One of the few books mentioned by title in the Catalogue of the Inst. of Chaos Studies & Imaginal Yoga (see #9 in this list). The "mundus imaginalis", also called the World of Archetypes or the "Isthmus" (Arabic, barzakh), lies in-between t…The first and still the most complete introduction to chaos — required reading — BUT with certain caveats. First: Gleick has no philosophical or poetic depth; he actually begins the book with a quote from John Updike! No mention of chaos my…
James Gleick
writer · 2 mentions across 1 reading
In this course
Gleick is the canonical popular science interpreter of chaos theory whose *Chaos* provides the field's most accessible narrative foundation, though the course frames him as insufficiently attentive to chaos's deeper philosophical and mythological dimensions—particularly its absence of engagement with non-Western cosmologies or the "mundus imaginalis" traditions that contextualize chaos epistemologically. His role here is foundational but limited: he enables the initial conceptual literacy around dynamical systems and sensitive dependence that later readings will complicate through esoteric, artistic, and non-Anglophone frameworks.
Background
James Gleick is an American author and historian of science whose work has chronicled the cultural impact of modern technology. Recognized for his writing about complex subjects through the techniques of narrative nonfiction, he has been called "one of the great science writers of all time". He is part of the inspiration for Jurassic Park character Ian Malcolm.
Wikipedia →Mentioned in 1 reading
Appears alongside
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