A Guide for the Perplexed

This is the best book I've ever read about why we are on this earth, the true meaning of religion, its meaning in each of our lives - if we choose to have faith - and how it is so easily and increasingly lost in modern times, where over-rationalisation and the worship of only 'measurable' scientific thinking counts for anything (especially of course money). A small and utterly profound book that needs to be read with care and not in a rush in order to capture its full and true meaning. I will treasure this book and 'replenish' myself by dipping into it if I need to, although its truths do stay with me and are not easy to forget once taken on board.

This book is a superb exposition of the deep flaws in the scientific method which has influenced everyone's lives and the scoiety we live in so profoundly. The logic of Decartes in particular is shown to be seriously fragmented, and moreover at odds with science's latest efforts to understand whole systems, like ecology, or the weather, or even economics. As a matter of fact, man is a whole system so in Schumacher's view Cartesian logic is also flawed in it's approach to life, conciousness and self-awareness, the very properties that bring great breakthroughs in science.The reason why this book is so revolutionary in my opinion is because, along with the author's previous book, Small is Beautiful, it states the case for drastically reworking the whole of human society. The modern-day confusion of life, which seems to state that the only reason for existence is to be a consumer within a global capitalist state, raises many problems of self-importance, what is the individual's worth or role in such an scenario? Of course God can't exist in such a scheme because Science can't reduce religion to analysable parts. Human evolution must be an accident because Science can't derive the formula to create life artificially....This not to say that Schumacher is claiming that the Christian God did all this and he can prove it, he merely suggests that science in itself cannot decide the truth of these things, certainly not if it is based only on objective logic. Schumacher does address these questions in a quasi-religous sense, but also makes the important point that logic or reasoning without intuition or self-knowledge is worthless, because your reason will declare your own self worthless, or some sort of random accident.What seems like an attempt to trash science is in fact more like a caution to be careful, and the introduction of Levels of Existence or Being are in fact an attempt to classify scientifically those phenomena that are so often ignored by traditional science. What Schumacher takes on is a mighty task, essentially a blueprint for a new approach to science, and within that framework new paradigms for economics and religion. Despite a few flaws, he still succeeds in creating a visionary foundation.

I read this book about 10 years ago and I still read it again and again. The author widens our perspective on science and point to the fact that 3/4 of reality can not be investigated by conventional scientific methods. I am a scientist and I read thousands of scientific reports and also report some myself. When I read this book I instantly felt that the author was absolutely right about the limitations of conventional science. Thus, his book changed my whole perspective of science and I started to investigate the "other areas". I have never regretted that. This book is beautifully written. It is one of my 3-4 favourite books which I very often take out from the bookshelf to read in silent mornings when the family is asleep. I recommend this as a first read of my favourite books. It is particularly important reading for scientists.

This is a profound piece of writing, well worth a mere ten dollars. Schumacher, even though he was a high ranking economist in the British government for over 30 years, understood that numbers and other forms of quantifiable (observable) knowledge were phantoms of true knowledge. This book, in a very dense and deep, yet perfectly rational and understantable way, describes the failure of modern societies (and people) to reconcile themselves with their past and their place in creation. Your life has a meaning and a purpose beyond your physiological composition and the consumption of material goods. Read this book to find out why.

Today, our culture is awash with advice. Psychiatrists, diet regimes, book reviews ... there's too much information for us to handle.So how can I put this without sounding smug, superior, patronising ?This is the only book that I would beg somebody to read. Enough said.(his other books are astonishing too !)