The bestselling author of Buddhism Plain and Simple ponders what we truly know about reality. Why the World Doesn't Seem to Make Sense is an eminently down-to-earth, practical, and non-technical response to the urgent questions posed by contemporary science and philosophy. This revised and updated edition of How the World Can Be the Way It Is includes new scientific understanding and clarification of some of its more complex ideas. Steve Hagen aims for an intelligent general audience not necessarily familiar with modern or classical physics, philosophy, or formal logic. Hagen takes us on a journey that examines our most basic assumptions about reality and carefully addresses the "paradoxes of the one and the many" that other works only identify. His primary purpose is to help us to perceive the world directly—as it is, not how we conceive it to be. Through this perception each of us can answer profound moral questions, resolve philosophical and ethical dilemmas, and live lives of harmony and joy. Praise for Why the World Doesn't Seem to Make Sense "For those who are certain that objectivity and intellect are the ground floor of all knowledge, this can be a valuable tripe to the sub-basement." —Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance "An unusually stimulating and exhilarating book, of profound value to those seeking to clarify the essential nature of everyday existence—in short, all of us." —Peter Matthiessen, author of The Snow Leopard "Read this book: it will change how you look at things." —Nick Herbert, PhD, author of Quantum Reality "Hagen cuts cleanly through the duality of mind and body, perception and conception, science and religion, and takes us on a spell-binding journey through what we know—and what we only think we know—that ultimately provides a fresh, effective, and remarkably simple grounding for our lives. . . . Original, breathtaking, and beautiful." —Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones