Tree of Knowledge

A refreshing and new approach to cognition-one which has dramatic cultural, social, and ethical ramifications. . . . While stimulating the imagination of readers it has, however, not received the scholarly acclaim it richly deserves. - Journal of Religion and Psychical Research A book with great breadth and ambition . . . In the age of specialization, it is refreshing to come across a book with conceptual breadth and originality. - Contemporary Psychology An important milestone in our current efforts to recognize that science is not value-free, and that fact and value are inevitably tied together. -Morris Berman, author of Coming to Our Senses A beautiful and clearly written guide to thought and perception-something that, like life itself, we take for granted but do not understand. The authors were the pioneers and are now the authoritative figures in the science of cognition: their book is rewarding, thorough, and very readable to anyone curious about the mind and the way that it works. -James Lovelock, author of Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth The ideas presented in this book are radical and exciting, disturbing and challenging. For the first time we are shown the outlines of a unified scientific conception of mind, matter, and life. The fruits of Maturana and Varela's Tree of Knowledge include the central insight that cognition is not a representation of the world 'out there,' but rather a 'bringing forth of the world through the process of living itself,' and the stunningly beautiful conclusion: 'We have only the world that we can bring forth with others, and only love helps bring it forth. -Fritjof Capra, author The Tao of Physics