2 books by Ken Wilbur

Hi- I recently purchased 2 books by Ken Wilbur and was wondering if anyone is familiar, and recommends which to read first AND their thoughts on his work. The books are: A Brief History of Everything and The Simple Feeling of Being.

Try A Pearl of Wisdom and Enlightenment, http://www.librarything.com/groups/pearlsofwisdomandenl
You're more likely to find Wilber adepts there, most philosophers I know think Wilber is just very weird.

A brief history of everything has more of an emphasis on science, cosmology and evolution (as far as I know), The Simple Feeling of Being is more about personal spiritual development. I think if you read both you will have a pretty good idea of his views.

Although I have tried to read books by Ken Wilbur, I find that he freely plagerizes (neglects foot-noting and bibliographies), thus, as somewhat of an empiricist, I gave up. I think you will gain more from books by Irvin Yalom.

I have several of his books the one that resonates most is an anthology of Mystical Essays by the worlds leading phsycists who were involved in the beginning of Quantum Physics.
The book is called Quantum Questions Materalist hate it many of them have no idea that people like Einstein, Eddington, Schrodinger et al would have written such essays.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quantum-Questions-Mystical-Writings-Physicists/dp/157062...

Taken from the back of the book:

Something unknown is doing we don't know what.
Sir Arthur Eddington's comment on the Uncertanity Principle.

The popularity of recent books such as The Tao of Physics attest to the unprecedented interest in the relationship between modern phyisics and mysticism that has arisen in the past decade.
And yet nowhere before have the thoughts of the original founding physicists - Heisenberg, Schrodinger, Einstein, de Broglie, Jeans, Planck, Pauli and Eddington - all of whom express a deep belief that physics and mysticism are somehow fraternal twins.
The seminal thoughts of virtually every major physcist involved in the discovery of quantum physics and relativity are presented here.
What their essays show is that each of these remarkable men, without exception, came
to believe in a Mystical or Transcendental world view that embodies the world as a
spiritual, rather than material, phenomenon.
Ken Wilber

Chapter Headings and Writer:

Truth Dwells in the Deeps
Science and The Beautiful
If Science is Conscious of its Limts all by Heisenberg

The Oneness of Mind
The I That Is God
The Mystic Vision
All by Schrodinger

Cosmic Religious Feeling by Einstein

The Aspiration Towards Spirit by De Broglie

In The Mind of Some Eternal Spirit
A Universe of Pure Though by Sir James Jeans

The Mystery of Our Being by Planck

I have several of his books the one that resonates most is an anthology of Mystical Essays by the worlds leading phsycists who were involved in the beginning of Quantum Physics.
The book is called Quantum Questions Materalist hate it many of them have no idea that people like Einstein, Eddington, Schrodinger et al would have written such essays.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quantum-Questions-Mystical-Writings-Physicists/dp/157062...

Taken from the back of the book:

Something unknown is doing we don't know what.
Sir Arthur Eddington's comment on the Uncertanity Principle.

The popularity of recent books such as The Tao of Physics attest to the unprecedented interest in the relationship between modern phyisics and mysticism that has arisen in the past decade.
And yet nowhere before have the thoughts of the original founding physicists - Heisenberg, Schrodinger, Einstein, de Broglie, Jeans, Planck, Pauli and Eddington - all of whom express a deep belief that physics and mysticism are somehow fraternal twins.
The seminal thoughts of virtually every major physcist involved in the discovery of quantum physics and relativity are presented here.
What their essays show is that each of these remarkable men, without exception, came
to believe in a Mystical or Transcendental world view that embodies the world as a
spiritual, rather than material, phenomenon.
Ken Wilber

Chapter Headings and Writer:

Truth Dwells in the Deeps
Science and The Beautiful
If Science is Conscious of its Limts all by Heisenberg

The Oneness of Mind
The I That Is God
The Mystic Vision
All by Schrodinger

Cosmic Religious Feeling by Einstein

The Aspiration Towards Spirit by De Broglie

In The Mind of Some Eternal Spirit
A Universe of Pure Though by Sir James Jeans

The Mystery of Our Being by Planck

Ken Wilbur, one of several recently self-nominated gurus, of the Colorado "gang" and the Oprah "school" (e.g. Eckhart Tolle, et al.)--formerly California cults, circa 1930s--conveniently relabels standard philosophical concepts, thus side-stepping the necessity of foot-notes. Try Julian Jaynes and/or Jill Bolte Taylor for more empirical concepts, which may be tested.

The Wilbur book Quantum Questions was just put together by him the Essays written by Einstein et al are what are of interest.
Jaynes Bi Cameral theory is interesting whilst Bolte Taylors scientific explanation of her stroke leaves a lot to be desired.