I got Nothing to talk about Posted: May 4, 2012 in Uncategorized Tags: A book about nothing, Nothing Matters, Nothing Matters Ronald Green, Zero and Nothing 0 Nothing matters, whether you like it, hate it, believe it or don’t’ want to believe it. The truth and the reality of it all is that everything you do is insignificant – yet we are relentless in doing it anyway. Can you even picture nothing? Or nothingness? I picture a white space with no sound, taste, touch or any sense of anything altogether! But still then it is a black space isn’t it… Why are we so fascinated with the idea of Nothing? When the Mona Lisa was stolen, more people had showed up to the Louvre to see the spot where she used to be! We even have trouble defining it: saying it is something that is of nonexistence, the lack of being or no value. But even then, in order for there to be the sound of nothing for example, or the lack of sound; we need to have sound present. So nothing in this way is the presence of no sound. Just like Zero is the presence of a space with no numbers. Whether you’re religious, intelligent, have a sweet job or work for charity. The universe was here long before we were and will remain so long after we have ceased to exist. The lives you save today may vanish tomorrow or undeniably one day. The universe doesn’t notice our mundane undertakings, it is only mankind that are able to attach meaning to every little thing we can possible conceive. The universe has always operated with no meaning and surely doesn’t need it to continue existing. When the book jumped straight into the history and significance of Zero, I initially felt that I’d fall asleep. However, I have to say that there was much more importance with Nothing then I’d ever imagined. There was a time that zero as a digit didn’t always exist and that the Catholic Church had fought it for 600 hundred years because the concept of nothing clashed so violently with The Bible! IMAGE OF BOOK COVER So read it when you’ve got nothing to do, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t… ~ The Void blog, http://shadesofnoir.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/i-got-nothing-to-talk-about/#respond

I dont read a lot of non-fiction, but when I stumbled across "Nothing Matters", I had to give it a try. Maybe it was because the first thing that came to mind, upon reading the title, was Seinfeld. Or perhaps it was the bare cover, which promised something out of nothing.

I dont know if the author was inspired by Seinfeld to write this book, but he surely has become obsessed with the subject of Nothing. Worse than that, I find myself now somewhat obsessed with it also. Strange to think, that before reading this book, I had almost not given the subject a second thought.

The book begins with an entertaining tale of intrigue, intrigue reaching back through the centuries, where nothing was the source of discontent. Almost unbelievable how much chaos a zero can create.

We are taken through a very in-depth study of Nothing in the sciences, religion and in the arts. It is perhaps the latter which interested me the most. I almost became an art major once, but decided on Literature at the last moment. The authors depiction of the expression of Nothing through the different artistic movements is fascinating, and it has got me taking out my art books again.

Now that Ronald has taken up the subject of Nothing, it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Has he said the final word on Nothing, or will he take us somewhere else, where we never thought to go?
 

Until I read this book, I hadnt given much thought to "nothing". But Ronald Greens book has changed all that.

This is very in-depth and comprehensive study of the concept of nothing, both from a historical perspective and how this concept has been perceived and presented in the arts, religion, philosophy, and so many other areas.

What is specifically fascinating is how Ronald builds a case for "nothingness" - versus "nothing", and in doing so, provides us with a new insight into "something".

After reading this book, you will never use the term "nothing" lightly again.
 

A book about nothing. The title intrigued me. Far more than Seinfeld’s ‘show about nothing’which rarely made me laugh.   Green begins his philosophical discourse with an explanation of the historical importance of nothing. I knew that the zero (Green’s first description of nothing) had been brought to Europe from the Arabic countries in medieval times, but what I didn’t know about was the controversy it caused. Green describes clearly why the concept of nothing was so disturbing to the established church. If God is eternal there can never be a time when there was nothing. Green traces the concept of nothing, in the form of the zero, from India through the Middle East before its uncomfortable acceptance in Europe, a journey which took much longer than you might expect. Having explored some historical attempts to understand nothing and the problems it caused, Green turns his attention to artistic attempts to portray nothing. Describing nothing this time as the goal of minimalism, Green tells some entertaining anecdotes about art and nothing. My own favourite relates to when the Mona Lisa was stolen and more people turned up at the Louvre to look at the space where it had been than turned up to look at the actual painting. Green then returns to religion and nothing. This time he looks not only at Christian interpretations of nothing but also at the other monotheistic religions as well as pantheistic beliefs. It is interesting to see how he finds that every religion, sect and cult has something to say about nothing. Finally Green focusses on philosophy and its treatment of nothing. Using his idea of the two kinds of nothing- the absence of something or the absence of everything- Green argues that many of the great philosophers were discussing the wrong kind of nothing. He even suggests that nothing is so central to the existence of humankind that it is probably beyond our understanding. This is not a book to be dipped into or skimmed over a coffee break. Green writes very clearly and with a great deal of humour, but he is dealing with ideas that perhaps go to the very core of what it means to be human. That he can do so without the nihilistic melancholy of so many of the people he quotes is a tribute to his writing skills. Would I recommend this book? Yes, with the proviso that if you choose to read it you give the time and thought it deserves. You can buy the book on Amazon by clicking here.   ~ Paul Callaghan, New Zealand

Green has rendered in print a remarkably comprehensive guided tour of the historically rich, multi-faceted world of nothing. The breadth of argument he offers in this treatise on nothing is breathtaking.

A worthy read for those willing to open their minds to a new way of thinking about the sum and substance of our existence. It’s as enlightening as it is challenging.