William

I've read pretty much everything in the MSCI-FI genre. This has to be the best one I've ever read. I just couldn't turn the book off. Buy it now, you won't regret it!

I could not get into this book, even after reading a lot of science fiction. After about an hour I couldn't keep listening. The writing style is more difficult than many other science fiction books that I've read.

The author outlined his concepts in a clear and concise manner. The chapter headings really clarified his position and provided direction in the reading.

The medicine chapter really stood out. The impacts of tropical diseases on the progression of different civilizations left a lasting impression in my mind.

It's difficult to pick out a favorite scene in this book. The chapter on medicine was one of my favorites.

No idea how this book won those awards. One planet has strong state control and the other is a impoverished communist utopia, and the story is one big waste of time.

The author has an amazing story of overcoming obstacles and earning a PHd and a MD. I liked the book it was well written. I did think this book would have had more neuroscience in it. I was expecting a Golemanesque (Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence) type of book with detailed descriptions of functional brain system and the latest research. The book had a little of this.

The book includes an excellent history of the science of creativity, which I thought was interesting and worth reading. The author talks at length about some creative people like DaVinci and other artists, which was well done.

However I did think the mixture of literary criticism with a little bit neuroscience was a bit haphazard at times. I would have preferred a more in depth approach to the brain science of creativity. Which would talk about specific brain systems instead of trying to merge art, history, literary criticism, and neuroscience. Even though the author's intent is to show that such a synthesis is in itself creative.

I still recommend you listen to it because while I was reading the book I had a creative explosion in my mind, turned off my ipod and sat on a park bench for 2 hours scribbling some notes about an idea I thought was novel. Check it out.