The Universe Is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story

When I first read this book it occurred for me as so beautiful I cried. It was so poetic I had parts read at my wedding! Years later I reread it and found it to be an ideology inside a pretentious dialogue. Today, again with new eyes, I would describe it as the creation of a physicist inspired by his work, making a metaphoric connection between cosmological science and the psychology of the entire human species. The focus is on teaching one individual how to see something differently. He uses this metaphor as a way to invite human beings of all worldviews to see the similarities and differences as something beautiful to embrace. I understand how it could be seen as 'new age' and not science, but I don't think one picks it up to learn science anyway. Try what he invites you to do, see the beauty in the universe and in the human species. It could be rated 1,2,3,4, or 5 depending on the person.

This book is a classic of modern spirituality based cosmology. I own a copy of the original, but bought this copy to use as a loaner to friends. This is the 22nd printing of what is now a planned 30 printings. The first printing was in 2001. Why mention all that information on the printing history of this book? Because it makes clear how popular and important this book is to cosmologists.Brian Swimme is extremely well educated. He earned a doctorate in gravitational dynamics at the University of Oregon. He is currently the Director for the Center of the Story of the Universe, which is an affiliate of the California Institute of Integral Studies, where he also teaches. He has been mentored by Thomas Berry and his subsequent books, some co-authored with Berry, focus on the unfolding of this universe since the moment of the Big Bang.This volume is both an early attempt at telling the "Universe Story", as well as a very inspirational book for those who read it. He posits a consciousness to the development of the universe, indicating to those who feel their life has no meaning or purpose, that of all the possibilities within the bounds of creation, the universe chose to conceive you, the one and only you who will ever exist. How can a person doubt that his/her life has meaning in the face of that point of view?The book is set up as a dialogue between a wisdom figure, conveniently named "Thomas" and a questioner who is designated as "Youth." The youth questions almost everything possible about the cosmos and Thomas offers his answers. What is very special about this text and the words of Thomas is the celebratory nature of Thomas' answers. What is extremely creative, especially coming from a man trained in the hard physics of gravitational dynamics, is the notion that it is love that holds the universe together. Love is attraction and the moon continues to orbit the earth, yes, due to the laws of gravity, but as envisioned by Swimme, by love, by attraction. This notion expands the meaning of eros in the Cosmos to, well, universal proportions.This book is a must read for those interested in the Cosmos, the story of Creation, quantum physics, and even, as I have found personally, to clinical psychologists and shamans.Highest recommendation.

I only very recently discovered this book, on Christmas Day 2012 to be exact. I was continuing my search for others who sense this awakening to the Sacred Universe that has been radiating through me for years. I feel there is a new spiritual impulse forming and wrote a book about it myself as well. This book presents a good degree of what I have been sensing. I am glad I found it. It was written, I understand, somewhere around 1984.This book is written as if a student and master were walking along with the master teaching and discussing universal truths with the student. While reading, I seemed to naturally visualize that the two were walking along a sandy shore of some tranquil ocean while the wondrous concepts, given in the book, were painted on the late afternoon sky. Obviously, to me at least, the teacher is Thomas Berry and the student is Brian Swimme, the author of this book. These gentlemen are two luminaries of the teachings of The Great Story, which is what this book is all about.Swimme does a marvelous job at telling this Great Story to the reader, revealing that we are all really nearly 14 billion years old and are the emergent universe becoming conscious of itself. Using science told in a heartfelt way, Swimme takes us through history, from the big bang to now to try and fathom how it all has evolved. This is a must read for anyone trying to understand this. It is full of profound truths that bring us closer to ultimate reality.Gregory Hatton - Author of The Master of Evolution [...]

This book is painfully arrogant, dogmatic and dated. Before I bought it I was foolishly captivated by the Green Dragon metaphor so I failed to due my due diligence. The book was published light years ago and every paragraph reflects that. I hate wasting money so I'll consider this to be a lesson learned.

I liked this book which has some concepts I had not heard or considered before re: the creation of the Universe and explanations of gravity, etc. I've read a lot of quantum physics but this little book gave me a lot to think about. In fact, for the new ideas it presents, it could have been longer. When you pack a lot into a small space, it can be hard to digest. Still a great little book for those who like to really think outside the box.

This was an amazing book! I have been playing a sort of tug-o-war with whether I believe in the "Big Bang" or something else, and never could quite make up my mind. Despite all that, I have fallen in love with Swimme's version of this theory. He captures the magnificence and wonder of the universe and the Earth, never allowing you to stray off to where the beginning of time was a boring scientific thing.I totally recommend this book, whether you believe in this theory of beginning, or not. Swimme covers so much about life, making the simple things seem absolutely stupendous! Don't pass it up, you won't regret it!

It's rare these days I read a book and can almost cry because it is so beautiful, but this is one of them. Clearly this book will be of most benefit to those on a journey of spiritual significance and those asking questions about life and what it all means. It presents ideas and concepts in such a way as to make them so easy to appreciate and it really does take your mind outside of the box. To come away from this book with an appreciation we are, in effect, all the products of the universe (and therefore 14 billion years old, since our component parts were created to some degree in the big bang) gives you such a unique slant on life; this is just one of many great ideas covered here. The writing style is informal but deceptively clear. I am not sure what the general population would make of this book (those not asking major questions about the universe) but I cannot rate it highly enough and it's one of only a couple of books I'll read a second time.

Very good

Not quite got through this book yet....may have to revisit it later.

One of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read. Wonderfully different style of writing.

have bought this many times to give to others