If alien beings have been observing the course of human history over the last few thousand years they might well have reached the conclusion tha human beings are the product of a scientific experiment which went horriby wrong. Steve Taylor writes about the balance between the bright side of human achievement and the other devastating, dark side, that is war, patriarchy and social inequality.
The Fall
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An important and fascinating book about the origin, history and impending demise of the ego - humanity's collective dysfunction. The Fall is highly readable and enlightening, as the author's acute mind is at all times imbued with the higher faculty of spiritual awareness. --Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth, The Power of Now and many more
It is my fervent wish that this important book will have a wide audience. In a world where the very existence of humanity is threatened, Steve Taylor offers a visionary yet practical path out of the morass that distorts human nature. --Stanley Krippner, Professor of Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, California
This is an important book which deserves to be read widely. Ultimately Taylor brings a message of hope. He challenges us all to transcend the ego and integrate the intellectual brilliance it has given us with the intense connectedness and aliveness that spiritual practices can bring us. He challenges us to make a difference to the world by transforming ourselves through meditation and the pragmatic activities of service, living lightly and promoting social change. He presents a vision of a possible future in which there is no war ... male domination and social inequality, no shame of sex or the body, and no domination of other species and the natural world. Written in clear, lucid prose, this book is easy to read and Taylor s sources are well referenced for those who want to dig deeper. I strongly recommend it. , --Malcom Hollick, author The Science of Oneness
It is my fervent wish that this important book will have a wide audience. In a world where the very existence of humanity is threatened, Steve Taylor offers a visionary yet practical path out of the morass that distorts human nature. --Stanley Krippner, Professor of Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, California
This is an important book which deserves to be read widely. Ultimately Taylor brings a message of hope. He challenges us all to transcend the ego and integrate the intellectual brilliance it has given us with the intense connectedness and aliveness that spiritual practices can bring us. He challenges us to make a difference to the world by transforming ourselves through meditation and the pragmatic activities of service, living lightly and promoting social change. He presents a vision of a possible future in which there is no war ... male domination and social inequality, no shame of sex or the body, and no domination of other species and the natural world. Written in clear, lucid prose, this book is easy to read and Taylor s sources are well referenced for those who want to dig deeper. I strongly recommend it. , --Malcom Hollick, author The Science of Oneness
From the Publisher
‘The Fall is an astonishing work, full of amazing erudition, all brilliantly organised and argued.
The argument that human beings have not always been - and do not have to be - such a psychological mess
is presented with a beautiful inevitability and logic. The book is a remarkable feat.’ Colin Wilson
The argument that human beings have not always been - and do not have to be - such a psychological mess
is presented with a beautiful inevitability and logic. The book is a remarkable feat.’ Colin Wilson
‘Taylor’s ideas are provocative, and never fail to captivate the reader. It is my fervent wish that this important book will have a wide audience and reach the individuals and institutions that mould public opinion and behaviour. In a world where the very existence of humanity is threatened, Steve Taylor offers a visionary yet practical path out of the morass that distorts human nature.
From the Foreword by Dr Stanley Krippner, Professor of Psychology, Saybrooke Graduate School, California.
"The Fall gives a wonderful summary of a great deal of data and draws from many sources…It is an important book which makes a powerful contribution to the argument that cruelty and violence are not inevitable." Riane Eisler
Inside This Book
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 90 people found the following review helpful
By Simon
Format:Paperback
I bought this book after reading Eckhart Tolle's endorsement: "A fascinating and important book on the origin, development and the imminent demise of the ego...Highly readable and enlightening, as the author's acute mind is imbued with the higher faculty of spiritual awareness." Eckhart Tolle's books have changed my life so I was sure this book would be important for me too, and haven't been wrong. I've read it through over the last three days and feel also though my whole outlook on the world has been altered. This book is a complete revisioning of human history from a spiritual point of view, seeing human history in terms of the development of the ego, looking at how the ego has given rise to thousands of years of violence and oppression. Taylor looks in turn at warfare, male domination, social inequality, alienation from the body, abuse of the natural world and so on, showing how the over-developed sense of ego produces these problems.
The book makes the important point - using a massive range of research - that earlier human beings and many of the world's native peoples - did not have our strong sense of self or ego and so were free from all of this disorder. The book's depiction of how the insanity of so much human behaviour is produced by the ego is riveting and extremely impressive. After reading this there is no way you can look at "normal" human behaviour in the same way. Taylor makes it absolutely clear that what we consider as normal is, in many ways, insane. And just as impressively, Taylor puts together an extremely good case for the idea that we are beginning to transcend the insanity of the ego and moving into a new era. This is one of those books which makes you look at the world in a new light, and gives you inspiration and hope for the future.... Read more ›
The book makes the important point - using a massive range of research - that earlier human beings and many of the world's native peoples - did not have our strong sense of self or ego and so were free from all of this disorder. The book's depiction of how the insanity of so much human behaviour is produced by the ego is riveting and extremely impressive. After reading this there is no way you can look at "normal" human behaviour in the same way. Taylor makes it absolutely clear that what we consider as normal is, in many ways, insane. And just as impressively, Taylor puts together an extremely good case for the idea that we are beginning to transcend the insanity of the ego and moving into a new era. This is one of those books which makes you look at the world in a new light, and gives you inspiration and hope for the future.... Read more ›
63 of 70 people found the following review helpful
By inner child
Format:Paperback
This book is amazing - a review of human history over thousands of years and looking into the future as well - it has a vast scope. But most of all it has a powerful spiritual perspective, looking at how the human mind (the over-developed ego as the author calls it) has given birth to most of our problems in history and in terms of our own psychology. For the last 6000 years human life has been full of suffering - but now, according to the this book, we may be moving into a new evolutionary phase, in which we are beginning to transcend our insanity and the social and psychological problems which come from it. I saw this book recommended on Eckhart Tolle's website, and have not been disappointed. A powerful combination of history, psychology and spirtuality.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is in my view a well written and informative treatise on social history.Most of the evidence for the fall from a "golden age" is speculative but convincing all the same. The book is very readable and well laid out and contains some fascinating facts.For the most part the book covers the history of mankind from a spiritual standpoint without being too dreamy and utopian.
39 of 44 people found the following review helpful
By Paul Francis
Format:Paperback
This is one of the very best books that I have ever read. Whilst I don't always agree with everything he says, and there is a sense at times that he is selecting the evidence to fit his theories, the overall arguments of the book just feel profoundly right. It is like having something confirmed that you knew was right at some deep, almost unconscious level. The world seems very different afterwards. Fantastic stuff, and hugely readable. A must-read book.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Maddy T
Format:Paperback
Have the majority of human beings departed from their sanity? According to Steve Taylor that is possibly the case, and he reckons we can pinpoint when our crazy train left, and which station it departed from, and why!
Steve puts forward a well researched academic theory in a friendly and easy going style accessible to anyone.
He challenges the traditional scientific criteria that has been used to mark the "progress" and "evolution" of the human psyche. This book gave me a different way of viewing the "evolution" of our minds, and what we view as "normal" human behaviour.
I couldn't give it the full 5 stars because at times for me it just felt like the balance of evidence had been just a little too artificially tilted in favour of the theory...but hey, I have no expertise in the areas Steve explores, so I'm just going by a gut feel here.
Anyhow, the importance of what the book is trying to say reaches far deeper than the need for a watertight and totally unbiased theory! For me, it is more about whether we should just accept what the scientists tell us about ourselves, or whether we should be challenging these scientific "truths" so we can break out of this highly destructive and life threatening lethargy the human race seems to have fallen into.
Steve puts forward a well researched academic theory in a friendly and easy going style accessible to anyone.
He challenges the traditional scientific criteria that has been used to mark the "progress" and "evolution" of the human psyche. This book gave me a different way of viewing the "evolution" of our minds, and what we view as "normal" human behaviour.
I couldn't give it the full 5 stars because at times for me it just felt like the balance of evidence had been just a little too artificially tilted in favour of the theory...but hey, I have no expertise in the areas Steve explores, so I'm just going by a gut feel here.
Anyhow, the importance of what the book is trying to say reaches far deeper than the need for a watertight and totally unbiased theory! For me, it is more about whether we should just accept what the scientists tell us about ourselves, or whether we should be challenging these scientific "truths" so we can break out of this highly destructive and life threatening lethargy the human race seems to have fallen into.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By V. Mckenna
Format:Paperback
There is nothing to add to the reviews already written but I do want to add to the amount of well deserved praise directed at the author! Steve Taylor has put into words--so eloquently--all that I have been thinking over the past several years. Life energy manifests as our changing universe and the Ego was developed to cope with that state of change. Unfortunately a sense of seperation arose, fear followed and the Ego , feeling unable/inadequate to cope, developed all sorts of strategies to protect itself --attempts to cling to a sense of safety. As time went by, historically this evolved into the Ego domination of most of the planet --what Taylor calls the Fallen state. And war is the major manifestation of this Ego evolution --nations warring against each other , men warring against women, peoples warring against mother earth. The solution to this sorry state is to choose to align with the energy of the pre fall state --we are evolving towards that as seen in the waves of spiritual growth and teachers such as the Buddha and Lao Tsu. He suggests this process is now speeding up and leaves the reader feeling hopeful and empowered--we can choose to let go of the inflexible crazy Ego and instead live without fear --tolerant of each other, open, sane and healed. Its up to us.
My wish is that this book becomes a text book available in secondary schools --a marvellous opportunity for young people to absorb positive, compassionate values. Vicki Mckenna author of "A Balanced Way of Living;Practical and Holistic Strategies for Coping with Post Polio Syndrome"
My wish is that this book becomes a text book available in secondary schools --a marvellous opportunity for young people to absorb positive, compassionate values. Vicki Mckenna author of "A Balanced Way of Living;Practical and Holistic Strategies for Coping with Post Polio Syndrome"
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very credible overview of what is wrong with the human race.
I would recommend this book to everyone who has an open mind and a desire to understand and work towards a sustainable violent free future for not only humankind but all of God's... Read more
Published 1 month ago by D.Gwillim, Veg4Lent www.veg4lent.org
5.0 out of 5 stars
Many thanks
This is the book I've been waiting for all my life. It has answered every question I've ever wanted to ask but didn't know how to ask. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lea Katerin Ryan
4.0 out of 5 stars
A really good book but..........
The basic concept I believe is valid and I really enjoyed reading the authors ideas.... but the downside is that they are not all of the authors ideas. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr M Duxbury
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!
This book is both a wonderfully well written and well researched study of why the human psyche is the way it is. Read more
Published 7 months ago by W. Brotherston
3.0 out of 5 stars
Back To The Start
Do you ever wonder why you are like you are? Why you need to go shopping, even though you may not actually need anything; why you watch so much television; why you get so... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Honrus Publicus
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Fall
This is a very well researched book that gives a cogent argument for why the peoples on this planet have been at war for the last 8,000 years. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr Dave C
3.0 out of 5 stars
Complete Supposition
I found the many assumptions within this book rather juvenile. That's all I have to say.
Other than, might I, with the greatest possible respect, refer you to anything... Read more
Other than, might I, with the greatest possible respect, refer you to anything... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Monk
2.0 out of 5 stars
one-sided and selective...
This book is easy to read and to understand, but I felt that the writer is selective and one-sided with the evidence. Read more
Published on 25 Dec 2010 by mikkip
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Fall
A very profound read. The history and philosophy are essential for understanding the psycholgy of the human condition.
Published on 5 July 2010 by Chateau H
2.0 out of 5 stars
naive is maybe a bit kind..
This book looks quite convincing and scientific but so many times the "evidence" is selective,particularly absences of proof are taken as proof of absence (eg of aggression in... Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2010 by Silver Moon Sailor
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