Works by
Fritjof Capra
(Physicist, Systems Theorist, Writer)
[February 1, 1939 - ]

Audio

• Einstein and the Buddha (1982, 2006)
  Modern physicists and Eastern mystics seem strange bedfellows, but Dr. Fritjof Capra, who lectures and researches in particle physics at Lawrence Livermore Laboratories in California, has detected what he believes are very powerful parallels between their world views. In this interview with Jocelyn Ryder-Smith, Dr. Capra discusses some of the ideas he originally put forward in his worldwide-bestseller book, "The Tao of Physics." He claims there are 2 basic themes which run through both modern science and mystical traditions: the fundamental unity and interdependence of all phonomena, and the intrinsically dynamic nature of reality. He goes on to suggest that experts in the fields of medicine, economics and politics may have something to learn from the physicist and the mystic. 40 minutes. Recorded in 1982. Released on audio cassette in 1983. Reissued on audio CD in 2006.

Books

• The Science of Leonardo: Inside the Mind of the Great Genius of the Renaissance (2007)
  Leonardo da Vinci’s pioneering scientific work was virtually unknown during his lifetime. Now acclaimed scientist and bestselling author Fritjof Capra reveals that Leonardo was in many ways the unacknowledged “father of modern science.” Drawing on an examination of over 6,000 pages of Leonardo’s surviving notebooks, Capra explains that Leonardo approached scientific knowledge with the eyes of an artist. Through his studies of living and nonliving forms, from architecture and human anatomy to the turbulence of water and the growth patterns of grasses, he pioneered the empirical, systematic approach to the observation of nature—what is now known as the scientific method.
  
  Leonardo's scientific explorations were extraordinarily wide-ranging. He studied the flight patterns of birds to create some of the first human flying machines. Using his understanding of weights and levers and trajectories and forces, he designed military weapons and defenses, and was in fact regarded as one of the foremost military engineers of his era. He studied optics, the nature of light, and the workings of the human heart and circulatory system. Because of his vast knowledge of hydraulics, he was hired to create designs for rebuilding the infrastructure of Milan and the plain of Lombardy, employing the very principles still used by city planners today. He was a mechanical genius, and yet his worldview was not mechanistic but organic and ecological. This is why, in Capra's view, Leonardo's science—centuries ahead of his time in a host of fields—is eminently relevant to our time.
  
  Enhanced with fifty beautiful sepia-toned illustrations, The Science of Leonardo is a fresh and important portrait of a colossal figure in the world of science and the arts.

• The Hidden Connections: A Science for Sustainable Living (2004)
  Fritjof Capra, bestselling author of The Tao of Physics and The Web of Life, here explores another frontier in the human significance of scientific ideas—applying complexity theory to large-scale social interaction.
  
  In the 1980s, complexity theory emerged as a powerful alternative to classic, linear thought. A forerunner of that revolution, Fritjof Capra now continues to expand the scope of that theory by establishing a framework in which we can understand and solve some of the most important issues of our time. Capra posits that in order to sustain life, the principles underlying our social institutions must be consistent with the broader organization of nature. Discussing pertinent contemporary issues ranging from the controversial practices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the Human Genome Project, he concludes with an authoritative, often provocative plan for designing ecologically sustainable communities and technologies as alternatives to the current economic globalization.

• The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems (1997)
  The vitality and accessibility of Fritjof Capra's ideas have made him perhaps the most eloquent spokesperson of the latest findings emerging at the frontiers of scientific, social, and philosophical thought. In his international bestsellers The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, he juxtaposed physics and mysticism to define a new vision of reality. In The Web of Life, Capra takes yet another giant step, setting forth a new scientific language to describe interrelationships and interdependence of psychological, biological, physical, social, and cultural phenomena--the "web of life."
  
  During the past twenty-five years, scientists have challenged conventional views of evolution and the organization of living systems and have developed new theories with revolutionary philosophical and social implications. Fritjof Capra has been at the forefront of this revolution. In The Web of Life, Capra offers a brilliant synthesis of such recent scientific breakthroughs as the theory of complexity, Gaia theory, chaos theory, and other explanations of the properties of organisms, social systems, and ecosystems. Capra's surprising findings stand in stark contrast to accepted paradigms of mechanism and Darwinism and provide an extraordinary new foundation for ecological policies that will allow us to build and sustain communities without diminishing the opportunities for future generations.

• From the Parts to the Whole: Systems Thinking in Ecology and Education (1994)

• Belonging to the Universe : Explorations on the Frontiers of Science and Spirituality (1991) with David Steindl-Rast and Thomas Matus -- Winner 1992 American Book Award
  The trailblazer of new science and a contemporary Thomas Merton explore the parallels between new paradigm thinking in science and religion that together offer a remarkably compatible view of the universe.

• Uncommon Wisdom: Conversations with Remarkable People (1988)
  Capra describes dialogues and personal encounters between himself and the thinkers who helped shape the theme of The Turning Point.

• The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture (1982)
  The author expands his focus to show how the revolution in modern physics foreshadows a similar revolution in many other sciences and a corresponding transformation of world views and values in society. In particular, he explores paradigm shifts in biology, medicine, psychology, and economics.

• Green Politics (1984) with Charlene Spretnak
  How the Greens are reforming the political culture of Europe and inspiring a worldwide movement that can change the course of America's future.

• The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism (1975)
  After a quarter of a century in print, Capra's groundbreaking work still challenges and inspires. This updated edition of The Tao of Physics includes a new preface and afterword in which the author reviews the developments of the twenty-five years since the book's first publication, discusses criticisms the book has received, and examines future possibilities for a new scientific world.

Screenplays

• Mindwalk (1990)
  VHS
  Bernt Amadeus Capra, creator and director starring John Heard, Liv Ullmann, and Sam Waterston.

Other

• Reframing Complexity: Perspectives from the North and South (2007), by Capra Fritjof, Jacco van Uden, Juarrero Alicia, and Sotolongo Pedro, eds.

• Deep Ecology for the 21st Century (2004, CD)
  Deep Ecology for the 21st Century is a 13-week radio series of one-hour programs that explores contemporary ecological consciousness and the Deep Ecology movement, and offers fascinating, provocative and sometimes controversial solutions to the environmental challenges that are now upon us. This remarkable set includes all thirteen programs of our Deep Ecology for the 21st Century series. Please see the individual programs, numbers 2716 through 2728 for each tape description. Over three dozen interview guests provide a broad, in-depth view of the field, covering such subjects as the basic philosophy of Deep Ecology; the relationship of Deep Ecology to social ecology; ecofeminism; the Greens; conservation biology; and more. Our guests include several scientists, such as Dr. David Suzuki, Fritjof Capra and Paul Ehrlich.
  
  Deep Ecology for the 21st Century also includes extensive interviews with philosophers Arne Naess, George Sessions and the late Paul Shepherd , as well as writers Gary Snyder, Ted Roszak, and the late Edward Abbey, author of The Monkey Wrench Gang. The series also includes the insights of activists such as Cecelia Lanman, of the fight to save the Headwaters Forest in California, Tim Hermach of Zero Cut, rainforest activist John Seed, Julia "Butterfly" Hill and Dave Foreman, co-founder of Earth First!

• Fritjof Capra in Conversation With Michael Toms (1994) with Hal Zina Bennett, ed.
  Havana's Instituto de Filosofia's First Biennial International Seminar on the Philosophical, Epistemological and Methodological Implications of Complexity Theory, was held in January 2002 in Havana, Cuba's capital city. The seminar was aimed at familiarizing Cuban researchers and professors in a more direct way with some of the current trends - and widespread scope - of the expanding field of complexity thinking, affording them the possibility of personal contacts with some of the people engaged in that effort. The seminar was attended by specialists from fifteen countries, ranging from Chile to Australia along the West-East axis, and from Norway to South Africa along the North-South one. There were participants from developed and underdeveloped countries. This book contains selected papers from the 'Complexity 2002' seminar, edited by Fritjof Capra (author of 'The Tao of Physics', 'The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems' and 'The Hidden Connections: A Science for Sustainable Living'), Alicia Juarrero (author of 'Dynamics in Action'), Pedro Sotolong, and Jacco van Uden (author of 'Complexity and Organization').

• Ecomanagement: The Elmwood Guide to Ecological Auditing and Sustainable Business (1993) by Ernest Callenbach,  Fritjof Capra, Lenore Goldman, Rudiger Lutz, and Sandra Marburg
  The challenge of the '90s is to create sustainable societies in which business and government can satisfy our current needs without diminishing the prospects for future generations. Business managers today are seeking guidance in the new ways of thinking that are called for to meet this challenge. This book takes a major step in that direction by helping business people identify what can be done to reduce the impact of their companies on the environment. It shows how to systematically set priorities and create an action plan for implementing improvements. It will also help sell an impact reduction program to top management. In contrast to the current practice of "compliance auditing, " a process focused on meeting governmental regulations, this Elmwood Institute guide shows how to conduct an "eco-audit" - a complete examination of an organization in relation to its long-term ecological sustainability. Such an audit scrutinizes every aspect of the organization and its operations, including product design and manufacture, management techniques, corporate culture and goals.
  
  EcoManagement is the first book to provide a comprehensive and practical guide to the new era of business ecological responsibility. It features a framework for companies planning to design their own audits, and offers thirteen checklists to guide managers through the audit process, covering such topics as energy, materials, wastes, finance, marketing, transportation, and international business relations.

See also:

• Paths beyond Ego: The Transpersonal Vision (1993), Frances Vaughan and Roger Walsh, eds.
  Aldous Huxley, Bill Devall, Charles Tart, Christina Groff, the Dalai Lama, Daniel Goleman, Fritjof Capra, Georg Feuerstein, Huston Smith, Jack Kornfield, Jayne Gackenbach, John Welwood, Ken Wilber, Kenneth Ring, Michael Murphy, Ram Dass, Sri Aurobindo, Stanislav Grof, Stephen LaBerge, William James and many, many more.