Why did I decide to buy that handy-looking gadget at the store yesterday, and now I find out we already have two in various drawers? Or, more positively, how did I manage to give the right reply to my boss when she suddenly popped a question about how I would do the next step in a job I was working on? What goes into making decisions for action in our lives--every day, continually? Why do we do what we do? Ultimately the question is: Why is life as it is, not only for humans but for every living thing?
Control is the result of a quest by the author to answer such questions. Starting with personal experiences, particularly in teaching public school, he shares the development of a general answer--control--to his questions, which, of course, are ones that humans have debated ever since they became capable of such activity. It is a generally simple idea but, like many others such as ecology and evolution, it has a multifaceted foundation and ramifications in life which deserve closer examination, such as the simple logic of why control is a pervasive consequence of the interaction of essential elements of the environment.
Consequently, the book involves detailed discussion of the control paradigm and how it is embedded in other concepts we use, such as self, soul, memory, consciousness, religion, and government. Examples are also given of its application to understanding human history and present-day life, as well as a broader perspective of how the same concept applies not only to humans but all life forms, simple and complex.
It is written as an engagement of dialogue with the reader to propose some answers to life's dilemmas but also raises questions for further thought and exploration. After all, life is all about control, so everything is fair game to discuss. Stimulation of thought and enjoyment of being inquisitive, as well as practical personal application, are goals the writer hopes to share with the reader.
