The Dancing Wu Li Masters
Encyclopedia
The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav
is a popular new age
book from 1979 about mysticist interpretations
of quantum physics.
The toneless pinyin
phrase Wu Li in the title is most accurately rendered 物理 in hanzi (one Chinese translation of the word "physics") in the light of the book's subject matter, but appears to be somewhat of a pun as there are many other Chinese characters that could be rendered as "wu li" in atonal pinyin. The chapters of the book are each titled with other alternative translations of Wu Li, such as "Nonsense" and "I Clutch My Ideas".
The author participated in a physics conference of eastern and western scientists at Esalen Institute
, California
, in 1976 and used the occasion as material for his book.
Gary Zukav
Gary Zukav is a spiritual teacher and author of four consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Beginning in 1998, Zukav appeared more than 30 times on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss transformation in human consciousness concepts presented in The Seat of the Soul.-Life Story:Gary Zukav was born in...
is a popular new age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
book from 1979 about mysticist interpretations
Quantum mysticism
Quantum mysticism is a term that has been used to refer to a set of metaphysical beliefs and associated practices that seek to relate consciousness, intelligence or mystical world-views to the ideas of quantum mechanics and its interpretations...
of quantum physics.
The toneless pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
phrase Wu Li in the title is most accurately rendered 物理 in hanzi (one Chinese translation of the word "physics") in the light of the book's subject matter, but appears to be somewhat of a pun as there are many other Chinese characters that could be rendered as "wu li" in atonal pinyin. The chapters of the book are each titled with other alternative translations of Wu Li, such as "Nonsense" and "I Clutch My Ideas".
The author participated in a physics conference of eastern and western scientists at Esalen Institute
Esalen Institute
Esalen Institute is a residential community and retreat in Big Sur, California, which focuses upon humanistic alternative education. Esalen is a nonprofit organization devoted to activites such as meditation, massage, Gestalt, yoga, psychology, ecology, and spirituality...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1976 and used the occasion as material for his book.
Editions
- The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics (1979). New York: William Morrow and Company, hardcover: ISBN 0-688-03402-0, paperback: ISBN 0-688-08402-8, 352 p.
- (1984) Bantam mass market paperback: ISBN 0-553-26382-X, 337 p.
- (1990) Audio Renaissance audiocassette: ISBN 1-55927-058-6 (abridged)
- (2001) Harper Perennial paperback: ISBN 0-06-095968-1, 416 p.
- (2001) Audio Renaissance CD: ISBN 1-55927-643-6 (abridged)