Faced with dwindling resources, mounting pollution and an exploding population, we are being challenged to come together as a whole family, a whole species, for the first time in human history. At the same time, however, our technology is creating the very means to accomplish this monumental task. This is just one of the vitally important perspectives on humanity's evolutionary journey that Duane Elgin discusses.

A gifted and complex man, the late Thomas Merton is considered by many to be a pivotal figure in 20th-century writing and spirituality. A Trappist monk, Merton was a voracious reader, prolific writer, great music lover (especially of jazz), and a social activist who believed there was more to the contemplative life than "simply denying oneself."

A minister and therapist who has spent the last twenty years working with the homeless, adult children of abuse, and people with life-threatening illness, Wayne Muller has learned that while pain is inevitable, suffering is not. A catastrophe often wakes us up to what really matters in life, and the pursuit of more meaning in our lives.

There is a growing disillusionment in our institutions today. We all want change, but we're afraid to experiment. Kellner-Rogers has looked to nature for insights into creating more efficient organizations, noting that "Diversity in a healthy, living ecosystem is not an ethical or moral choice, but an absolute requirement for health."

Ram Dass, much beloved spiritual pilgrim, talks candidly about his own journey and the wisdom he has gained from being at the heart of the consciousness movement. He compares life in New York to life in India, being a psychology professor at Harvard to being shunned by many institutions, consciousness in the 1960s to consciousness the 1990s, and how he dropped out of Western society to explore Eastern mysticism, only to return to a life of social action and service.

Who are we? Why are we here? How should we spend our few precious years on Earth? Throughout history, we've looked to religion for answers to our deepest, abiding questions. One of the foremost scholars of religion in the world, Huston Smith, discusses the contemporary role of religion, the value religion continues to provide for those who choose to listen, the difference between religion and spirituality, and the commonalities of various religions.

Zajonc explores the history of light and attempts to unravel its mysteries. He has incorporated into his research the struggle to bridge the vital connection between the outer light of nature and our inner spiritual light, stressing the relationship between human experience and scientific exploration.