Fire Over Heaven On the Origin, Interpretations and Evolution of the Yin/Yang Dialectic and I Ching

In Fire Over Heaven author/artist Roy Collins uncovers the ancient origins of the Chinese yin/yang dialectic and the I Ching (Book of Changes) and explains the complex debate over their meanings. Inspired by art historian Ernest Fenollosa’s early work on the exchange of cross-cultural art and design motifs, Collins has reasoned that a similar path of transmission had also heightened the barter of both ideas and languages. He further argues that due to the nature of cultural differences and individual perception, it often becomes obligatory for people to make slight adjustments in word sounds, art forms, and visual styles in order for new transitions to be acceptable. From Africa’s Rift Valley, across the sands of the “Silk Route” and into the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village, Collins cites examples of specific key words and ideas from well-known artists, philosophers, poets, physicists, historians, political officials, and scientists to show how their interpretations differ from the original usage. It is a literary/psychological journey that extends back over three million years in time and, according to Collins, is slated to continue as long as the human race evolves in time.