Book review doi: 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00885.x The Integral Vision. Ken Wilber (2007). Boston, MA, USA. Published by Shambhala. http://www.shambhala.com US$15.95. ISBN 978-1-59030-475-4. 232 pages (softcover, 6 ¥ 7 in, 14 ¥ 18 cm). The subtitle for this book is A Very Short Introduction to the Revolutionary Integral Approach to Life, God, the Universe, and Everything. With this subtitle, Ken Wilber is alluding to the many other books he has written on integral thinking, including his 2001 book titled The Theory of Everything. For those familiar with his work, The Integral Vision book will be a delightful refresher. I chose this condensed version to review for those who are new to his theory. The array of deeply complex ideas that underpin an integral vision of the world is more accessible in this book than his others, although this smaller book still necessitates multiple readings. The 232-page book is divided into seven chapters. As with many books in the popular press, the catchy chapter titles do not readily reveal the wealth of information contained in the book. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the integral approach to life in the 21st century. He posits that individuals need a comprehensive map of human potentials and that this map is the integral approach. He coins the terms integral learning community and integral univer- sity and suggests that individuals should strive for the creation of transdisciplinary knowledge. Wilber does not define this but others define it as knowledge that is created at the interface of the academy and civil society, drawing on as many perspectives as possible. The integration of multiple perspectives is the touchstone of an integral vision. In Chapter 2, Wilber explains that the integral map is made up five elements: quadrants, levels, lines, states and types. He dis- cusses each of these elements. I prepared Table 1 to summarize them, excerpted from Chapter 6 of my forthcoming book, Con- sumer Moral Leadership (Sense Publishers). Wilber uses the quadrant as the organizational/integrative concept for his theory, described in Chapters 3 and 5 (see Fig. 1). Quadrant 1 (upper left) represents the inside of individuals, their mind, consciousness, self-expression and the essence of their inner self. Wilber calls this the ‘I’ quadrant. Quadrant 2 (upper right) represents the outside of individuals, both their brain and physical essence as understood by empirical science. He calls this the ‘IT’ quadrant. Quadrant 3 (lower left) references life lived within the cultural collective, reflected in social norms, group awareness, morality and life with others. He calls this the ‘WE’ quadrant. Finally, Quadrant 4 (lower right) represents life lived outside the collective in the web of life. This quadrant contains the collection of institutions, rules and standards that shape and inform life. Wilber refers to this as the ‘ITS’ quadrant. Finding the patterns that connect all of these elements is a major accomplishment of the integral approach (see Figure 1). As well, people should strive to practise in such a way that mind, matter, meaning and the web of life are all taken into account, or at least be aware that, while living within one quadrant, other realities exist. Indeed, standing in one quadrant results in an imbalanced, flat, one-dimensional approach to life, living and leadership (see Fig. 2). Table 1 Five elements of an integral vision (the integral map) Element Definition States Progression Temporary; come and go; passing; but, they build on each other. With enough peak experiences at a particular state, someone can progress to the next stage. Peak experiences are lubricant for moving from stage to stage. Experienced as ‘aha’ moments, glimpses into higher possibilities. In order for an altered state to become permanent, it must enter the stream of development. Stages (levels of existence) Development Permanent; when a state becomes permanent, it is called a stage. However, stages take a considerable amount of time to develop. Stages unfold sequentially and cannot be skipped. The more frequently the temporary peak states occur, the faster the stages evolve. People cannot skip stages but they can accelerate their growth through them by gaining practice in temporary states. Lines (streams and waves) Growth Lines unfold through the stages. They are dynamic and indicative of growth. The level of the line is called its altitude (low, high and advanced). Lines can be straight, wavy or spiral (streams and waves) Types (styles, voice, logic) Evolution Permanent traits in one’s personal character (personality types). Typologies abound (e.g. Myers-Briggs) and represent innate individual differences in mental processing and perceptions – how people see, and relate to, the world. Belonging to a type means people share attitudes and dispositions, and thus employ different logic (aspect or voice). A person can be a particular type at each state, stage and line. A key example is male and female types. Quadrants (four parts divided by two lines at right angles) Integration Wilber uses this element as the anchor for integrating the other four elements (stages, states, lines, types) which, taken together, comprise the five elements of the integral map International Journal of Consumer Studies ISSN 1470-6423 International Journal of Consumer Studies 34 (2010) 490–492 © The Author Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 490