Museum of Lost Wonder
by Jeff Hoke
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jeff HokeEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-08-01
ISBN: 1578633648
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Weiser Books
Book Reviews of Museum of Lost Wonder
Book Review: Admirable in spirit
Summary: 5 Stars
First allow me to extend my thanks to the several other reviewers who gave lengthy and informative reviews of this book. Without them, this review would be much longer.
This book has filled for me a very personal need for synthesis in science and mysticism. It is excellent in both its content, but also its approach. Jeff Hoke has managed to balance his satire of both mainstream science and orthodox religion very well. Regardless of what your personal background may be, this book will make you question some aspect of your current paradigm of thinking.
Further merit must be extended to Hoke for his popular delivery of some very interesting and profound ideas connecting alchemy and psychology. Although these ideas are largely due to the work of Carl Jung, the simultaneous presentation of a physical process of transformation (alchemy) and a mental process of transformation (a quest for transcendence) reflects the authors deft abilities as a museum exhibit designer. Having done some museum exhibit design for a course at MIT, I see that the themes of repetition and symbolism, visual splendor and quality text-based content, show the mark of a true master.
For someone who is interested in general patterns of varying systems, this book is a true delight. The focus on archetypes found in multiple settings, whether it be the origin and evolution of things in the physical universe, or the stages of personal development one encounters throughout life and one's quest for self-actualization and transcendence, is truly inspiring. Having the isomorphism between the physical and the mental sketched out in broad strokes is what really earns this book its five stars.
Before signing off, I must comment on some of the negative aspects of the book. There are sections and quotes, which make me question the historical accuracy of the book. This is a minor point and pales in comparison to the book's better qualities. I am not a professional historian, so take the following critiques with a grain of salt. Hoke tries to bill Socrates as an important figure who, upon sentencing, "escaped [the Athenian government's] wrath by suicide." (page 76) A read of Plato's dialogues Crito, Phaedo, the Apology, etc. show that Socrates was ordered to drink Hemlock posioning as his sentence, which he faithfully obeyed (seeing it as a commitment to the democratic process of Athens). This historical fact is extremely important for understanding a large section of Plato's work. Hoke's portrayal of Socrates as a coward escaping punishment through suicide, left a really bad taste upon first reading. The book still has its merit, but a little fact-checking would have prevented this unnecessary blemish.
Finally, I have to vent a little on the all too common popular packaging of just plain false things about quantum mechanics. Mr. Hoke joins in on this saying that a century of quantum mechanics has taught scientists that "the key to objectivity is to be emotionally detached to the point where we don't taint our experiences with projections of personal expectations" (page 84). This statement is true of the scientific method in general, pre-dating quantum mechanics handedly. Hoke, like so many other popularizers tries to bill the idea that somehow the Schrodinger equation includes a variable for the experimenter's mental state, where it certainly does not. Fortunately for all of us, Hoke sticks mostly to what he knows and appeals only generally to science.
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