The Unexpected Universe Paperback – October 18, 1972

I first readLoren Eiseley’s book the Immense Journey in college , by this time he was very well known for his writings on evolution. This book while not as good as the Immense Journey is well worth reading. Theses essays present some of the author’s insights into humanity’s surprising climb to the top of the animal world. I would also recommend reading a timeline of his life in the back of the book. It help you understand some of the essays.

Many years ago I read much of Eiseley's books. This book provided some thoughts and insights I had missed in my first perusal. I will probably re-read some of his work. Well written

Fully recognizing the enthusiastic comments from many others, I offer this different view only for purposes of aiding potential purchasers by broadening the "information" base from responses. To me the writing style is overly elegant and excessively florid to the point of diminishing meaning. I can certainly appreciate refined expressions of meaning, but having read three chapters, after each I found myself thinking "much ado about nothing". You can only squeeze so much juice out of the grape, and to me Dr. Eiseley tries to create a lot more juice than there is. The rather sacramental tone of the style borders on portentous, or at least heavy, and, for someone like me, becomes maudlin. Dr. Eiseley is no doubt an erudite person, and lyrical writing can be beautiful, but there can be too much of a good thing. One wishes he reported his deep insights in more readily meaningful style. Again, this is not meant as a definitive description of the book, but just how it struck an individual like me.Jim Heckman

I have been waiting all my life to read Loren Eiseley. There is no point describing him; read him and you will find out for yourself. Be warned: you must read Eiseley in private. Every page contains such exquisite brain-, heart-, and gut-wrenching bliss, you will need to be by yourself to enjoy it fully. I first read Eiseley on an airplane. It took all the socializing influences at my command to maintain an exterior of supposed self-control.This review applies equally to Eiseley’s The Immense Journey. I intend to read everything of his in print.Thank you to Eiseley’s unexpected and glorious universe for helping me find the way to him.

This is a wonderful book even if it is geologically somewhat out of date. A lot of quotes by Loren Eiseley come from this book. In my opinion, this book is a masterpiece.

Loren Eisley's book 'The Unexpected Universe' is an acid trip of a book that explores everything from the ice age, down to the city dump, loneliness, remote beaches, and a plethora of other subjects all while talking about man's place in this universe and how man came about. The book is written in a personal way through the lens of Mr.(Dr.?) Eisley's personal experience as he walks this earth and contemplates the meaning of life. I recommend this book to anybody with a taste for artful language. Be warned though, many of the realizations about the small scope of man's importance in this world might lead one to become a cynic or have an existential dilemma.

If ever you have somehow sensed that there may another way of viewing or understanding something then read this book. Eiseley will inform you, encourage you, facilitate your exploration and finally delight your appreciation of the English language. This is not only the writing of an erudite and deep-thinking scholar but also that of a poet who has rather chosen prose.

Classic

Fascinated by the indefinable space between what is defined as science and the mysterious world of the spirit, I found Loren Eiseley"s writing interesting and absorbing. I am now seeking more of his work.

Bought it for my husband for Christmasas his earlier copy was falling apart after many readings. It's a wonderful book.

Swollen, oversymbolic prose. Henry Miller meets the I Ching. The ideas swim through this piece in an incoherent pipedream. You try to hang on to something, but are just swept away by the torrents of vague, abstract, oracular mumbo jumbo. Surely there is a much simpler way to express these ideas with hard facts and a precise narrative and clear philosophy to unify it. Could not finish it. It was like trying to digest litres of cloying, warm, week-old and melted ice-cream.