Liber Kaos

Rating:
Summary: Well thought out.
Review: A great return to the basic concepts of magick regardless of dogma and tradition. Mr. Carroll cuts through the long held practices of Animism and Spiritism to find the Unified Magickal Theory, leaving that very theory open to conjecture and personalization.

The only downfall is that it may not be as accessible to those without knowledge of theoretical physics and mathematics.

Rating:
Summary: A Reader
Review: Although I do NOT agree with many of the author's views, he has presented one of the clearest and most workable systems of self-development available. His system works from the sorcery to the high levels of magick in a self paced manner that is the best around. He has stripped magick of many useless ideas and theories while leaving in the elements that make it work. Very important reading even if you don't embrace this magickal world view.

Rating:
Summary: worth multiple reads
Review: I have just recently started reading Peter Carroll over the last few months. After 2 yrs of study and practice of magick, Liber Kaos is the most brilliant and refreshing book on the topic i've read in a long time. His writing is very concise, easy to understand, and are supported with fact. Every writer has their own veiw and experiances that will be expressed in there writing. This book expresses a more open mind than most, and is should be read by anyone devoted to magick.
PS- and of course it isn't for beginners, that's why Liber Null and Psychonaut exists. It should be obvious Carroll builds more advanced ideas on each book that has come out.

Rating:
Summary: Essential For The Serious Student
Review: Less than 3% of all books on magic are worth reading. LIBER KAOS is one of them. The first part of the book attempts to explain magick in terms of quantum physics and chaos theory(interesting...that's all I can say). The second part of the book however,cuts straight to the nitty gritty of how to do magick properly to get results. Step by step procedure stripped of all religious, supersticious, and cultural symbolism and baggage. If you do not study these principles and use them you are shooting yourself in the foot.

Rating:
Summary: Liber Dogma
Review: Liber Kaos is definately not a good book for someone new in chaos magic. Read "Condensed Chaos" by Phil Hine if you are a neophyte. Even though it does introduce key ideas about chaos magic Peter Carrol progresses rather quickly into more advanced concepts, that combined with large amounts of pesonal dogmatism makes it unsuitable for the newcomer.

As an advanced chaos mage you will clash with Carrol's ideas. The book from the beginning contains hard to agree with dogmatism. Within the dogmatism are some great theories and ideas but it is up to the reader to weave through it. Even though Peter Carrol in the father of chaos magic (with Austin Osman Spare being the grandfather) he suffers from what most authors about magic suffer from. Presenting their beliefs as universal truths.

Not all is negative though. Within his book there is a plentiful of concepts that you might or might not decide to include in your toybox. Moreover its a book that must be in your library since Peter Carrol is the first to give chaos magic a name and he is the one that started it all.

Assume nothing.

Rating:
Summary: Liber Dogma
Review: Liber Kaos is definately not a good book for someone new in chaos magic. Read "Condensed Chaos" by Phil Hine if you are a neophyte. Even though it does introduce key ideas about chaos magic Peter Carrol progresses rather quickly into more advanced concepts, that combined with large amounts of pesonal dogmatism makes it unsuitable for the newcomer.

As an advanced chaos mage you will clash with Carrol's ideas. The book from the beginning contains hard to agree with dogmatism. Within the dogmatism are some great theories and ideas but it is up to the reader to weave through it. Even though Peter Carrol in the father of chaos magic (with Austin Osman Spare being the grandfather) he suffers from what most authors about magic suffer from. Presenting their beliefs as universal truths.

Not all is negative though. Within his book there is a plentiful of concepts that you might or might not decide to include in your toybox. Moreover its a book that must be in your library since Peter Carrol is the first to give chaos magic a name and he is the one that started it all.

Assume nothing.

Rating:
Summary: Carroll's magickal dissertation
Review: LIBER KAOS is divided into two parts: first, the outline of what Carroll calls CMT (Chaos Magickal Theory) on a scientific basis, borrowing from quantum physics and catastrophe theory. The second part is devoted to the dynamics of practical magick. LIBER KAOS is Pope Pete's dissertation on magick, and should be read by every student of the art of arts.

Rating:
Summary: THE SCRIPTURES OF KAOS
Review: This book consists of 3 parts. The first, Liber Kaos proper, deals with the principles of magic, aeonics and the principles of chaos. It includes Pope Pete's fascinating psychohistory model in which the shamanic, religious, rationalist and pandemonic aeons are measured against the materialistic, magical and transcendental paradigms to illustrate the historical ups and downs of the spiritual worldview. Part two: The Psychonomicon, discusses practical magic, sleight of mind, auric and different types of color magic, from octarine to purple. It also includes the Thanateros ritual, which is a celebration of Chaoist principles and a momentary invocation of the power of chaos itself. The appendices make up the third part of the book and includes Liber KKK: an extended series of magical operations; the Gnostic pentagram ritual; chaos monasticism, and; Liber Pactionis: the structure, rituals and protocols of the magical pact of the illuminates of Thanateros. The text is enhanced by diagrams and two illustrations, and there is a short bibliography which includes Stephen Hawking and Terry Pratchet. Pope Pete certainly provides a compelling read, but I'm not convinced of his premises. As another reviewer has said, chaos only occurs in a localized context. Certain patterns in the universe, like the platonic solids and sacred geometry (the golden mean) seem to indicate the prevalence of order in the larger scheme of things. Call me a heretic or Reform Chaoist if you will, but I don't believe Pope Pete is infallible!