Through BOT Publishing, a new author appears on the New Age scene with a tome of philosophy for consideration. Duality (The Beauty of Truth: An Epic of Metaphysical Existence, Book 1) is a collection of personal observations by the author, Alwyn, about the nature of life and existence. It is written in a somewhat poetic form as a series of time entries rather than chapters. The author’s notes, which precede the bulk of the material, suggest the contents are “expanded metaphysics, intended to replace the present one, rapidly failing.” Alwyn offers all sorts of suggestions for effective digestion of the material.

As noted on the dust jacket, Duality is book one in a series of four. There is no indication when the other three installments will be published, though it has been three years since Duality took form. According to the author’s website, www.thebeautyoftruth.com, which is promoted extensively in the book, the ideas are written from the perspective of a man in prison, falsely accused of some crime. It is because of this little nugget of information that a good starting point for any reader would be to explore the website before reading very far into the text. It can offer a more comprehensive understanding of the author’s intentions.

It is difficult to comment on much of Alwyn’s work because, although he requests the reader approach the book free of preconceived notions, every reader will come to the book influenced by their own life experiences. This will, in turn, influence their individual interpretation of the author’s intended meanings, as no reader can approach the book as a completely blank slate. The impact of the words will vary from reader to reader. This subjectivity of interpretation also makes it very difficult to review. What one reader takes from it may not necessarily be anything close to what someone else gains from it. What is evident is that the author is trying to transcend the restrictions of thought placed on the individual by religious and scientific theories. From page 73: “Faith in SCIENCE is RATIONAL; faith in RELIGION is INTUITIVE; faith in both mandates I live with 1 foot on each shore. No other land shall be trod, no other sea shall be crossed; our quest is to find from where perspectives arise.”

The story is followed by a series of diagrams regarding space and time with no explanation. While certainly these must be open to interpretation just as the text is, the reader might benefit from some background or motivation for their creation. It would be easy to overlook these as an insignificant addition to the book, but if they are included, the author must have felt they would contribute value to the reader’s experience.

The definite fact about Alwyn’s observations is that they are intelligent and probing. For the lover of philosophy or intellectual debate, Duality should be an enjoyable adventure. It is definitely something to be considered in pieces over a long period of time rather than absorbed in one sitting.