Books like Coincidance: A Head Test

An interesting book, but seemingly largely derivative of Wilson's other thoughts on these same matters. I enjoyed the read, but I wasn't nearly as blown away by original observations as I was by his more famous "Prometheus Rising."As with PR, though, it's full of interesting thoughts and quotations, such as...-The scandalously funny narrative appeared to offer a new and sophisticated way of viewing magic which did not involve forfeiting rationality in favor of some frankly ludicrous pseudo-philosophy or other, and which apparently did not require an amputation of the sense of humor.-“The Immaculate Conception maculates conception.” --Nietzsche-One is reminded of a story about Mark Twain and his very fashionable and respectable New England wife, who once tried to cure him of his salty riverboat speech. Mrs. Twain noted every cuss word he used all week long and then woke him Sunday morning and read it all back to him. Twain listened calmly and commented, “You have the words, my dear, but you haven’t got the music yet.”-Patriarchy is so nervous of rivals in the West that the poet has come under considerable suspicion at many times, is often thought of as “queer” in one sense or another and, in the most anal cultures, often seems to be deliberately ignored or starved into submission.-“Which way will the sunflower turn surrounded by millions of suns?” --Ginsberg-“Absence, the highest form of presence.” --unknown Dublin student-Stephen fears there might be a malign reality in the God he has rejected, and that any act of submission might open him up to invasion and re-enslavement by that demonic Catholic divinity.-Maybe Hell is so popular, and nuclear war (man-made Hell) is so popular with the people who dig Hellfire theology, because the masses want to suffer more than they want anything else.-“God,” after all, is just a shorthand symbol for our attitude toward the nature of the universe.-“I do not, however, propose either massacres or expulsions. Such dreadful things have no place in the enlightened mind. No, do not assassinate at all, do not expel at all...Let us reserve the employment of force for the idols; ridicule alone will suffice for those who serve them.” --Marquis de Sade-According to Dr. Ellis, in a lecture at the N.Y. General Semantics Society, most neurotics -- i.e., most civilized people -- go around with a little internal voice saying “You are a no-good shit.” (“You are homosexual,” “You are a coward,” “You are a helpless neurotic” are three variations on the main theme.)-“Although the prodigious spectacle of folly we are facing here may be horrible, it is always interesting.” --de Sade“The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad.” --Dali