The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism

I am more of a physics person and knew very little about Eastern Mysticism but I kept an open mind and was really captivated by the comparisons made. Although there were a few times I found some comparisons a bit odd, overall, it gave me a new appreciation for Eastern thought.

Some books merely entertain us, some simply inform us, a few will even inspire us. But the best books will transform us. This book has completely changed my views on the meaning of life. It not only helped to open my eyes to the physics that underlie all existence, but also the metaphysics of the Cosmos.

Not necessarily a light read, but absolutely fascinating.Anyone following an Eastern philosophy should find this exploration interesting.

If you already read the current research in quantum physics, and have studied Asian philosophies, then this book is a complement. This is perhaps the only book I have found that articulates, as a good teacher can, particles vs. probability waves, and such. I would give it a chance, read it slowly, and you might find some things that clear up what other's haven't articulated as well. Worst case, you will be familiar with the subject if you are a scientist. Best case, you will say to yourself as I did "I wish others had phrased it that way."

This is an amazing book to read if you want to see how some of the most important ideas in eastern mysticism and modern physics are converging. Actually, the "converging" is only taking place in our understanding: the concepts and worldviews of the two schools of thought are startlingly similar and have been for some time, and the author does a great job for the most part of drawing the parallels while not getting too technical with the modern physics stuff. I say "for the most part" because towards the end of the book (about the last two chapters) he basically says "screw the layman" and delves deeply into S matrix theory in a very technical, confusing, boring, and brain-overloading way. This is where he lost me; I wasn't able to finish the book. But most of the book is a great read--one of the best on the subject in my opinion.

This has bee around for awhile, but always was interested in reading it, when I had time. So now, 45 years after I graduated in physics, I enjoyed reading it.

This is clear and elegant writing for the lay person (with some science background) on the nature of quantum physics. Yeah, the topic may seam over your head, but then, the concept of gravity was new before Isaac Newton. We managed to wrap our heads around that as a species, every child knows about gravity now by the first grade. This is the next step we will take as a species. Why do you need to know? Because, as a citizen, this will need to be taught and will affect every budget passed by every governing body. We need to be familiar with this science in order to continue this line of scientific inquiry.

This is not for novices. There are several books of knowledge crammed into this one book which will change your outlook on the world if you understand it. It's not light reading. It takes study, concentration, and reflection. But it'll give you a deep insight into the nature of eastern religions which have an ancient connection to a previous civilization we're only beginning to learn about.