Wonder: When and Why the World Appears Radiant

You are invited to attend a FREE reading of Wonder by the noted author, Paul R. Fleischman. To reserve a place at the one of the three Bay Area readings, please click on the appropriate link below.

About Wonder

What do a marigold, starlight over South Africa, and the birth of a child have in common?Every person, plant, and star springs up from information compounded by interaction.We are embedded in an ancient, intricate world. Changing combinations of atoms pass through the long filter of history and natural law, to form planet Earth, whales, and our own thoughts. Based on the growth of evidence explaining how the world is put together, we have become the first generation to have a narrative that unites electron motion to our breath, and that connects hydrogen fusion in the sun to the energy that powers our own minds. We can describe how the proteins in our mitochondria pinch and place into perfect position metal ions that were forged in exploding stars. We cohere for a moment, suspended between information, order, and transformation of all things. This book is a scientific and literary exploration of those discoveries that reveal our deepest identity. Through our urge to understand and communicate, we have uncovered new meanings that infuse our days with wonder.

About the Author

Dr. Paul R. Fleischman, M.D., is a retired psychiatrist and a winner of Oskar Pfister Award, an author of nine books and a long-time student of the Buddha’s teachings. Trained in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, he held a private psychiatric practice for more than 30-years. He was honored by the American Psychiatric Association with the Oskar Pfister Award for being an "...outstanding contributor to the humanistic and spiritual side of psychiatric and medical issues.” Dr. Fleischman is an engaging and inspiring speaker. 
A few of his books include:

Quotes About the Book

"Wonder is unquestionably one of the most wonderful books I have ever come across. Adjectives such as brilliant, enlightening, poetic, comprehensive, and holistic do not do adequate justice to the richness of thought in this voyage into humanity's identity. The breadth and depth of knowledge is amazing, but even more striking is the ability to weave a tapestry of vision about the "beingness" of humanity that is as much artistic as it is scientific. One needs to read this book slowly in order to truly appreciate the beauty and strength of its creative thought."
- Dilip V. Jeste, M.D., 
Recent Past President, American Psychiatric Association

"With exquisite language typical of poets, spiritual leaders, and the best scientists, Paul R. Fleischman has accomplished what others have only attempted: to weave rigorous physical and biological knowledge with authentic spirituality, giving us a new way to explore our place in the cosmos. This book reverses scientific objectification and points toward ourselves as manifestations of an ultimate reality."
—DR. RAÚL GARCÍA-BARRIOS
Professor of Institutional Economics and Conservation Biology, National University of Mexico

"Wonder is like an excellent friend that you can carry with you and consult when you need a jolt of insight or a helpful shift in perspective. From the very large to the very small, Paul R. Fleischman captures the poetry embedded in scientific discoveries, and the scientific insight living inside of poetry. An invaluable offering for all readers curious about the world, ourselves, and the forces that make us."
—REBECCA LEMOV
Associate Professor of the History of Science Harvard University
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