The Act of Creation: A Study of the Conscious and Unconscious in Science and Art.

New York, NY Dell: Laurel, 1967. Paperback First Edition Thus (1967), First Printing, so stated. First Edition Thus (1967), First Printing, so stated. Good in Wraps: shows indications of moderate use: slight cocking to the spine; considerable wear to the extremities; several creases near the corners of the front panel and a short tear has been mended with clear cellophane tape at the top edge of same; some dampstaining to the tinted outside edges; mild rubbing to the wrapper covers; the expected tanning to the text pages, due to aging; the binding remains secure; the text is clean. Free of creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A good used copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing moderate wear and some cosmetic imperfections. A sturdy, presentable copy. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo.(7 x 4.2 x 1.25 inches). 751 pages. Language: English. Weight: 12.5 ounces. Mass Market Paperback. This book has attracted a cult following since its original 1964 publication. It set the stage for much of the "New Age" literature of the following decades. Koestler draws analogies between human creativity and evolution in nature, seeing them as two different aspects of a single process. Koestler's writing is eminently readable and still highly topical three decades later. This is the first of Koestler's big three serious science books. The second is "The Sleepwalkers", on the contribution of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo. The third is "The Ghost in the Machine", which contains a critique of behaviorist psychology and Koestler's theory to account for the apparent self-destructiveness of human nature. "The Act of Creation" offers a theory to account for creative synthesis. The model is fleshed out with a great deal of information ranging from the religions of the world to a theory about the nervous system to account for the build-up of tension and its discharge at the puchline of a joke. A fascinating read; it gives glimpses and answers through an integrated body of research and a graceful and insightful fireside chat about it all. One of my all-time favourite books.