Selected Quotes From Reviews of the Anthropic Cosmological Principle
The Anthropic Cosmological Principle
"... a remarkable book and a masterly exposition of what seems bound to
become one of the most important developments to have taken place in
physical science. ... after this account fundamental physics can never be
the same again. ... I would urge every scientist concerned about the
significance of his own pursuits to read and ponder upon the insights of
this book."
--Sir Willam McCrea, FRS,
Times Literary Supplement
(1/2/87)
"... fascinating ... a tour de force. ... I highly recommend it to anyone
with a serious interest in science or in questions relating to the universe
and our existence."
--Sky & Telescope (2/87)
"... a feast: the kind of volume which tells you everything you want to
know about everything ... a... book... on nothing less than man's place in
the universe."
-- The Economist (1/2/87)
"... a work that should be ... in the hands of anyone who would see the
state of late 20th century cosmology and where it is heading. ... Barrow
and Tipler have made a 'classic' contribution to cosmology both in terms of
their creative thinking and in their elaboration of the scope of the
field."
-- Journal of the American
Scientific Affiliation(12/86)
"... a remarkable book..."
--Daily Telegraph (9/1/86)
"... [an] impressive work on the philosophical issues of modern cosmology.
...The Anthropic Cosmological Principle is a comprehensive work that does
justice to a fascinating subject."
--American Scientist(1/87)
"... the appearance of a work of such depth and breath of thought is ... an
exceedingly rare occurrence. ... seven hundred pages of concentrated
reasoning based on extraordinary erudition... Such is the scope they
achieve, I am driven to think they must be the only people in the Galaxy
qualified to review their own book."
--Sir Willam McCrea, FRS,
Times Literary Supplement
(1/2/87)
"Is the Universe made for mankind? ... [Barrow and Tipler's] discussion is
on as heroic a scale as the idea itself. ... [this reviewer] found this
book extremely stimulating and interesting. ... it will be as widely read
as it deserves to be."
--New Scientist (5/1/86)
"... a marvelous treasure trove... a joy to all cosmologists and would-be
cosmologists ... Much of the book is original ... And it is a great
bargain.
--Science (5/23/86)
"... The general public will soon hear of this book as the answer to the
futility of speculations about extraterrestrial civilizations."
--S.L. Jaki, Reflections
(Fall, 1986)
"... this is a remarkable book. Nobody truly interested in philosophical
aspects of cosmology can dispense with reading it. ... this book marks a
new step along our way of addressing questions to the Universe."
--Classical and Quantum
Gravity (3,727 (1986))
"... scholarly, philosophically sophisticated ... an engaging book,
practically a universal education in the history of modern science and the
history of the Universe. This book will be much quoted, much debated, and
much praised. It deserves a place on the shelf of any serious scholar of
science."
--Nature (3/27/86)
"... a clear, exhaustively researched book ... Mr. Barrow and Mr. Tipler
obviously have done an enormous amount of research ... it is a book that
impels the reader to think, and it may alter the terms of discourse within
which it will be judged."
--New York Times Book
Review (2/16/86)
"... should provoke lively debate among intelligent creatures for years to
come."
--The Sciences (9/86)
"..well-written, painstakingly researched, fascinating, exasperating.."
--Martin Gardner, New
York Review of Books
(5/8/86)
"... written with great eloquence and zest ... a piece of natural
philosophy in the old-fashioned sense ... only readers who are such
impressive polymaths as the authors will really and fully appreciate the
whole lot ... but ... I believe that any reader, whatever his background,
is going to find parts of this book fascinating provided that the reader
has ever wondered about the world and why we come to be in it."
--Martin Rees, FRS,
former Plumian Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge University, now
Royal
Society Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge and Astronomer Royal,
on BBC
program SCIENCE NOW (4/7/86)
"... the present book ... has no competitor in completeness and modernity..."
--Choice (7/86)
"... a tour de force..."
--The Boston Globe
"... scholarly and thorough... [the book] is not intended to settle a
debate [on] ... the role we, as conscious purposive individuals, have to
play in the great scheme of things ... but to stiffen it with some hard
science. In this it has succeeded admirably."
--P.C.W. Davies, Times
Higher Education Supple-
ment (3/21/86)
"... a controversial new book ... will inspire discussion and debate, as we
again think through the place of science, history, philosophy, and man in
the universe."
--The Christian Science
Monitor (7/3/86)
"... The Anthropic Cosmological Principle is a tour de force of
contemporary scientific writing. This is a scholarly work and a major
source book for all who are interested in man's relation to the cosmos."
-- Sir Bernard Lovell, FRS
The Good Book Guide:
Annual Selection for 1987
(2/87)
"... fascinating and entertaining ... a major contribution to scientific
and philosophical debate, and a delight to dip into."
-- The Good Book Guide:
Annual Selection for 1987
(2/87)
"An extraordinary, interesting book which will cause a great deal of
revised thinking in virtually every area of cerebration. ..."
--Ashley Montagu
"... a tour de force ..."
-- Robert Jastrow
"... [Barrow and Tipler] ... did their homework on philosophy and theology
thoroughly..."
-- Ian Barbour, Dallas
Morning News (2/23/87)
"... the most wanted book on the A shelf " of the British Library Document
Supply Centre,the world's largest reference library."
--The Guardian (9/18/86)
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