Fire in the mind : science, faith, and the search for order

428 Pages·1996·2.35 MB·English

by  Johnson

GEORGE JOHNSON’S
Acclaim for
FIRE IN THE MIND
“Undeniably fascinating…. Johnson is masterful at explaining complicated ideas and fitting them
into the framework of modern science.”
—Jill Sapinsley Mooney, San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle
“Subversive…. Johnson has veered away from the pack with a brilliant new book, one that raises
unsettling questions about the claims of science to truth…. Readers are unlikely to finish the
book without undergoing a crisis of faith.”
—John Horgan, The Sciences
“Clear and thought-provoking…. An intellectual and cultural journey through the landscape of
northern New Mexico…. An excellent book.”
—David K. Nartonis, Christian Science Monitor
“Remarkable and eloquent…. Original and revealing … Johnson’s desire not only to explain but
to understand the urge to explain infuses Fire in the Mind with its own fire.”
—Seth Lloyd, Scientific American
“Here is a book in the spirit of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Compression is the
essence of science [and] Johnson proceeds to compress with utter clarity, almost casually tap-
dancing his way through particle physics, quantum theory, cosmology and evolutionary
biology…. Fire in the Mind is a connoisseur’s gazetteer…. Vibrant and exhilarating and even
inspirational.”
—Ian Watson, New Scientist
“One of the most stimulating books of popular science to have been written for some time.”
—Ray Monk, The London Observer
“A spectacular tour of the most compelling theories of current science.”
—Jon Turney, The Financial Times of London
“Fire in the Mind is thoughtful, it is beautifully written, and like all courageous writing, it accepts
no assumptions, examines every premise, questions every unquestioned foundation; and yet this
subversiveness is so gentle (or sly) that most readers won’t realize how dangerous is the territory
through which they are being led…. It is really a great piece of work.”
—Stephen Hall, author of Mapping the Next Millennium
“Brilliantly illuminates the complex, deceptive relationship that exists between the physical
universe and our perception of it.”
—Douglas Adams
“Fire in the Mind is a New Mexico mystery story of a different kind. Johnson has given us a
thought-provoking look at a fascinating subject.”
—Tony Hillerman
“Johnson presents a laudable link between three faith systems … all of which, because they are
derived from human desire, chase the same elusive goal—the ordering of chaos…. [An] excellent
account.”
—Michael White, Sunday Times(London)
“An invigorating and original examination of the interface between faith and science….
Articulate and vivid … seductively reasoned.”
—Donna Seaman, Hungry Mind Review
“Rich and engaging … fresh and luminous … takes us to the heart of a profound intellectual
issue of our time.”
—Chet Raymo, Commonweal
“Where does myth end and science begin? With a novelist’s skill, George Johnson pulls us into a
story of wonder, beauty, and the human drive to make sense of the universe.”
—Patricia Smith Churchland
“Fluid poetry…. This is a book to read meditatively, happily and to rejoice that such a writer
exists.”
—Anne Fulk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
GEORGE JOHNSON
FIRE IN THE MIND
George Johnson writes about science for The New York Times, and has
written regularly for The New York Times Book Review and The New York
Times Magazine. He is the author of three previous books: Architects of
Fear, Machinery of the Mind, and In the Palaces of Memory. A former
Alicia Patterson Fellow and the recipient of a Special Achievement in
Nonfiction award from the Los Angeles chapter of PEN, Mr. Johnson
grew up in New Mexico and now lives in Santa Fe.
Books by GEORGE JOHNSON
Fire in the Mind:
Science, Faith and the Search for Order
In the Palaces of Memory:
How We Build the Worlds Inside Our Heads
Machinery of the Mind:
Inside the New Science of Artificial Intelligence
Architects of Fear:
Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics

FIRST VINTAGE BOOKS EDITION, SEPTEMBER 1996
Copyright © 1995 by George Johnson
Illustrations and maps copyright © 1995 by David Cain
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in
the United States by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and
simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published in
hardcover by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, in 1995.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the Knopf edition as follows:
Johnson, George.
Fire in the mind: science, faith, and the search for order /
George Johnson.
p. cm.
1. Religion and science. 2. Hermanos Penitentes. 3. Tewa philosophy.
4. Science—Philosophy. 5. Johnson, George.
6. New Mexico—Description and travel. I. Title.
BL240.2.J547 1995
215—dc2o 94-38382
eISBN: 978-0-30776544-4
Random House Web address: www.randomhouse.com/
Author photograph © by Maggie Berkvist
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