Re: Guide to Life Itself

[Ayten Aydin <***>]

Judith and all,
The book is an excellent  idea, I believe  and support it. I imagine the
final product with two major parts, the first being a number of papers
existing and may be coming in as a response to a call for papers adressed to
those in the Rosen Forum and beyond, based on a clear and precise purpose
and framework, with or without a symposium . The second part , as the main
body of the book including also a critical review of the papers, made by
those who deeply understand the essence of RR's ideas and their application
opportunities to all life matters. Judith may be both editor and the
critical overlooker of the whole work, presenting also her own entries into
the book.

I notice that within the RR forum there are very expert minds on RR thinking
and work who may provide a strong back-bone to the undertaking. The timing
is ripe as so many similar things are going around now. If seriosly intended
by supporters of the idea the ship should start moving. The first thing to
do, I think, is the selection and the appointment of the helmsman!
My best,
Ayten

----- Original Message -----
From: "Judith Rosen" <***>
To: <***>
Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2004 2:23 AM
Subject: Re: Guide to Life Itself


> I have been seriously thinking about doing something along these lines,
and even organizing a symposium in Rochester such that my father's reference
library would be accessible to participants. After the symposium, the papers
would all be published in a book form as the first product of BioTheory. If
there's anyone who does not know about my father's plans to launch BioTheory
and want to know about it, I can send you his preliminary workup on the
notion-- but it will have to be deferred until March 2 because I'm actually
travelling right now and can't send it until I get back to my computer.
>
> Anyway, perhaps it's good that Kevin brought this up because I would like
to know who would be interested in participating and whether the preference
is for just doing the book or the symposium plus book.
>
> Let me know what you all think.
>
> Judith
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin de Laplante <***>
> Sent: Feb 20, 2004 1:50 PM
> To: ***
> Subject: Re: [ROSEN] Guide to Life Itself
>
> what about pitching a book that would collect a selection of papers
written
> by folks who have been influenced by Rosen's ideas in one form or another?
> You could have the first half of the book just be on analysis/exposition
of
> Rosen's foundational contributions.  The second half could be on
> applications, or possible applications.  This would require a call for
> papers, but it would give some of us who are interested in writing on
Rosen
> both a forum and a kick in the pants to get it done.  And you might be
> surprised who you'll find crawling out of the woodwork.
>
> Kevin
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tim Gwinn" <***>
> To: <***>
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2004 8:31 PM
> Subject: Guide to Life Itself
>
>
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: ROSEN Forum [mailto:*** Behalf Of
Jannie
> > > Hofmeyr
> > > Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2004 4:23 PM
> > >--snip--
> > >
> > > What is of course a topic worthy of discussion is what you add on:
> > >
> > > > A "Guide to Life Itself" might be a useful book or booklet.
> > >
> > > Now this would be a worthwhile project! I agree that gaining a deep
> > > understanding Rosen's ideas is a major task that few are willing to
> > > undertake, not because the ideas themselves are necessarily difficult,
> but
> > > because they are spread out across many papers and books.
> > >
> > > Writing such a book is something I have been thinking about myself...
> > >
> > --snip--
> > > Jannie
> >
> > When I've mused about writing books related to Rosen, I find it
difficult
> to
> > delineate a range of ideas and concepts that would be manageable (both
for
> > author and reader) and yet still portray the profundity of it all. So,
> that
> > is why it occurred to me that a much more confined work, focusing
> > specifically on being a kind of overview of "Life Itself" might be less
of
> a
> > struggle, yet still very useful since "Life Itself" is such a central
> work.
> > The idea being to paint, in less technical yet still reasonably precise
> > language,  the "story" in "Life Itself", the motives and key points for
> each
> > chapter, and stringing together for the reader the interrelationships
> > between those key points and their consequences. Something like that.
> >
> > I can also imagine that another viable approach would be a more
panoramic
> > view of Rosennean concepts from the point of view of science as a human
> > activity, a subjective foray into the unknown that surrounds us all, and
> how
> > the progression of thought that leads to subjective paradigms also
> > simultaneously leads to subjective limits. And so on.
> >
> > I've also thought that a book, such as "The Secret Guide to Physics",
> would
> > be nice. This book would tell you all the things they usually don't
teach
> > you about how non-generic certain formalisms are, the restrictions of
> system
> > description in using conservative systems only, and so on. Of course,
> > threading in the Rosennean ideas along the way, and leading to a
broader,
> > more generic physics. This book is sorely needed.
> >
> > It would be fun to write a Tractatus-style book of Rosennean concepts:
> >    1.1 The world is the totality of modeling relations, not of things.
> >    6.44 It is not how things are in the world that is complex, but that
> our
> > subjective limitations make it so.
> >
> > Anyway...enough musing for now. :)
> > Tim
> >
>
>
> Web address: www.rosen-enterprises.com
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>