn more about this plant and that other tree I'have never heard of. I very much enjoy it but I will be at it for months at this pace.
I'm reading this one really slow.I would say I'm nibbling at it every other day(70 pages in 2 weeks), and when I do read it, I'm always stopping to go on Wikipedia to learn more about this plant and that other tree I'have never heard of. I very much enjoy it but I will be at it for months at this pace.
February 17, 2016
The first part is a survey of scientific knowledge which highlights the great variety and variation in life forms. The second part introduces the seven mysteries that he has discovered in the world. The author had been a member of the B'Hai faith for many years when he published this book and B'Hai also has seven mysteries. His seven mysteries are Abstraction -the regularity and pattern of matter and energy, Interrelatedness of all things, Omnipresence of life everywhere, Polarity - the principle of
symmetry, Transcendence - progression from finitude to Infinitude, Germination of worlds, and Divinity. I accept the concepts of mysteries in life and his first one. But the others seem to be made up in order to have seven like B'Hai.
symmetry, Transcendence - progression from finitude to Infinitude, Germination of worlds, and Divinity. I accept the concepts of mysteries in life and his first one. But the others seem to be made up in order to have seven like B'Hai.
November 14, 2007
A nearly bottomless book of inspiration and delight--one of those take to a deserted islands books...part biology, part math, part mystery. Transformational and poetic.
Now here's an anecdote to explain how good this book was. Every other weekend for about four months I have to go to gymn meets which are by turns excruciatingly boring events (hour upon hours of the routines, by the approximate same level of talent) with the occasional flashes of mind numbing anxiety and fear (at least for a parent). Murchie's book saw me through an entire season and then some.
Read his book, it'll either save your life, or get you through the lassitudes of gymn season :-)
Now here's an anecdote to explain how good this book was. Every other weekend for about four months I have to go to gymn meets which are by turns excruciatingly boring events (hour upon hours of the routines, by the approximate same level of talent) with the occasional flashes of mind numbing anxiety and fear (at least for a parent). Murchie's book saw me through an entire season and then some.
Read his book, it'll either save your life, or get you through the lassitudes of gymn season :-)
June 27, 2007
This is one of the most influential books I've ever read. I own multiple copies and I've read it many times. Murchie spent 18 years writing it. He illustrated it by hand. Every page has its own title. I've never read a book so lovingly created. He makes hard science read like poetry.
December 11, 2017
Comprehensive, well written and longer than my attention span
May 31, 2020
Interesting book that is just as unfocused as the title would suggest. The book begins mostly focusing on science, biology, and the natural world. It then begins to transition into the philosophical implications of, well, science, nature, biology, chemistry, cells, a lot of things. Overall the structural shift of science to philosophy is pretty well done, the philosophical bits illuminating bits of science that earlier in the book seemed rather dry. I do think the first third of the book is a bit difficult to get to, because of the heavy focus on the natural world. These parts are enriched with Murchie's wonderful illustrations which are a joy throughout the book.
While the overall structural shift from science to philosophy is basically fine, I found the last third or so of the book to be too vague, repetitive, and navel-gazey for my tastes. Murchie draws some really interesting conclusions from some of the commonalities he finds throughout the natural world, but towards the end of the book he spends too much time on conclusions that I felt were too vague to be satisfying.
The tone of this book also started to grate on me a little bit. Murchie approaches this book with a sort of wide-eye naivete which helps make the scientific bits of the book more interesting, but this naivete began to really grate on me by page 500 or so. The tone of this book reminds me a lot of the prose intro to Leaves of Grass. And in the same way that Whitman's naturalism is a lot less charming when it's slathered on in prose versus poetry, this book also begins to be weighed down by too much ooo-ing and ahh-ing over nature.
Another problem I have with this book is that it's very much of it's time, and very white male gazey without having any self awareness of that. Almost all of the references are to mainstays like Ancient Greece or Rome, the New Testament, that type of thing. There is also more than a little of the paternalistic condescension aimed towards the noble savage throughout this book, with all of the problematic issues that that raises.
This book is filled with basically fun facts about the world and universe, and the illustrations on every few pages are absolutely amazing. But, this book suffers from taking on such a broad topic and a weak structure. I also have problems with the tone and I guess politics of some of the perspectives baked into this book. Not a must read by any stretch, but maybe you'll find it interesting.
While the overall structural shift from science to philosophy is basically fine, I found the last third or so of the book to be too vague, repetitive, and navel-gazey for my tastes. Murchie draws some really interesting conclusions from some of the commonalities he finds throughout the natural world, but towards the end of the book he spends too much time on conclusions that I felt were too vague to be satisfying.
The tone of this book also started to grate on me a little bit. Murchie approaches this book with a sort of wide-eye naivete which helps make the scientific bits of the book more interesting, but this naivete began to really grate on me by page 500 or so. The tone of this book reminds me a lot of the prose intro to Leaves of Grass. And in the same way that Whitman's naturalism is a lot less charming when it's slathered on in prose versus poetry, this book also begins to be weighed down by too much ooo-ing and ahh-ing over nature.
Another problem I have with this book is that it's very much of it's time, and very white male gazey without having any self awareness of that. Almost all of the references are to mainstays like Ancient Greece or Rome, the New Testament, that type of thing. There is also more than a little of the paternalistic condescension aimed towards the noble savage throughout this book, with all of the problematic issues that that raises.
This book is filled with basically fun facts about the world and universe, and the illustrations on every few pages are absolutely amazing. But, this book suffers from taking on such a broad topic and a weak structure. I also have problems with the tone and I guess politics of some of the perspectives baked into this book. Not a must read by any stretch, but maybe you'll find it interesting.
February 21, 2019
One of the best books I have ever read. Definitely gives you a new perspective on all tangible aspects of life. Plus the story itself how long this book took for the author. (18 years in total. That would make on average a sentence a day, making it really though out and compressed. And he even illustrated it himself.) I guess you could call Guy Murchie a true renaissance man delivering knowledge from all endless categories of science to the fields of spirituality. I would recommend this book to everyone to read. Although it's published in 1978 - so I could only assume that perhaps some of those ideas and bits have got more resolution or new insight to them by now. But I am certain that the main mysteries still remain the same for all humanity.
September 10, 2012
I first saw this book sitting on a coffee table overlooking the Caribbean sea in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Curious, I cracked it open to a random page and started reading. I almost could not stop reading, I was instantly hooked. Later, when I returned home, I ordered a copy on Amazon and devoured all 600+ pages over the course of a few weeks. There are so many fascinating facts about the natural world that are integrated with philosophy and spirituality, it makes it much more interesting than a biology text book. Highly recommended!
January 4, 2016
This is a well-put-together cosmology-philosophy book . At times I found Murchie to be a little long-winded in his fascination with existence, although, I suppose that was the point. His writing is vivid, even when it's about something entirely abstract. Also, if you're already well-read in science, some of the chapters will be a review for you. The end, when he gets to his points about transcendence and divinity, is pretty solid. Enjoyable, but I personally left feeling underwhelmed by the depth of philosophical commentary and to me, it read more like poetry about the universe's beauty.
May 15, 2020
It had a good underlying theory and found it an interesting way of framing and arguing his theories, although most evidence has now changed due to the advance of science. I found it leaned too heavily on the need for a spiritual god especially towards the end, and the case made that scientists are mostly believers is pretty outdated and easily debunked. Interesting facts I found having to often be double-checked since by now they have become outdated. There are other more relevant books about the basic overview of the scientific theory and for that reason, I wouldn't recommend it.
April 9, 2015
An amazing book on God, life, the universe, biology, the mind, physics, and more. It is thought provoking, and because of its length and writing style, best read in long sessions. The book left me feeling unworried with life and death.
March 31, 2008
His facts may be outdated but the book is still a glorious ode to nature. It's a love song for the planet from a biologist.
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June 22, 2019I bought this book at least 30 years ago but have never been able to get into. I just tried again and have decided that I may just give it to the library book sale. While it contains some good and interesting insights, I find the writing style a bit long-winded and perhaps intended to sound lyrical. Unfortunately, it comes across as a bit stilted to me. (Maybe it is just me, and I am sure many others will disagree.)
The real concern is the claims and rhetorical questions about decidedly mystical ideas -- such as whether rocks are alive -- that pepper (and frequently over season) the text. How God and the soul interact with the rest of the Universe and other such purely subjective and unproven and likely unprovable meanderings are just too much for me to plow through. That is too bad, because there apparently is a lot of good stuff in this book, particularly observations about Nature. However, even in these I get the impression that much was unquestioningly gathered from other writings rather than from direct experience. (Again, I could be wrong, but this is the impression I get.)
Overall this book is just riddle with too much woowoo for me to recommend it except for people who have left there critical thinking skills at the door, or else who have enough patience to wade through the swamp of metaphysical musings.
(Mine is a 1981 paperback edition from Houghton Mifflin)
The real concern is the claims and rhetorical questions about decidedly mystical ideas -- such as whether rocks are alive -- that pepper (and frequently over season) the text. How God and the soul interact with the rest of the Universe and other such purely subjective and unproven and likely unprovable meanderings are just too much for me to plow through. That is too bad, because there apparently is a lot of good stuff in this book, particularly observations about Nature. However, even in these I get the impression that much was unquestioningly gathered from other writings rather than from direct experience. (Again, I could be wrong, but this is the impression I get.)
Overall this book is just riddle with too much woowoo for me to recommend it except for people who have left there critical thinking skills at the door, or else who have enough patience to wade through the swamp of metaphysical musings.
(Mine is a 1981 paperback edition from Houghton Mifflin)
May 28, 2020
For a book written more than 4 decades ago, Murchie's perspective remains an incredibly prescient and awe-inspiring account of us and our universe. I can think of no better adjective to describe Murchie's project than "biblical." It is a reference guide that can be read in most any order, and I will surely find new gems in my future rereadings. It truly does offer as comprehensive an account as any one man could have dared in the late 70's.
That said, I think Murchie's conception of "God" strays a little too far into a personified form or at least his use of the term is confusing given the long history of human religions' anthropomorphized gods. However, I can live with this small complaint: Murchie's gift for instilling a sense of wonder without compromising an appreciation for the scientific project is unparalleled (be warned that not everything he scientific claim he makes has survived until now).
We need more people like Murchie who can find the spirituality in science, share a contagious curiosity for this universe, and offer a unified narrative for the human race (and its earthly cousins). I am anxiously awaiting the results of the next person craziness to undertake this kind of project in our day and age.
That said, I think Murchie's conception of "God" strays a little too far into a personified form or at least his use of the term is confusing given the long history of human religions' anthropomorphized gods. However, I can live with this small complaint: Murchie's gift for instilling a sense of wonder without compromising an appreciation for the scientific project is unparalleled (be warned that not everything he scientific claim he makes has survived until now).
We need more people like Murchie who can find the spirituality in science, share a contagious curiosity for this universe, and offer a unified narrative for the human race (and its earthly cousins). I am anxiously awaiting the results of the next person craziness to undertake this kind of project in our day and age.
October 1, 2020
This book was rich with detail and covered a wide array of topics. If you enjoy learning about biology and the interrelated aspects of life on earth, give it a read. However, I have some qualms with this book.
For one, there are quite a few ideas and opinions that do not age well. How Murchie describes non-Western cultures, his view of sex and gender roles, and disregard for the worst of humanity - war, rape, slavery. He makes the argument that trials and pain and suffering are an integral part of humanity and its development. Which I can agree with, but this is definitely a gray area.
He sort of glosses over this and because he is writing from the male, Western view (Christianity and imperialism as the backdrop), he doesn’t give proper dues to the unnecessary damage this has done to the world. But he was writing without the foresight of social media and pollution, and the destruction of our environment.
The parts of the book that I found most interesting was the fact that it was written before the age of the internet. His predictions and view of the globalized world compared to how it is now is quite fascinating.
For one, there are quite a few ideas and opinions that do not age well. How Murchie describes non-Western cultures, his view of sex and gender roles, and disregard for the worst of humanity - war, rape, slavery. He makes the argument that trials and pain and suffering are an integral part of humanity and its development. Which I can agree with, but this is definitely a gray area.
He sort of glosses over this and because he is writing from the male, Western view (Christianity and imperialism as the backdrop), he doesn’t give proper dues to the unnecessary damage this has done to the world. But he was writing without the foresight of social media and pollution, and the destruction of our environment.
The parts of the book that I found most interesting was the fact that it was written before the age of the internet. His predictions and view of the globalized world compared to how it is now is quite fascinating.
July 5, 2024
Wow, just a year and half to read this nothing crazy, but goddang this was the best book Ive ever read at least has had the biggest influence on my thoughts about life, death, and God. Cant sum up everything that I want to in this review but really just want everyone to read this book, I think giving this to kids to read for all of primary school would teach them everything they need to know sciencewise and give good insight into what we are doing here. His illustrations throughout give life to this book to keep you wrapped in it and expand on ideas visually.
“Praise God, O humans, for your problems - the worse the better and look for more - because problems are what you are made of. For they are woven into the very texture of the world and every pain and trouble is food for the spirit without which it cannot grow.”
Throughout are quotes similar to this that cut into who I am and help to put the universe into perspective.
“Praise God, O humans, for your problems - the worse the better and look for more - because problems are what you are made of. For they are woven into the very texture of the world and every pain and trouble is food for the spirit without which it cannot grow.”
Throughout are quotes similar to this that cut into who I am and help to put the universe into perspective.
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October 31, 2022The Seven Mysteries of Life is an extraordinary read that will surely open up new ways of thinking about things for every reader. It's an astonishing feat for the author, a bow in his general direction is in order.
I read this book slowly because so many of the ideas/concepts were new to me that I had to take some time to process them. I can't stomach experiments on animals so I skipped over those passages and that probably explains why some of this didn't make sense to me . . . but overall this book just wowed me.
I read this book slowly because so many of the ideas/concepts were new to me that I had to take some time to process them. I can't stomach experiments on animals so I skipped over those passages and that probably explains why some of this didn't make sense to me . . . but overall this book just wowed me.
July 21, 2019
Just one of my favourite books ever. Everyone should read it. I read it several years ago, gave away my copy but recently repurchased it and am starting it again.
Will add to the review when I get through it again.
Has fascinating insights about all forms of life on earth.
Is an older book but in my opinion a classic.
Will add to the review when I get through it again.
Has fascinating insights about all forms of life on earth.
Is an older book but in my opinion a classic.
October 21, 2022
A masterpiece in every way a human being can think of a book. A journey you can hold in your hand using your mind only. It’s an exploration in science and philosophy and perhaps beyond.
I have read it for 10 plus times over 2 decades. If you happen to be so busy a person you can only read 5 or 10 books in your life time, I strongly suggest this book should be on your short list.
I have read it for 10 plus times over 2 decades. If you happen to be so busy a person you can only read 5 or 10 books in your life time, I strongly suggest this book should be on your short list.
August 2, 2020
My grandmother gave me this book and only after her passing did I finally sit down to read the entire thing.
This is one of the greatest books ever written, a must read for every person who’s curious about the world around them and the meanings it holds in scales minute and macro.
This is one of the greatest books ever written, a must read for every person who’s curious about the world around them and the meanings it holds in scales minute and macro.
July 2, 2017
Philosophy, and beyond that: wisdom
Classic, beautiful, important, favourite, and becoming wonderfully dog-eared.
Classic, beautiful, important, favourite, and becoming wonderfully dog-eared.
November 4, 2018
Parts are good and very interesting, parts are boring, mainly due to the repetitive nature of the arguments across the sections.
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