The authors give a particularly powerful example of the nature of marrying sense and thought in their discussion of the well-known conundrum of the color and sound of a tree falling in a forest. This unified approach to observing and thinking, first described by Goethe and extended by Steiner, leads to the primacy of phenomena, rather than abstract models, in both gaining and describing knowledge about the world. In a phenomenologically based scientific approach, ideas serve as the bridge from one observation to the next. Classical science, which evolved from the craftsperson legacy, was based on the senses. It depends on our purpose.
Models are useful in many circumstances for predicting the outcome of experiments.
The authors, however, present the challenging notion that many times such models are unnecessary and counterproductive. If we wish to go beyond models, and attempt to truly understand the world, both percept and concept must be included, for only a marriage of sense and thought can lead to a complete and accurate description of reality. This clearly written and compelling book challenges all of us to rethink our notions of the practice of science, and the optimum approach to the scientific method. Whether or not the holistic, humanistic approach advocated by the authors will ultimately be accepted remains to be seen, but, at the very least, their proposals are worthy of serious attention and discussion.