Sex, Drugs, Einstein & Elves: Sushi, Psychedelics, Parallel Universes and the Quest for...

Sex, Drugs, Einstein & Elves: Sushi, Psychedelics, Parallel Universes and the Quest for Transcendence | Clifford A. Pickover | Pickover Book

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Sex, Drugs, Einste...

	Sex, Drugs, Einstein & Elves: Sushi, Psychedelics, Parallel Universes and the Quest for Transcendence Clifford A. Pickover Smart Publications, 2005 - 318 pages average customer review:based on 54 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A smorgasbord of subjects designed to bend reality and stretch the reader's mind.

A book about everything (almost) for everybody (almost)

The title of this review is of course facetious. It's not about everything, but it is about everything that ultimately matters: human beings and the ways they imagine the world and create it; and re-imagine the world and re-create it.
In this book, Clifford Pickover in a stream of consciousness and easy to read style gives the reader the tools to better understand the human condition and allow us to rise above it; or as the title suggests, to "transcend" the human condition through knowledge, perspective and understanding.
By giving us "tools" I don't mean to suggest that this book is work or tedious. To the contrary, I've never had such fun reading a book before. The ideas come fast and furious and just when you follow a certain path, Clifford Pickover takes you down another. But none of them are blind alleys. The paths run parallel, though they will all meet up one day (although I might add, probably in a parallel dimension). For instance, in one Chapter alone ("From Holiday Inn to the Head of Christ") Mr. Pickover leads us down paths that show us his memories of celery flavored soda; the concept behind the Holiday Inn chain; the psychology of television laugh tracks; Thomas Jefferson's remarkably humane version of the Bible; DMT elves; living forever in the Pi matrix; and the kinds of maths that Jesus would have known. I was naturally buzzed after reading that Chapter. (And all this time I thought Holiday Inn was just a hotel chain. It never occurred to me that the Holiday Inn really changed behavior on a large scale by making it easy for most Americans to take long distance vacations. Think about it!)
This book really is for everybody as my review title suggests. Except, of course its probably not for those who have no interest in the world around them and no interest in understanding and making the world and themselves a little better through knowledge and insight. Unfortunately, those are the exact people who need this book the most. The rest of us will simply want to read this amazing book like we want to breathe the air. Free your mind, and the rest will follow.

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This is an interesting work by a scientist who is interested in exotic psychedelics, Proust, Einstein, Surrealism and other singularly offbeat subjects.

Fantastic.

This is a great book, which touches on a number of subjects, but is directed to the concept that our language dictates our concept of our "reality". You just have to read it, as there are way too many references to everything from Sushi, to Machine Elves..... A great read if you have a good sense of humor. I would recommend this book to anyone who isn't an idiot. Well, even some idiots.... Eric Melendy, Memphis Tennessee. 4/1/08 April Fools!

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Fascinating in the least

This book isn't the most cohesive look at psychedelia's possible link to alternate realities though it produces some good arguments and questions about it. This book is a lot of things but primarily Dr. Pickovers own ideas into the evolution of language and its inherent limitations that keep us from experiencing things like alternate universes. The idea that language shapes our realities isn't new but that there might be possible ways to escape the vortex of our current reality via mind altering substances was entertaining to me. I would have given this book 5 stars if it weren't for the lecture on creative writing found in chapter 6 or 7. I would have cherished something that was more binding of the previous chapters to the later ones. None the less his stories, insights, and questions provide for a trip into Pickovers mind about where the state of reality really lies. I don't know if there was a purpose to writing this book but I found a nice and intriguing way to pass the time on the bus. Give it a try you just might like it.

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Intertesting conjectures but scattered

I haven't read any Pickover since _Computers, Pattern, Chaos and Beauty_, so I was looking forward to _Sex..._, especially with the promise of such a wide array of subjects. There were a few parts of this book that were very interesting, such as the lists of different authors favorite words, and a couple of passages made me laugh out loud (but a few of those were quotes). The chapter on his publishing experience came across as arrogant, if not useful for aspiring writers, and the constant mentions of his other books got annoying.

The most disappointing thing, and this is probably to be expected of a collection with such a broad subject matter, is that he barely scratches the surface with most of his ideas. I wanted to learn more about several of the subjects, but he just didn't go deep enough. In that regard, the provided list of recommended further reading will be useful.

One other thing: there was hardly any sex in the book! Unless you count his brief mentions of fried fugu sperm, fractal sex, fish sex calls, and penis-enlargement spam, the only mentions of sex are Annie Sprinkle's list of favorite words, some thoughts on what alien sex would be like, and a short exposition about the effects of technology on reproduction and orgasm length. It's like the word was put in the title to attract readers.

For all the criticism I offer, I do like Pickover. His thoughts and interests resonate with me. He is fascinated by reality, the nature of being and all of the colorful things in the universe.

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