Total Pageviews

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Flickering Reality -- book review

So sorry that it took me this long to figure out how to upload my stuff at the library. It's a long story, but I no longer have Internet at home. I'm really broke and unable to work, and still trying to maneuver thru the disability maze.

Here's my review of A Flickering Reality, and great nonfiction book that looks at alternate reailty in film.

David Peat’s A Flickering Reality: Cinema and the nature of reality

My interest in this book began form the fact that it discusses some of the films that have been based on books and stories by my husband Philip K. Dick. However, the value of the work does not end there. In fact, David Peat outlines our recent technological history with a view to the reasons why our reality is very much like the movies, as well as the reasons why computers cannot achieve true artificial intelligence, but only an approximation thereof.

I found myself immersed in David Peat’s train of thought as he led me through the mirrors of mind, movie and reality. He explores the meaning of human consciousness while focusing on films like The Truman Show, The Matrix and The Men who Stare at Goats.

This exploration of science and philosophy goes beyond the movies to the fabric of our reality and the essence of ourselves.

Peat invites us to speculate as to whether we live in a simulated reality and whether we, ourselves are real.

It’s a fascinating read.

Five stars out of five.

Excellent!

David Peat
A Flickering Reality: Cinema and the nature of reality
Pari, Italy: Pari Publishing, 2011

~~~