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The Home of Evolutioneers

Books to Help You Understand the Universe Community, the New Universe Evolutionary Worldview and the Perspective of Evolutioneers and Planetary and Universe Citizenship

Evolution 2.0 and the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview is being adopted by Universe community member, (Evolutioneers,) and outside groups and organizations at an ever-increasing pace. The reason is simple. They both convey many tremendous survival, adaptability, sustainability, and quality-of-life success advantages for those that understand them.

The following suggested reading lists will lay out Key materials and a few of the authors, thinkers, and research resources behind Evolution 2.0 and the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview. (Please note: Quite a few, but not all of the facts, aspects, and perspectives of the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview have also been previously known as the Great Story, The Evolutionary Epic, The Big History, The Science Creation Myth, and the Universe Story.)

In the Evolution 2.0 movement, we consider the individuals, authors, and teachers listed below our honor roll of important and originating Evolutioneers for either or both Evolution 2.0 ideas and the Universe Evolutionary Worldview. Please also note that among these various individuals and organizations listed below there are significant differences in approach, emphasis, and content, and not all below hold ALL of the key and core Evolution 2.0 and Universe Evolutionary Worldview perspectives.

Key Books and Resources to Help You Understanding Evolution 2.0, the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and the Core Vision and Perspectives of Evolutioneers, Planetary and Universe Citizens and the Universe Community

The Part A list of secular science books below are key foundational Evolution 2.0 reading. They are foundational because without understanding the biological and cosmological science surrounding evolution it would be difficult to honestly call oneself an Evolutioneer or act effectively using the Universe Evolutionary Worldview's meta-principles.

These first Evolution 2.0 books describe the essential biological and cosmological over-viewing science and they contain the basic information that will inform (or realign,) one's sense of individual and collective origin, identity, and purpose. They also describe or imply in less formal ways many of the science-grounded evolutionary meta-principles for a sustainable and thriving life. 

You will also notice that the list of objective science books just below comes before the lists of subjective evolutionary philosophical or spiritual evolutionary books because objective progressive evolution "science's greatest discovery," is primary and foundational to understanding Evolution 2.0 and all of the other aspects of life. To put the more subjective nature of evolutionary philosophy or evolutionary religion before knowing the hard objective science and principles of evolution would definitely be putting the cart way before the horse.

Finally, the book lists sections below are arranged by category and in levels of difficulty (B) beginner, (I) intermediate, and (A) for the advanced. For optimal understanding in each section begin reading with the first book listed. Later readings are often significantly enhanced by the foundation gained from the earlier readings. 

You can also use these book lists below as a checklist for your personal development as an Evolution 2.0 Evolutioneer. We also strongly recommend that you get at least through all of the Part A list evolutionary science reading before going on to the other Part B evolutionary philosophy, religion economics, social sciences, and other related books farther down the page.

Part A: The Essential Science Reading of Evolution 2.0:

Level 1: Beginner Science on Evolution 2.0

1. EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution by Elisabet Sahtouris. This book is great for a basic scientific understanding of the "big picture" basics of how the whole universe has evolved over the last 13.7 billion years. It is an interesting and amazing read of how evolution shows us over and over again that it is not "survival of the fittest," but the survival of the most wisely cooperative. This book also contains the core of the new Genesis story used within the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and movement to help us inform (or realign,) our sense of individual and collective origin, identity, and purpose as Evolutionaries.

2.) Evolution For Everyone by David Sloan Wilson. A remarkable book that will help you to start to think like a science-grounded evolutionary and show you how important understanding evolution and evolutionary science is to your daily life success!

3.) View from the Center of the Universe by Joel Primack and Nancy Abrams. (The books View from the Center of the Universe and View from the Center of the Universe constitute one of the most accurate and complete statements of the common and shared cosmology and the "new" genesis story currently held within the Universe Evolutionary Worldview. Joel Primack is a renowned physicist famous for his dark matter work.

4.) Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World by Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow. (This is an optional read in this section if you have a strong Judeo-Christian background. It is based on science but frames things to integrate a religious perspective where possible. It is an easy, fast read that will also provide many of the basic new Universe Evolutionary Worldview perspectives, but it should not be substituted for the three other readings just above.)

Level 2: Intermediate Science on Evolution

1.) Evolution's ArrowThe Direction of Evolution and the Future of Humanity, by John Stewart. (This also is an essential part of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview summarizing the key elements of evolution's progressiveness.)

2.) The Universe Principles of Sustainability by Lawrence Wollersheim. (The Universe Principles are a daily living statement of the natural and universal values and "ethical guidelines" found within the principles of the universe's progressive evolution and are the core new operational ethics of both evolutionaries and the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.) 

3.) On Human Nature by Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson. The book tries to explain how different characteristics of humans and society can be explained from the point of view of evolution. He explains how evolution has left its traces on the characteristics which are the specialty of the human species like generosity, self-sacrifice, worship, and the use of sex for pleasure. The book is considered an effort to complete the Darwinian revolution by bringing biological thought into social sciences and humanities.

4.) The following article is a quick but complex summary of the principles of the progressive directionality and trajectory of evolution and life by Lawrence Wollersheim.

5.) Maps of Time, An Introduction to Big History by David Christian. This book and these Big History CDs provide a multi-disciplinary look at all of the universe's evolution including detailed human history. This progressive evolutionary work is finally being taught in universities around the world.)

Essential Intermediate Thinking Skills for Understanding Evolution's Complex Adaptive Systems and Processes: (This list assumes the reader has already familiarized themselves with basic logic and scientific methodology.)
 
1.) Thinking in Systems by Donella H Meadows. This is a good intermediate level read on System theory. One definitely needs to understand both systems theory as well as dialectical meta-systemic thinking to better understand complex adaptive evolutionary systems.
 
Level 3: Advanced Science on Evolution (We strongly recommend that you first read levels one and two above before going on to any of the reading below this level three science.)

1.) See the Evolution 2.0 Master FAQ on this Website by clicking here.

2.) The Evolutionary Manifesto, Our Role in the Future Evolution of Life by John Stewart. This paper contains what do we need to do to become an effective practicing Evolutioneer once you have better understood the deeper directionality of evolution as well as its core principles from the readings above.

3.) Design for Evolution: Self-Organization and Planning in the Life of Human Systems, Erich Janstch. Definitely a big picture analysis of Evolution and its guiding principles.

4.) Evolving Hierarchical Systems, Stanley N. Salthe (Perspectives on hierarchy in evolutionary systems. Dense and challenging reading but well worth it for an enlightening understanding of how evolution uses appropriate hierarchy effectively when and how needed.)

5.) The Self-Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications of the Emerging Paradigm of Evolution, Erich Janstch. (Lots of advanced science on progressive evolution and its self-organizing qualities.)

Essential Advanced  Thinking Skills for Understanding Evolution's Complex Adaptive Systems and Processes: (This list assumes the reader has already familiarized themselves with basic logic and scientific methodology.)

1.) Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems by Professor Otto Laske. Probably no single book has done so much to forward the new complex meta-systemic dialectical thinking that is necessary for more fully understanding the complex adaptive systems within evolution, life, and reality on meta-systemic levels! No single book on how to think and the new meta-systemic levels of thinking is more urgently needed to better manage our complex living and non-living systems and to help resolve the complex adaptive systems related problems of the world today. This book is so important to the future it should be required to read and study by every key decision-making individual in governments and corporations around the world. (Please click here for a full review of this difficult to read (but highly rewarding,) book.

Part B, Secondary Reading Resources of Evolution 2.0:

Evolution 2.0 and the New Economics and Sustainable Prosperity:

1.) The Zero Marginal Cost Society by Jeremy Rifkin. We cannot recommend this book enough because of its Evolution 2.0 compatible new vision of hope and practicality that this evolutionary book presents on the already here Third Industrial Revolution. This book will help you sustainably thrive in all the coming economic changes. (A must-read for every Evolutioneer.)

2.) The Third Industrial Revolution by Jeremy Rifkin. This book will help you better understand the principles of Sustainable Prosperity in the next reading item in this section. (A must-read for every Evolutioneer.)

3.) The Principles of Sustainable Prosperity. Here is where you will learn about the billions of new jobs that will be created in an Evolution 2.0 work that will create sustainable prosperity for all. (A must-read for every Evolutioneer.)

4.) The Origin of Wealth: The Radical Remaking of Economics and What it Means for Business and Society by Eric D. Beinhocker. Over 6.4 billion people participate in a $36.5 trillion global economy, designed and overseen by no one. How did this marvel of self-organized complexity evolve? Not only is the evolution of our economic systems laid out, but also this book contains one of the best descriptions of the evolutionary algorithm. (The amazing evolutionary algorithm is how evolution optimal discovers of the most adaptive fitness strategies for a particular environment.) If you are an evolutionary and want to thrive, this absolutely is a very interesting must-read after you have your beginners and intermediate science books done in levels one and two above. (Intermediate to advanced level.)

Cultural Development in Evolution 2.0:

1.) Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. (This book will give you a great overview of how progressive evolution manifests itself in both individual and cultural development and how our various kinds of environmental conditions produce our values and adaption strategies to a greater or lesser degree. This book based on the work of Professor Claire Graves. It shows the stage by stage evolution of our cultures and helps you to see the different stages of cultural evolution achieved by different nations. It is a great overview of how we as individual humans and collectively as cultures have evolved to predictably adapt and change our values and behaviors to the many different environmental conditions and stressors in which we find ourselves in today's global world. It is a must-read on cultural evolution.)

Emotional Development in Evolution 2.0: (Intermediate Level)

1.) Measuring Hidden Dimensions: the Art and Science of Fully Engaging Adults by Otto Laske. (For the socio-emotional side for understanding the levels of current, possible, and potential socio-emotional human development.)

New Technologies and Evolution 2.0

1.) Evolution 2.0 Position Paper on New Technologies.

2.) Evolution 2.0 Position Paper on Evolutionary Transhumanism.

Evolution 2.0 and the Environment Particularly --- Global Warming and Climate De-stabilization:

1.) See the Evolution 2.0 based Job One for Humanity Climate Re-stabilization Plan.

Motivational Books About Becoming an Evolution 2.0 Evolutioneer:

1.) Human Purpose and Transhuman Potential: A Cosmic View for our Future Evolution by Ted Chu, PhD. (Available early 2014.) We see this book as the most motivating and inspirational overview of what it means to be a universe citizen and Evolutioneer. It is a must-read for every Evolutioneer! Ted presents the "next generation" specifics on what inspired conscious evolution in alignment with evolutionary science looks like. His vision of the future of evolution and humanity's role in it is well-grounded in history and science and it will stretch the vision of the biggest evolutionary thinkers and universe citizens. At Universe Spirit, we now recommend that every member reads this book as part of their intermediate level education on what it takes to be an authentic Evolutioneer and universe citizen forwarding evolution on Earth and then out into the universe.

2.) Life Rules by Ellen Laconte. A "best of class" book about bottom-up organic self-organizing democracy that harmonizes with the natural laws of closed system planetary evolution. This new model discussed in her book is much different than the top-down, power influenced democratic governments driven on "growth economics" theories of infinite growth and infinite substitutability that we have today. (While our organization agrees with most of the ideas in this book, we do differ with the author on several issues and recommendations such as the importance of what we believe is the vital local community/global governance balancing in the critical and simultaneous role of international law and international governance to limit individual, local and regional excess and expansion while simultaneity educating about, aligning and enforcing essential minimal policies for the planetary common good and defense.)

3.) Dealing with the "Evolutionary Bottleneck" and the Transition in which Humanity Finds Itself.  The Global Heart Awakens: Humanity's Rite of Passage from the Love of Power to the Power of Love by Anodea Judith. If evolution is the Gods’ way of making more gods, as author Anodea Judith suggests, then how does an adolescent species evolve to the next level of its evolutionary development, where we hold god-like power on a planetary scale?  How do we overcome our inborn self-interest to focus on a trajectory capable of sustaining the evolutionary experiment far into the future? This beautifully written narrative follows humanity’s evolutionary journey to where we are today: standing on the threshold of individual and species initiation, poised between promise and peril. The current evolutionary bottleneck of environmental and social crises is nothing less than a metaphor for the initiatory birth canal to our future adulthood, whose pain and compression are forcing us into a new operating system. The next Great Awakening that must ensue follows the general trend of evolution: toward greater organization, cooperation, intelligence, creativity, capacity, and collaboration, as it appears both individually and collectively in virtually every social system we have. We recommend this book because it deals with transitional emotional, psychological, and spiritual issues (if you are of a spiritual nature,) of evolving a better and more progressive evolution-aligned world.

Evolutionary Activism:

1.) The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world, by Ronald A. Heifetz, Marty Linsky, and Alexander Grashow This is a great handbook for change agents and activists who need to achieve their goals in dynamic, complex adaptive environments.  It is specifically written for leaders in business organizations.  But its approaches and insights can be used effectively by evolutionary change agents who work in any kind of complex environment, at any scale.  It is therefore extremely useful for evolutionary activists who are setting out to build a global movement of Evolutioneers and a unified planetary society.  To be truly effective, however, the approaches outlined by the book need to be combined with practices that build self-mastery and a capacity for meta-systemic/dialectical cognition.

2.) Reflections on Evolutionary Activism: Essays, poems, and prayers from an emerging field of sacred social change by Tom Atlee

Philosophical and Historical Aspects of Being an Evolutioneer:

1.) A Brief History of Everything, Ken Wilber. This book is a great introduction to Wilber’s brilliant understanding of the evolution and development of physical, biological, human, and cultural systems, and of consciousness itself.  But as brilliant, insightful, and all-encompassing as Wilber’s synthesis is, it leaves much important work to be done by evolutionary thinkers.  Wilber attributes the upward thrust of evolution to Eros, a new cosmic force that is unknown to science.  Because he believes that this mysterious Eros sufficiently explains the evolutionary trajectory, Wilber’s perspective is largely that of a spectator.  He primarily restricts himself to describing the patterns of evolution, rather than trying to discover the specific mechanisms and processes that drive it onward and upwards. Understanding these mechanisms is of critical importance for evolutionary activists.  This is because it shows them how to actualize the next great steps in evolution on this planet i.e. how to actually go about developing higher consciousness and cognition, and how to actually organize a sustainable and cooperative global society.  Wilber’s extraordinary work is a strong stimulus for the development of an understanding of these mechanisms and processes. 

2.) The Phenomena Of Man by Teilhard de Chardin. This book presents a convincing and coherent vision of evolution as a directional and progressive process.  De Chardin demonstrates the power of an evolutionary worldview by using his understanding of the trajectory of evolution to predict how humanity and life on this planet will evolve in the future.  Although Teilhard’s vision of the future is distorted by his religious beliefs, the book none-the-less demonstrates the potential of an evolutionary worldview to help guide our future evolution.  The book’s impact on mainstream evolution science was limited because it did not identify the mechanisms and processes that drive evolution along its trajectory.  Now, well over fifty years after the book was written, evolution science is beginning, at last, to fill in these gaps.

3.) The Evolutionary Epic Science's Story and Humanity's Response, by Russell Genet, Brian Swimme, Linda Palmer, and Linda Gibler. (An optional reading great series of essays exploring various aspects of progressive evolution and the perspectives held within the new Universe Worldview.)

The Spiritual and Religious Aspects of Being an Evolution 2.0: (For readers of a spiritual nature...)

1.) Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society by David Sloan Wilson. One of the great intellectual battles of modern times is between evolution and religion. Until now, they have been considered completely irreconcilable theories of origin and existence. David Sloan Wilson's Darwin's Cathedral takes the radical step of joining the two, in the process proposing an evolutionary theory of religion that shakes both evolutionary biology and social theory at their foundations. (If you are of a spiritual nature and want to be involved in any form of spirituality or religion incorporating evolutionary science, we strongly recommend reading this first! It will set down a good foundation for your exploration of the new forms of religion and spirituality that evolution is informing.)

2.) See the Evolution Spirituality Master FAQ on this Website, "Religion 2.0 is the meta-religion of evolution." Do you want to know more about how evolution is creating a new meta religion that can be practiced by all?

3.) Process Theology, David Ray Griffin and John B. Cobb. (The Christian-focused marriage of science and spirituality and progressive evolution of the last 30 years.)

4.) The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo, (He was an Oxford Scholar who discussed the progressive evolution of life and spirit in the universe. He is also considered one of the founding sources of some of the spiritual perspectives of the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview in the areas of spirit and consciousness. He writes most from an eastern religious perspective.) 

5.) The Universe StoryFrom the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos by Brian Swimme. (This book also contains the core of the new Genesis story used within the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and movement to help us inform (or realign,) our sense of individual and collective origin, identity, and purpose as Evolutioneers. This is an optional read. It is more spiritual than EarthDance listed above and covers much the same material as EarthDance. In our opinion Earthdance is the better more comprehensive read for an understanding of the big picture basic science patterns of how the universe has evolved over the last 13.7 billion years.)

Essential New Work:

The Universe Principles of Sustainability, by Lawrence Wollersheim (See both Parts 1 and Part 2 of the new Universe Principles as well as the key links on those pages. The Universe Principles are a statement of the natural and universal values and ethical guidelines found within the universe's progressive evolutionary directionality and are the core ethics of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.) Also Lawrence Wollersheim for his work on describing the new Universe Evolutionary Worldview and for creating this Universe Spirit website,  and the Universe Institute.

New Books Coming out Soon on the Perspectives of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview and Progressive Evolution 

There are currently 3-4 new books close to release about aspects of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview, The Universe Principles of Sustainability and progressive evolution. One of those books is The Universe Manifesto: How the New Universe Evolutionary Worldview Realigns Everything, by Lawrence Wollersheim.

Other Key Universe Evolutionary Worldview Multi-Media Resources and Organizations:

There are numerous participants in expanding the Universe Evolutionary Worldview into society. Acceptance is growing and increasing but slowly traditional educational organizations are beginning to see the value in teaching the core science essence and "biggest picture" perspective of the Universe Evolutionary Worldview.

The individuals or groups below add in their unique flavors, perspectives, insights, and unique skill sets. In addition to the materials and resources listed all over this website here are additional resources within our broad and open movement:

The International Big History Association, which seeks to understand the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity, using the best available empirical evidence and scholarly methods. Click here for links to all of the Big History players and materials.

The Evolutionary Studies Consortium (EvoS) is designed to facilitate the development and implementation of Evolutionary Studies Programs at colleges and universities across the United States. An Evolutionary Studies Program introduces students from all majors to evolutionary theory early in their academic careers, emphasizes human-related subjects in addition to biological, promotes the continuation of evolutionary training throughout the undergraduate education, and promotes faculty training and collaborative research related to evolution. They also have a tremendous amount of evolution science multimedia. Click here to see what they have.

Harvard University's Cosmic Evolution site, which also has great movies, animations, and other multimedia materials on universe evolution and its importance.

The Evolution Institute connects the world of evolutionary science to the world of public policy formulation. For any given policy issue, we bring evolutionary experts together with other experts for respectful and constructive dialogue, resulting in a new agenda for basic scientific research, policy formulation, and policy implementation.
(Please note: The list of key Universe Evolutionary Worldview authors found above is not intended to be a complete list and if we have inadvertently missed anyone who also should be on this list please let us know.)

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross-disciplinary research in evolution. NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University, and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

National Center for Science Education (NSCE)

Selected Articles and Commentary about Evolution by Donald Forsdyke

International Darwin Day Foundation

Evolution and the Nature of Science Institutes (ENSI/SENSI)

Evolution, Education and Outreach

Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society (AEPS)

Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS)

The Evolutionary Review: Art, Science, Culture

Evolution: This View of Life

Feminist Evolutionary Psychology Society (FEPS)

Understanding Evolution

Big History Lectures:

 
What Is Our Place in the Cosmos?, David Deutsch, July 2005, TED Talks
Earth in its Final Century?, Martin Rees, July 2005, TED Talks
  Wright Lecture Series on Cosmic Evolution
   
  Earth History in the Broadest Possible Context. Walter Alvarez, April 29, 2010, 97th Annual Faculty Research Lectures, University of California at Berkeley.
- Four-part lecture by Craig Benjamin on Big History
- Christian Matthiessen -- Language evolving: Notes towards a semiotic history of humanity on You Tube.
  Speaking Up: The Origins of Language, Lowell Gustafson
- David Christian on Big History
-  
  (The book list above will be added to regularly as new books come out or older books are nominated for inclusion. Some of the book suggestions and content on this page were provided by John Stewart.)

The links at the bottom of each page of this booklet allow you to go forward or back one page.

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