The Evolutionary Outrider

This remarkable book has been on my shelf far too long and deserves close reading by all interested in the evolution of consciousness and its implications for society. The essays are dedicated to Ervin Laszlo and are written by members of the General Evolution Research Group, which he founded. Perhaps the key idea underlying the book is the revisioning of evolution away from a focus on the prehuman extended (in a reductionist fashion) to the human and the disciplines of psychology, sociology, economics, political science, creativity, brain research and gender-related theory. The contributors are a roll-call of the great and the good in new paradigm thinking: Fritjof Capra, Mae-Wan Ho, Karl Pribram, Ralph Abraham, Riane Eisler, Hazel Handerson, Paul Ray and others, who expound their own thinking and comment on some key concepts advanced by Ervin. Ervin contributes a fascinating essay on his own journey from concert pianist to President of the Club of Budapest devoted to the emergence of planetary consciousness. He is also given the last word in which he reflects on two key insights: the interconnectedness of life and the importance of co-evolution and a sense of responsibility that it implies.