Chaos, Gaia, Eros

Book excerpt: Untitled Document Chaos, Gaia, Eros: A Chaos Pioneer Uncovers the Three Great Streams of History The History of the World According to Chaos Theory In this eclectic and interdisciplinary work, chaos pioneer Ralph Abraham traces the history of consciousness through a rediscovery of the three forces that drive it: chaos, gaia, and eros-the mind, body, and spirit of evolution. With startling originality and clarity of vision, Abraham employs photographs, timelines, charts, and an engaging format to sweep the reader along on this wild ride through math, science, mythology, philosophy, and the whole of history. Sure to fascinate the poet, scientist, philosopher, and historian in all of us, Chaos, Gaia, Eros is a mind-bending masterwork that reunites the chaotic and mythological forces of human history and blows the doors off existing modes of thought. "Chaos, Gaia, Eros deliteralizes history so we see it not only as a sequence of events, but as a flow of ideas and cultural myths... T]his is an important book for understanding the past, living in the present, and shaping the future." -David Fideler, founder of Phanes Press and editor of Alexandra: The Journal of the Western Cosmological Traditions "This extraordinary work is a veritable Rosetta stone, unlocking the past, present and future." -Joan Halifax, author of The Fruitful Darkness. " Ralph Abraham has] his own highly original ideas about the application of chaos theory to changes in history and consciousness, making for a rich and provocative blend" -Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade. "Ralph Abraham is the most readable and delightful of mathematical pioneers. He is in the great tradition of Poincar and Whitehead, a true mathematical humanist. Chaos, Gaia, Eros is destined to be a voice shaping the new millennium." -Terence McKenna, author of True Hallucinations, The Invisible Landscape, Archaic Revival and Food of the Gods. -------- Ralph Abraham is a world renowned chaos theorist and professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.