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The Patterning Instinct
- A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins
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Publisher's summary
This fresh perspective on crucial questions of history identifies the root metaphors that cultures have used to construct meaning in their world. It offers a glimpse into the minds of a vast range of different peoples: early hunter-gatherers and farmers, ancient Egyptians, traditional Chinese sages, the founders of Christianity, trailblazers of the Scientific Revolution, and those who constructed our modern consumer society.
Taking the listener on an archaeological exploration of the mind, the author, an entrepreneur and sustainability leader, uses recent findings in cognitive science and systems theory to reveal the hidden layers of values that form today's cultural norms. Uprooting the tired clichés of the science-religion debate, he shows how medieval Christian rationalism acted as an incubator for scientific thought, which, in turn, shaped our modern vision of the conquest of nature. The author probes our current crisis of unsustainability and argues that it is not an inevitable result of human nature, but is culturally driven: a product of particular mental patterns that could conceivably be reshaped. By shining a light on our possible futures, the book foresees a coming struggle between two contrasting views of humanity: one driving to a technological endgame of artificially enhanced humans, the other enabling a sustainable future arising from our intrinsic connectedness with each other and the natural world. This struggle, it concludes, is one in which each of us will play a role through the meaning we choose to forge from the lives we lead.
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Over two millennia ago, the prescient insights of Anaximander paved the way for cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology, and biology, setting in motion a new way of seeing the world. His legacy includes the revolutionary ideas that the Earth floats in a void, that animals evolved, that the world can be understood in natural rather than supernatural terms, and that universal laws govern all phenomena. In this elegant work, the renowned theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli brings to light the importance of Anaximander’s overlooked influence on modern science
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Wide ranging case for a Critical Figure in the Evolution of Science
- By Tom on 03-20-23
By: Carlo Rovelli
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Prehistory
- Making of the Human Mind
- By: Colin Renfrew
- Narrated by: Robert Ian MacKenzie
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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A giant of archaeology, Colin Renfrew has immeasurably improved our understanding of human history. In this passionately argued work, he offers a concise summary of prehistory - human existence that predates the development of written records - while challenging the very definition of prehistory itself.
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not for the intellectually challenged
- By Anthony on 07-14-10
By: Colin Renfrew
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Harmony
- A New Way of Looking at Our World
- By: Charles HRH The Prince of Wales
- Narrated by: Charles HRH The Prince of Wales
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time, HRH The Prince of Wales shares his views on how our most pressing modern challenges - from climate change to poverty - are rooted in mankind's disharmony with nature, presenting a compelling case that the solution lies in our ability to regain a balance with the world around us. With its holistic approach, this provocative and well-reasoned book takes the discussion of sustainability and climate change in a new direction.
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An Excellent Exploration
- By Sara on 03-31-16
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The Case for God
- By: Karen Armstrong
- Narrated by: Karen Armstrong
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality that it called by many names, such as God, Brahman, Nirvana, Allah, or Dao. Focusing especially on Christianity but including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Chinese spiritualities, Armstrong examines the diminished impulse toward religion in our own time, when a significant number of people either want nothing to do with God or question the efficacy of faith. Why has God become unbelievable?
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Great recasting of how God should be interpreted
- By John Doyle on 02-18-11
By: Karen Armstrong
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Thank God for Evolution
- How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World
- By: Michael Dowd
- Narrated by: Michael Dowd
- Length: 9 hrs
- Abridged
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Here is a revolutionary perspective on the relationship between religion and science that builds a bridge between people of all beliefs.
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Religion without God
- By Paul on 09-22-10
By: Michael Dowd
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How Soon Is Now
- From Personal Initiation to Global Transformation
- By: Daniel Pinchbeck
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The world needs to change. We have unleashed an ecological mega-crisis which is threatening the future of life on Earth. The actions we take over the next decade are critical. They will determine the destiny of our descendants and the fate of our world. How Soon Is Now presents a compelling manifesto for personal and planetary change. It proposes a revolutionary new narrative for a unified social movement. Through global cooperation, we can face this collective threat ecologically, socially, politically and spiritually.
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Relevant!!!!
- By Anonymous User on 12-11-23
By: Daniel Pinchbeck
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Breaking the Spell
- Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
- By: Daniel C. Dennett
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why - and how - it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life? Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion’s evolution from “wild” folk belief to “domesticated” dogma.
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Great Reader Actually Enhances A Great Book!
- By Don Caliente on 07-14-14
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God
- A Human History
- By: Reza Aslan
- Narrated by: Reza Aslan
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In layered prose and with thoughtful, accessible scholarship, Aslan narrates the history of religion as one long and remarkably cohesive attempt to understand the divine by giving it human traits and emotions. According to Aslan, this innate desire to humanize God is hardwired in our brains, making it a central feature of nearly every religious tradition. As Aslan writes, "Whether we are aware of it or not, and regardless if we are believers or not, what the vast majority of us think about when we think about God is a divine version of ourselves."
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His best work yet
- By Jeff M on 11-15-17
By: Reza Aslan
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2084
- Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity
- By: John C. Lennox
- Narrated by: Justin Brierley
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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What will the year 2084 hold for you - for your friends, for your family, and for our society? Are we doomed to the grim dystopia imagined in George Orwell's 1984? In 2084, scientist and philosopher John Lennox will introduce you to a kaleidoscope of ideas: the key developments in technological enhancement, bioengineering, and, in particular, artificial intelligence. You will discover the current capacity of AI, its advantages and disadvantages, the facts and the fiction, as well as potential future implications.
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another stellar work from Lennox!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-03-20
By: John C. Lennox
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The Landscape of History
- How Historians Map the Past
- By: John Lewis Gaddis
- Narrated by: Jack Chekijian
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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What is history, and why should we study it? Is there such a thing as historical truth? Is history a science? One of the most accomplished historians at work today, John Lewis Gaddis, answers these and other questions in this short, witty, and humane book. The Landscape of History provides a searching look at the historian's craft as well as a strong argument for why a historical consciousness should matter to us today.
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Excellent Book!
- By Billy on 09-15-18
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The Stage of Time
- Secrets of the Past, the Nature of Reality, and the Ancient Gods of History
- By: Matthew LaCroix
- Narrated by: Justin Mills
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The Stage of Time will bring you through an adventurous exploration into understanding the secrets of consciousness, ancient history, and the nature of reality. Be prepared to question the world you live in and everything you thought you knew about the universe, human origins, and the lost civilizations of antiquity. Discover thought-bending evidence from some of the oldest texts ever written and learn the reasons why their contents eventually became suppressed and hidden from most of society. Conspiracy theories or conspiracy facts, you decide what's real based on the evidence.
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Great job
- By TC on 04-01-21
By: Matthew LaCroix
What listeners say about The Patterning Instinct
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Saar Herman
- 01-10-21
Delightfully thought provoking
A different "version" of "a short history of everything, looking at reality, culture and history, from some unexpected and insightful point of views
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- Shane
- 07-24-22
A Masterpiece
I am incredibly grateful to have such intellectual masterpiece at the click of a finger. Many thanks to the author for the depth of this integrated wisdom, extracting patterns of meaning across thousands of years, to tell the our meta-story. From detailed, macro vision to a vast, universal understanding. This book brought many insights. I recommend to read the book; The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary if you enjoyed this read. Also, it reminded me a talk between Jonathan Pageau and Jordan Peterson. I wish the authors could eventually jump on a podcast with him, it would be incredible to witness the conversation that would come out of it.
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- Rob
- 10-16-21
astounding scope, depth, and insight!
if everyone in the world read this book, out troubles would be over. just fantastic.
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- Serena Mitchell
- 08-05-21
learning to see
great review of world history and the history of religions. it's helpful in sorting out the different threads that have brought us to this moment of Truth.
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- Vincent Chen
- 04-08-23
A must read
Essential reading for everyone who wants to learn about our past and cares about the future of humanity.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-11-19
contains a varied perspective
Struggled a little to read it in couple of points, but supper interesting, very deep approach, enthusiastic in connecting view points of history, social, philosophical, religious, industrial, economic fields .If you have interest in any of those field you will be intertained by the interwoven plot of meaning in between them!
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- Takatin
- 06-02-18
Wow, this is a great book, i learned so much!
i love how there a story for every point, i also felt there was a steady flow of thought that lead to the point. i learned the growth of philosophy from different global regions and how they influence the philosophy of today's world. i would like to thank the author for putting the time and effort into creating this book!
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- Ryan
- 08-17-21
Perfect Combo of History & Philosophy
Really well done, this was a perfect combo of history & philosophy. Very education on a wide range of topics, but was still very well organized.
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- GnH
- 08-10-22
A must read
My only gripe with this book is that you have to sit through a zillion hours before we get to some of the ideas that might actually save this little blue green marble we live on. One of the most interesting books I’ve ever listened to!
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- Thomas E. Manes
- 12-03-22
Essential
This is the guidebook for our time, or at least one of the most important ones.
A comprehensive view of the trajectory of humanity throughout history and into the present day, as well as the alternate futures that lie before us based upon the choices we make, both individually and collectively. This book offers a clear examination of how our values and culture are shaped, and how we might engage with that process creatively in order to integrate more fully with the planet and help direct us into greater thriving and a more sustainable world.
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