The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
by Jeremy Narby
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.49 You Save: $6.46 (43%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.98 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
Book Review: Good questions, but inconclusive
Summary: 4 Stars
Jeremy Narby's argument is that when shaman's drink hallucinogenic brews, their consciousness sinks to the molecular level, and literally communicates with DNA, the basic building block of life. DNA appears to shamans, and others who drink these magic brews, as serpents. This is why, Narby claims, serpents loom large in ancient cultures around the world. It is also how shamans get their expert knowledge of plants. When shamans say that the spirit in the plants tell them how to concoct life-saving remedies, they mean what they say. In hallucinogenic trances, the plants speak. Narby goes onto to speculate that the world is one vast communication network among strands of DNA. You don't have to buy the DNA-communication theory to enjoy this book. It is written in an engaging, personal, first person narrative style. It shows how science works, how "eureka moments" occur when one is relaxed and thinking about other things. Maybe his theory is totally off-base, but even so, big ideas like this one often spur research in different, interesting directions. We are only as good as our questions, and Narby's question is a great one: What if the shamans are right?Book Review: Weird
Summary: 1 Stars
This book develops a hypothesis that DNA expresses information about itself to humans through consumption of hallucinogenic plant substances. As support for his idea, Narby notes that many cultures worldwide worshiped serpents or used serpent symbols in some form or another. Narby attributes this to the serpentine nature of the form of DNA which is expressing knowledge of itself to people. According to Narby, people from less-developed cultures, especially religious people, are more likely to be receptive to the messages from DNA because training in rational thought processes doesn't get in the way of transmission of the messages. For me, the most valuable observation that Narby makes is that through meditation, one may connect with new ideas and ways to look at problems that the unconscious mind has discovered while the rational mind was chasing down facts. Unlike Narby, however, I think I personally would look for a few more pieces of hard evidence to support the wild ideas of the unconscious mind before publishing them. The book includes extensive references; in fact, there are 60 pages of endnotes and 20 pages of bibliography in the 246 page text.Book Review: narby vs darwin
Summary: 4 Stars
I learned more about DNA in this book than I did all through high school!(which might tell you something about me...or my teachers) Though looking over the other reviews here, I found that others think he is not a very well researched scientist, though I don't know enough about the subject to tell. Most books about DNA are written textbook style, by people who like to use big words, to impress, I suppose. I usually think that if something is written understandably(like Cosmic Serpent), it is because the author really knows his stuff, and doesn't need to try to confuse people with too many technical terms. Or maybe I am just dumb. Anyway, I think it is great that Narby questions Darwinist theory. Darwin's theory of evolution is taught in school as truth, and, assumably, just readily accepted by most scientists. You know, it was also assumed for a thousand years or so that the earth was flat and everything evolved around it. It is always good to question. While all of his theories might not hold up, he still gets one's mind a turnin'! This book really opened up my mind(apologies for being cliche)Book Review: Incredible Ruminations
Summary: 4 Stars
This book takes you on a wild ride of DNA, mythology, and culture and somehow integrates them. The only problem is you have to be somewhat of a believer in the first place to allow Mr. Narby to buckle you in and hit the thrusts. Really though, it is a fascinating cultural study that never claims to be true or untrue, it just reports what was said and seen. There is a power to ayahuasca and hallucinogenic drugs of which we still don't know the full extent. This book is far-fetched but in today¡¯s rapidly changing world it¡¯s not impossible that we (from the modern world) will not soon agree with them (from the 'primitive' world).The best part of the book is the way it personalizes and characterizes DNA. After reading it it¡¯s all you will think about: how much is DNA effecting everything we do.
It¡¯s a fascinating read. It points out simple similarities like the fact that the double helix is shaped like a snake but then goes into detail that I can't do justice to here. If you have any interest in DNA or anthopological studies then this book is a must.
Book Review: Modern Mythology
Summary: 2 Stars
Apparently countless civilizations have recognized the serpent or other double-helix like shapes as of primal importance, and consumption of hallucogenic drugs induces similar visions. Narby has taken this information and declared that humans are, and always have been, somehow aware of the DNA that underlies our existence. He also believes that DNA has intentions, can communicate with us, and it not of this world (he does not believe in natural selection, etc). As a geneticist with an interest in neurobiology and consciousness myself, I am aware that he has butchered much of the science he presents (for example, claiming that the circularity of natural selection makes it untestable). However he writes well, and I enjoyed reading about the anthropology (which appears well documented to my admittedly inexpert eye) that led him to derive this new mythology. I certainly don't agree with his conclusions, but I appreciate his intellectual creativity and sense of discovery.