Michael Shermer
Shermer on the Skeptics Society Geology Tour on June 8, 2007.
Born	Michael Brant Shermer (1954-09-08) September 8, 1954 (age 57) Glendale, California, USA
Residence	Altadena, California, USA
Occupation	Academic historian of science and editor
Title	Editor-in-Chief of Skeptic and Adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University
Religion	None (Agnostic)
Website
www.michaelshermer.com

Michael Brant Shermer, PhD (born September 8, 1954 in Glendale, California, USA) is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic,^[1] which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The Skeptics Society currently has over 55,000 members.^[2] Shermer also engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience and religion in which he promulgates the need for scientific skepticism.

Shermer is also the producer and co-host of the 13-hour Fox Family (now ABC Family) television series Exploring the Unknown. Since April 2001, he has been a monthly columnist for Scientific American magazine with his Skeptic column. Shermer states he was once a fundamentalist Christian, but converted from a belief in God during his graduate studies, and has described himself as an agnostic,^[3] nontheist,^[4][5] atheist^[6][7] and advocate for humanist philosophy^[8] as well as the science of morality.^[9] He has expressed reservations about such labels, however, as he sees them being used in the service of "pigeonholing", and prefers to simply be called a skeptic.^[6]

Early life, education and career[link]

Shermer was born on September 8, 1954,^[10] and raised in Southern California.^[11] His parents divorced when he was four.^[10] Both of his parents remarried, his mother to a man with three children, who became Shermer's stepsiblings, and his father to a woman with whom he had two daughters, Shermer's half-sisters. His father would later die of a heart attack in 1986, and his mother of brain cancer in 2000.^[12]

Although Shermer went to Sunday school, he says that neither his biological nor stepparents or siblings were religious nor non-religious, as they did not hold much discussion on the topic, and did not attend church nor pray together. In 1971, at the beginning of his senior year in high school, Shermer announced he was a born again Christian, which came about through the influence of his best friend, George. For the next seven years he would evangelize door-to-door as part of his profoundly held beliefs.^[12]

He graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in 1972. He began his undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University, initially majoring in Christian theology, later switching to psychology.^[11] He completed his bachelor's degree in psychology/biology at Pepperdine in 1976.^[13]

Shermer's graduate studies in experimental psychology at California State University, Fullerton, led to many after-class discussions with professors Bayard Brattstrom and Meg White. These,^[14] along with his studies in ethology and cultural anthropology, led to him to question his religious beliefs, and by mid-way through his graduate training, he removed the Christian ichthys that he had been wearing around his neck.^[12][14] Shermer completed his master's degree from California State University in experimental psychology in 1978.^[13]

Shermer began competitive bicycling in 1979, and spent a decade in the sport. During the course of his cycling, Shermer worked with cycling technologists in developing better products for the sport. During his association with Bell Helmets, a bicycle-race sponsor, Shermer advised them on design issues regarding their development of expanded-polystyrene for use in cycling helmets, which would absorb impact far better than the old leather "hairnet" helmets used by bicyclists for decades. Shermer advised them that if their helmets looked too much like motorcycle helmets, in which polystyrene was already being used, and not like the old hairnet helmets, that no serious cyclists or amateur would use them. This suggestion led to their first model, the V1 Pro, which looked like a black leather hairnet, but functioned on the inside like a motorcycle helmet. In 1982, Shermer worked with Dr. Wayman Spence, whose small supply company, Spenco Medical, adapted the gel technology Spence developed for bedridden patients with pressure sores into cycling gloves and saddles to alleviate the carpal tunnel syndrome and saddle sores suffered by cyclists.^[15]

During the decade in which he raced long distances, he helped to found the 3,000-mile nonstop transcontinental bicycle Race Across America (along with Lon Haldeman and John Marino), in which he competed five times (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989), was assistant race director six years, and executive race director seven years.^[16] An acute medical condition is named for him: "Shermer's neck" is pain in and extreme weakness of the neck muscles found among long-distance bicyclists. Shermer suffered the condition during the 1983 Race Across America.^[17] Shermer's embrace of scientific skepticism crystallized during his time as a cyclist, explaining, "I became a skeptic on Saturday, August 6, 1983, on the long climbing road to Loveland Pass, Colorado"^[18] after months of training under the guidance of a "nutritionist" with an unaccredited Ph.D. After years of practicing acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, negative ions, rolfing, pyramid power, fundamentalist Christianity, and "a host of weird things" (with the exception of drugs) to improve his life and training, Shermer stopped rationalizing the failure of these practices.^[19] Shermer would later produce several documentaries on cycling.^[16]

Shermer earned his Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University in history of science in 1991 (with his dissertation titled "Heretic-Scientist: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Evolution of Man: A Study on the Nature of Historical Change").^[13] Shermer later based a full-length, 2002 book on his dissertation: In Darwin's Shadow: The Life and Science of Alfred Russel Wallace: A Biographical Study on the Psychology of History.^[20]

Before starting the Skeptics Society, Shermer was a professor of the history of science at Occidental College, California. Since 2007, Shermer has been an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University.^[13][21][22]

Skeptics Society and Caltech Lecture Series[link]

In 1992 Shermer started the Skeptics Society, which produces Skeptic magazine and currently has over 55,000 members.^[23] In addition, the group organizes the Caltech Lecture Series which offers speakers on a wide range of topics relating to science, psychology, social issues, religion/atheism, skepticism, etc. Past speakers include Stephen Jay Gould, Jared Diamond, Donald Johanson, Julia Sweeney, Richard Dawkins, Philip Zimbardo, Steven Pinker, Carol Tavris, David Baltimore, Lisa Randall, Daniel Dennett, Tim Flannery, Lawrence Krauss, Michio Kaku, Susan Blackmore, Christof Koch, Alison Gopnik, Ursula Goodenough, Edward Tufte, Bjorn Lomborg, Sam Harris, Jeff Schweitzer and many others. The lectures occur on Sunday afternoons, and are open to the public for a nominal fee.^[24]

Published works[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer, 2008.

Shermer is the author of several books that attempt to explain the ubiquity of irrational or poorly substantiated beliefs, including UFOs, Bigfoot, and paranormal claims. In 1997 he wrote Why People Believe Weird Things, which explores a variety of "weird" ideas and groups (including cults), in the tradition of the skeptical writings of Martin Gardner. A revised and expanded edition was published in 2002. From the Introduction:

So we are left with the legacy of two types of thinking errors: Type 1 Error: believing a falsehood and Type 2 Error: rejecting a truth. ... Believers in UFOs, alien abductions, ESP, and psychic phenomena have committed a Type 1 Error in thinking: they are believing a falsehood. ... It's not that these folks are ignorant or uninformed; they are intelligent but misinformed. Their thinking has gone wrong.

— Michael Shermer, Why People Believe Weird Things, 1997, 2002, Introduction

In How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science, Shermer explored the psychology behind the belief in God. In its introduction Shermer wrote "Never in history have so many, and such a high percentage of the population, believed in God. Not only is God not dead as Nietzsche proclaimed, but he has never been more alive."

In early 2002, Shermer's Scientific American column introduced Shermer's Last Law, the notion that "any sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial intelligence is indistinguishable from God." Shermer's Last Law is a spin on Clarke's Third Law.

In 2002, Shermer and Alex Grobman wrote their book Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It? which examined and refuted the Holocaust denial movement. This book recounts meeting various denialists and concludes that free speech is the best way to deal with pseudohistory.

Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown was released in 2005. Then his 2006 book Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design, marshals point-by-point arguments supporting evolution, sharply criticizing Intelligent Design. This book also argues that science cannot invalidate religion, and that Christians and conservatives can and should accept evolution.

In June 2006, Shermer, who formerly expressed skepticism regarding the mainstream scientific view on global warming, wrote that, in view of the accumulation of evidence, the position of denying global warming is no longer tenable.^[25]

The Mind of The Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics was released in 2007. In it Shermer reports on the findings of multiple behavioral and biochemical studies that address evolutionary explanations for modern behavior.

In February 2009, Shermer published The History of Science: A Sweeping Visage of Science and its History, a 25-hour audio lecture.

In May 2011, Shermer published The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths.

Media appearances and lectures[link]

Shermer has appeared on several television shows and documentaries. In addition, he appears regularly at conferences and other speaking engagements.^{[citation needed]}

Shermer appeared as a guest on Donahue in 1994 to respond to Bradley Smith's and David Cole's Holocaust denial claims, and in 1995 on The Oprah Winfrey Show to challenge Rosemary Altea's psychic claims. Shermer made a guest appearance in a 2004 episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit!, in which he argued that events in the Bible constitute "mythic storytelling," rather than events described literally. His stance was supported by the show's hosts, who have expressed their own atheism. The episode in question, The Bible: Fact or Fiction?, sought to debunk the notion that the Bible is an empirically reliable historical record. Opposing Shermer was Paul Maier, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University.^[26]

Shermer made several appearances on NBC's daytime paranormal-themed show The Other Side in 1994 and 1995. After getting to know that show's producers, he made a formal pitch to their production company for his own skepticism-oriented reality show whose aim would be to present points of view of both believers and skeptics. His proposals were not fruitful, but several years later, one of the executives of that company went to work for the then-newly formed Fox Family Channel, and impressed with Shermer's show treatment, requested he pitch it to the network. The network picked up the series, Exploring the Unknown, of which Shermer became a producer and cohost. The series, which was budgeted at approximately $200,000USD per episode, was viewed by Shermer as a direct extension of the work done at the Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine, and would enable Shermer to reach more people. The equivocal title was chosen so as to not tip off guests or viewers as to the skeptical nature of the show.^[27] Various segments from Exploring the Unknown can be found on Shermer's YouTube channel.^[28]

Shermer has been a speaker at all three Beyond Belief events from 2006 to 2008. He also spoke at the 2006 TED Conference on "Why people believe strange things."^[29]

Shermer is a frequent guest on Skepticality, the official podcast of Skeptic.^{[citation needed]}

On August 21, 2010, Dr. Shermer was honored with an award recognizing his contributions in the skeptical field, from The IIG during its 10th Anniversary Gala.^[30]

[edit] Exploring the Unknown

The following are segments Shermer's 1999 Fox Family TV series, Exploring the Unknown.

• "Michael Shermer and Out of Body Experiences"^[31]
• "Michael Shermer on How to Fake UFO Photographs"^[32]
• "Michael Shermer on Spoonbending"^[33]
• "Michael Shermer Firewalking Across Hot Coals"^[34]
• "Michael Shermer Tests the Polygraph and Lie Detection, Part 1"^[35]
• "Michael Shermer Tests the Polygraph and Lie Detection, Part 2"^[36]
• "Michael Shermer Learns the Art of Con Games, Part 1"^[37]
• "Michael Shermer Learns the Art of Con Games, Part 2"^[38]
• "Michael Shermer Decodes the Bible Code"^[39]
• "Michael Shermer Explores Graphology/Handwriting Analysis, Part 1"^[40]
• "Michael Shermer Explores Graphology/Handwriting Analysis, Part 2"^[41]
• "Michael Shermer Remote Viewing Experiment Part 1"^[42]
• "Michael Shermer Remote Viewing Experiment Part 2"^[43]

Other television and film appearances[link]

• August 1983 news segment on Shermer bicycling in Race Across America^[44]
• Unsolved Mysteries, James Van Praagh segment, 1994
• The Phil Donahue Show, 1994
• "The Power of Belief", ABC News, 1998
• Politically Incorrect, December 22, 2000
• 20/20, December 5, 2003
• Dennis Miller, May 19 and May 20, 2004
• "The Bible: Fact or Fiction?", Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, 2004^[26]
• The Question of God: Sigmund Freud & C.S. Lewis, 2004
• The Eyes of Nye on "Pseudoscience", 2005
• The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, October 4, 2006
• "Doomsday 2012", Decoding the Past, 2007
• Larry King Live, July 13, 2007 and January 24, 2008
• Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, 2008
• "Does God Have a Future?", Nightline, ABC, March 23, 2010^[45]
• "What Were You Thinking?", Dateline NBC, April 25, 2010^[46]
• "Did You See That?", Dateline NBC, July 16, 2010^[47]
• The Colbert Report, July 11, 2011
• Paranormal Challenge, Linda Vista Hospital, August 26, 2011

Radio and Web appearances[link]

• Coast to Coast AM, September 1, 2007
• Mr. Deity and the Skeptic YouTube, September 15, 2009^[48]
• Skepticality^{[episode needed]}
• Coast to Coast AM, May 21, 2011 ^[49]
• KGO May 25, 2011

Personal life[link]

Shermer lives in Altadena, California, on the edge of a cliff in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains atop which Mount Wilson stands.^[50]

Politically, Shermer has described himself as a libertarian.^[51]

List of books by Shermer[link]

• Sport Cycling: A Guide to Training, Racing, and Endurance 1985 ISBN 0-8092-5244-9
• Cycling: Endurance and Speed (Sportsperformance) 1987 ISBN 0-8092-4775-5
• Teach Your Child Science 1989 ISBN 0-929923-08-1
• Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time. (1997, 2nd Revision edition 2002) ISBN 0-8050-7089-3
• Teach Your Child Math and Mathemagics 1999 ISBN 0-7373-0134-1
• The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense 2001 ISBN 0-19-514326-4
• How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science 2001 ISBN 0-613-35413-3
• The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience (ed.) 2002 ISBN 1-57607-653-9
• Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It? 2002 ISBN 0-520-23469-3
• In Darwin's Shadow: The Life and Science of Alfred Russel Wallace: A Biographical Study on the Psychology of History 2002 ISBN 0-19-514830-4
• The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule 2004 ISBN 0-8050-7520-8
• Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown 2005 ISBN 0-8050-7708-1
• Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician's Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks 2006 ISBN 978-0-307-33840-2
• Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design 2006 ISBN 978-0-8050-8121-3
• The Mind of The Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics 2007 ISBN 978-0-8050-7832-9
• The History of Science: A Sweeping Visage of Science and its History 2009 audio lecture
• The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths 2011 ISBN 978-0-8050-9125-0

[edit] List of Skeptic columns published in Scientific American

See also[link]

• James Randi

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Michael Shermer on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Official website
• Official YouTube Channel
• Skeptic.com – Official website of The Skeptics Society
• Skepticality – Official podcast of The Skeptics Society
• Michael Shermer at the Internet Movie Database

Media[link]

• Multimedia files featuring Michael Shermer
• “Michael Shermer's Baloney Detection Kit”, Richard Dawkins Foundation, YouTube Channel, June 22, 2009
• On strange beliefs, Ted Talks, February 2006
• The pattern behind self-deception, TED Talks, February 2010
• Real Detroit Weekly Interview, February 7, 2007
• Skeptiko Audio Interview: Darwin, Evolution and Creativity, February 14, 2007
• Is Christianity Good for the World? – Debate with Dinesh D'Souza at the Oregon State University Socratic Club on October 15, 2007, part 1
• Is Christianity Good for the World? – Debate with Dinesh D'Souza at the Oregon State University Socratic Club on October 15, 2007, part 2
• Michael Shermer interviewed about The Mind of the Market, The Polyschizmatic Reprobates Hour
• Video of an hour-long interview/discussion with Shermer by John Horgan on Bloggingheads.tv
• “Michael Shermer debates Jonathan Wells on Evolution v. Intelligent Design” at the Cato Institute, Part 1 of 7, YouTube, taped October 12, 2006, posted May 11, 2008
• “Michael Shermer visits the Kentucky Creation Museum", YouTube, March 15, 2009
• “The Nightline Face-Off: Does God Have a Future? (1 of 12)”, ABC News.com/YouTube, Taped March 14, 2010, Posted May 23, 2010
• Michael Shermer debates John Lennox on God on YouTube (October 29, 2008)
• "Michael Shermer visits Sydney", Maynard, September 28, 2011

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There are many people in history who are commonly appended with the phrase "the Great", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as e Bozorg and e azam in Persian and Urdu respectively.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.^[1]

The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus)^[2] assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "the Great".

The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).

Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.

As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.

Rulers[link]

• Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629), Shah of Iran
• Akbar (1542–1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India
• Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), French aristocrat
• Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia
• Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia
• Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias
• Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex
• Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire
• Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty
• Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),
• Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire
• Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand
• Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland
• Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)
• Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736–1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)
• Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden
• Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), King of Poland
• Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Empress of Russia
• Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India
• Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans
• Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)
• Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks
• Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen
• Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman emperor
• Cyaxares the Great (c. 625-585 BC), third king of Media
• Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire
• Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire
• Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent
• Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse^[3]
• Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile
• Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia
• Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
• Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe
• Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader
• Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea^[4][5]
• Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC
• Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)
• Henry IV of France (1553–1610), King of France and King of Navarre
• Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea
• Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris
• Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France
• Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057–1101)
• Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat
• Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Tsar of Russia
• John I of Portugal (1358–1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve
• John II of Aragon (1398–1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre
• Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor
• Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i
• Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India
• Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010–1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia
• Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty
• Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales
• Louis I of Hungary (1326–1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland
• Mangrai the Great (1238–1317), Lanna, northern Thailand
• Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), Emperor of Japan
• Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)
• Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)
• Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom
• Mstislav I of Kiev (1076–1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus
• Naresuan (1555–1605), King of Ayutthaya
• Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)
• Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine
• Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)
• K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque
• Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka
• Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia
• Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia
• Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily
• Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar
• Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar
• Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.^[6][7][8]
• Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044), Tamil King of India
• Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt
• Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)
• Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082–1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties
• Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)
• Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev
• Saladin (c. 1138-1193), Kurdish Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and victor over the Crusaders
• Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent
• Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre
• Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire
• Sejong the Great (1397–1450), Korean king^[9]
• Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia
• Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire
• Stephen III of Moldavia (1433–1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)
• Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks
• Taksin (1734–1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)
• Tamar (1160-1123), Queen of the Georgian Empire
• Timur (1336–1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty
• Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie
• Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire
• Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor
• Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia
• Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia
• Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire
• Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark
• Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor
• Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus
• Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy
• William I, Count of Burgundy (1020–1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon
• William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou
• Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)
• Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China

Religious figures[link]

• Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East
• Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia
• Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian
• Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt
• Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader
• Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian
• Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)
• Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint
• Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint
• Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)
• Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine
• Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)
• Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)
• Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit
• Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)
• Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople
• William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites

Other[link]

• Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies
• Emmy the Great, folk singer
• Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III
• Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia

See also[link]

• Epithet
• List of monarchs by nickname
• List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I
• James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus
• Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whose common honorific "Mahatma" means "Great Soul"

Notes[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2012)

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Deepak Chopra
Speaking to the Microsoft PAC on January 15, 2011
Born	(1946-10-22) October 22, 1946 (age 65) New Delhi, India
Nationality	American
Occupation	Physician, public speaker, writer
Spouse	Rita Chopra
Children	Mallika Chopra and Gotham Chopra
Parents	K. L. Chopra, Pushpa Chopra
Website
www.deepakchopra.com

Deepak Chopra (Hindi: दीपक चोपड़ा; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-born, American physician, public speaker, and writer. He is generally specialized in subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine.^[1][2] Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine.^[3] He now runs his own medical center with a focus on mind-body connections.^{[clarification needed]} He is also a lecturer at the Update in Internal Medicine event.

Chopra was an assistant to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before starting his own career in the late 1980s by publishing self-help books on New Age spirituality and alternative medicine.^[4][5] A friend of Michael Jackson for 20 years, Chopra criticized the "cult of drug-pushing doctors, with their co-dependent relationships with addicted celebrities", saying that he hoped Jackson's death, attributed to an overdose of a prescription drug, would be a call to action.^[6]

Early life and education[link]

Chopra was born in New Delhi, India.^[1][7] His father, Krishan Chopra (1919–2001) was a prominent Indian cardiologist, and head of the department of medicine and cardiology at Mool Chand Khairati Ram Hospital, New Delhi, for over 25 years,^[8] He was also a lieutenant in the British army.^[1][7] His paternal grandfather was a sergeant in the British Army, who looked to Ayurveda for treatment for a heart condition when the condition did not improve with Western medicine.^[9]

Chopra's younger brother, Sanjiv, is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.^[10]

As a young man, Chopra's desire was to become an actor or journalist, but he reports that he was inspired by a character in Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis and became a doctor.^[11]

Chopra completed his primary education at St. Columba's School in New Delhi and graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).^[12] After immigrating to the US in 1968, Chopra began his clinical internship and residency training at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, New Jersey. He had residency terms at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, and at the University of Virginia Hospital.^[7]

He earned his license to practice medicine in the state of Massachusetts in 1973^[13] and received a California medical license in 2004.^[14] Chopra is board-certified in internal medicine and specialized in endocrinology.^[13] He is also a member of the American Medical Association (AMA),^[15]

Career[link]

Chopra taught at the medical schools of Tufts University, Boston University and Harvard University. He became Chief of Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham, Massachusetts,^[7] later known as Boston Regional Medical Center, before establishing a private practice.^[7]

After reading about the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM), Chopra and his wife learned the practice in 1981, and two months later they went on to learn the advanced TM-Sidhi program.^[16] Sources also describe a 1981 meeting between Chopra and Ayurvedic physician Brihaspati Dev Triguna in Delhi, India, in which Triguna advised Chopra to learn the TM technique.^[12]

In 1985, Chopra met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who invited him to study Ayurveda.^[12][17] In that same year, Chopra left his position at the New England Memorial Hospital and became the founding president of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, and was later named medical director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management and Behavioral Medicine.^[12][17][18] He was initially the sole stockholder of Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, but divested after three months.^[19] He has been called the TM movement's "poster boy" and "its leading Ayurvedic physician".^[20] In 1989, the Maharishi awarded him with the title "Dhanvantari (Lord of Immortality), the keeper of perfect health for the world".^[21]

In its May 22/29, 1991 issue, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article coauthored by Chopra: "Letter from New Delhi: Maharishi Ayur-Veda: Modern Insights Into Ancient Medicine".^[22] JAMA editors claimed that Chopra and his co-authors had financial interests in "Maharishi Vedic Medicine" products and services. In the August 14, 1991 edition of JAMA, the editors published a financial disclosure correction^[23] and followed up on October 2, 1991 with a six-page Medical News and Perspectives exposé.^[24] An article discussing this chain of events was authored by Andrew A. Skolnick in the Newsletter of the National Association of Science Writers.^[25] A 1992 defamation lawsuit brought against the article's author and the editor of JAMA was dismissed in 1993.^[26][27] Media reports published four years later saying that there had been a monetary settlement of the case were later withdrawn as untrue.^[28]

By 1992, Chopra was serving on the National Institutes of Health ad hoc panel on alternative medicine.^[29] In 1993, Chopra became executive director of the Sharp Institute for Human Potential and Mind–Body Medicine with a $30,000 grant from the Office of Alternative Medicine in the National Institutes to study Ayurvedic medicine.^[12] Chopra's institute also maintained affiliation with Sharp Healthcare, in San Diego.^[17][18] That same year Chopra moved with his family to Southern California where he lives with his wife and near his two adult children, Gotham and Mallika.^[12]

Chopra left the Transcendental Meditation movement in January 1994. According to his own account, Chopra was accused by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of attempting to compete with the Maharishi's position as guru.^[30] Author Todd Carroll said Chopra left the TM organization when it “became too stressful” and was a “hindrance to his success”.^[5]

In 1995, Chopra was the recipient of the Toastmasters "International Top Five Outstanding Speakers" award.^[31] In 1997, Chopra was given the Golden Gavel Award by Toastmasters.^{[32][dead link]}

He was presented the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic awarded by the Pio Manzu International Scientific Committee. In the citation committee chairman and former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev referred to Chopra as "one of the most lucid and inspired philosophers of our time".^[33] Esquire magazine designated him as one of the "top ten motivational speakers in the country".^[11][31] He is the recipient of the 2002 Einstein Award through Albert Einstein College of Medicine in collaboration with the American Journal of Psychotherapy.

In 1996, Chopra parted company with the Sharp Institute. That same year, Chopra and neurologist David Simon founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, which incorporated Ayurveda in its regimen, and was located in La Jolla, California. The University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and American Medical Association have granted continuing medical education credits for some programs offered to physicians at the Chopra Center.^[7][12][17] In 2002, Chopra and Simon relocated the Chopra Center to the grounds of La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, continuing to offer mind-body wellness programs, medical consultations, and instruction in meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda.

Chopra and Simon also revived an ancient mantra-based meditation practice, traveling to India to study the origins of this technique, known as Primordial Sound Meditation. This form of meditation is now taught at the Chopra Center and by certified instructors who receive their training through Chopra Center University.

Since 2000 Chopra has sat as an advisor for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association.^[34]

In 2005 Chopra was made a Senior Scientist at The Gallup Organization.^[35] He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.^[36]

He is also a weekly columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, a regular contributor to The Washington Post's "On Faith" section and a prolific contributor to The Huffington Post.^[37][38][39]

Chopra is also a monthly contributor to The Times of India Speaking Tree.^[40][41]

In 2006, Chopra launched Virgin Comics LLC with his son Gotham Chopra and entrepreneur Richard Branson. The company's purpose is to "spread peace and awareness through comics and trading cards that display traditional Kabalistic characters and stories."^[7] Chopra was awarded the 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.^[42][43]

He was the recipient in 2009 of the Oceana Award.^[44] Also in 2009, Chopra established the Chopra Foundation with a mission to advance the cause of mind/body spiritual healing, education, and research through fundraising for selected projects.^[45] In 2010 the Chopra Foundation sponsored the first Sages and Scientists Symposium, attended by a number of scientists, social scientists and artists from around the world, with a second symposium hosted in February 2011. The third symposium is scheduled for March 2012^[46] with seminars relating to Alzheimer's Disease and "Past Life Memories" amongst others.^[47]

In 2010, Chopra received the Cinequest Life of a Maverick Award for his collaborations with filmmakers Shekhar Kapur and his son, Gotham Chopra. The award goes to "inspirational individuals who touch the world of film while their greater lives exemplify the Maverick spirit."^[11]

Chopra is heavily featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's cancer docudrama titled 1 a Minute talking about mind, body, spirit and the mystery of life and death.^[48] The documentary is directed by actress Namrata Singh Gujral and also features cancer survivors Olivia Newton-John, Diahann Carroll, Melissa Etheridge, Mumtaz and Jaclyn Smith.

He received the 2010 Humanitarian Starlite Award "for his global force of human empowerment, well-being and for bringing light to the world."^[49] Chopra is the recipient of the 2010 GOI Peace Award.^[50]

In September 2010, Chopra published a criticism of Stephen Hawking's book The Grand Design.^[51]

In conjunction with Menas Kafatos and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Chopra published a paper in the Journal of Cosmology Vol. 14 April–May 2011, titled "How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe".^[52]

In June 2011, Chopra wrote an op-ed for the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics titled "Medicine’s Great Divide—The View from the Alternative Side".^[53]

In 2011, Chopra was ranked the Number 1 influencer of all Indians in the world, both resident and non-resident.^[54]

In October 2011, Chopra wrote a critical review of Richard Dawkins' book The Magic of Reality in the Huffington Post.^[55]

In 2011 and 2012, Chopra partnered with Alexander Tsiaras, founder of TheVisualMD on an online program called "The 9 Visual Rules of Wellness".^[56]

In May of 2012 Chopra co-authored a paper entitled "The Zinc Dyshomeostasis Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Disease" along with Travis J. A. Craddock, Jack A. Tuszynski, Noel Case, Lee E. Goldstein, Stuart R. Hameroff, and Rudolph E. Tanzi in the PLoS ONE Journal ^[57]

Criticism[link]

According to a 2008 article in Time magazine, Chopra is “a magnet for criticism”, primarily from those involved in science and medicine. Some critics say that Chopra creates a false sense of hope in sick individuals which may keep them away from effective medical care. The Time article summarized Chopra's reception and popularity thus: "Of all the Asian gurus…, Chopra has arguably been the most successful at erasing apparent differences between East and West by packaging Eastern mystique in credible Western garb. …His quest to construct a pleasing and seamless model of the universe tends to jump to easy conclusions and to spackle over problematic gaps and inconsistencies in the ideas he presents — is obvious to all but his most starry-eyed fans. But grousing about such crimes — as many do — does little to explain his enormous popularity. Chopra is as rich as he is today not because he has been dishonest with anyone, but because his basic message — that love, health and happiness are possible, that mystery is real and that the universe is ultimately a friendly and benevolent place where orthodoxies old and new can meet and make peace with one another — is one that he wants to believe in just as sincerely as his readers do."^[58][59]

Chopra was sued for plagiarism by Robert Sapolsky for using a stress endocrine chart without proper attribution, after the publication of Chopra’s book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. An out-of-court settlement resulted in Chopra attributing material that was researched by Sapolsky.^[59] Chopra acknowledges that his thought has been inspired by Jiddu Krishnamurti and others.^[5][60]

In 1996, The Weekly Standard published an article which accused Chopra of "plagiarism and soliciting a prostitute"; however, Chopra sued and the paper withdrew its statements and published an apology.^[61]

Chopra has been criticized for his frequent references to the relationship of quantum mechanics to healing processes, a connection that has drawn skepticism from some physicists who say it can be considered as contributing to the general confusion in the popular press regarding quantum measurement, decoherence and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.^[62] In 1998, Chopra was awarded the satirical Ig Nobel Prize in physics for "his unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness".^[63] According to the book Skeptics Dictionary, Chopra's "mind-body claims get even murkier as he tries to connect Ayurveda with quantum physics.”^[5] Chopra also participated in the Channel 4 (UK) documentary The Enemies of Reason, where, when interviewed by scientist Richard Dawkins, he admitted that the term "quantum theory" was being used as a metaphor and that it has little to do with the actual quantum theory in physics.^[64]

In August 2005, Chopra wrote a series of articles on the creation-evolution controversy and Intelligent design which were criticized by science writer Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society.^[65][66][67]

In March 2010, Chopra and Jean Houston debated Sam Harris and Michael Shermer at Caltech on the question "Does God Have a Future?" Shermer and Harris criticized Chopra's use of scientific terminology to expound unrelated spiritual concepts.^[68] Shermer has said that Chopra is "the very definition of what we mean by pseudoscience".^[68]

In April 2010, Hindu American Foundation co-founder Aseem Shukla, on a Washington Post-sponsored blog on faith and religion, criticized Chopra for suggesting that yoga did not have origins in Hinduism but is an older Indian spiritual tradition which predated Hinduism.^[69] Later on, Chopra explained yoga as rooted in "consciousness alone" which is a universal, non-sectarian eternal wisdom of life expounded by Vedic rishis long before historic Hinduism ever arose. He further accused Aseem Shukla of having a "fundamentalist agenda". Dr. Shukla in a rejoinder titled "Dr. Chopra: Honor thy heritage" termed Deepak Chopra as an exponent of the art of "How to Deconstruct, Repackage and Sell Hindu Philosophy Without Calling it Hindu!" and to the allegation of "fundamentalist" he responded by accusing Chopra of raising the "bogey of communalism" in frustration to divert the argument.^[70][71]

Chopra addresses these scientific criticisms in his 2011 book War of the Worldviews - Science vs Spirituality, coauthored with CalTech Professor of Physics Leonard Mlodinow. In it he explains his respect and admiration for the scientific method while pointing out its limitations and the need for an expanded science that includes the reality and investigation of the observer, or consciousness.^[72][73]

Message[link]

According to Business Week, one of Chopra's main messages is that by ridding oneself of negative emotions and developing intuition by listening to signals from the body, health can be improved. According to Chopra, slowing down or reversing the aging of the mind through his methods can increase one's lifespan up to the age of 120 years. As a result of his writings and lectures in this area, he is thought by some to be "one of the pre-eminent leaders of the mind-body-spirit movement".^[11]

Publications[link]

Chopra has written more than 65 books with 19 New York Times bestsellers. His books have been translated into 35 languages and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.^[29] His book, Peace Is the Way won the Quill Awards and The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of your Life received the Nautilus Award. FINS - Wall Street Journal, mentioned his book, “The Soul of Leadership”, as one of five best business books of 2011 to read for your career. Chopra is represented in the United States by the literary agency, Trident Media Group.^[74] His first book, Creating Health, is credited with helping to create initial, international recognition for Chopra.^[7]

• 1987 Creating Health ISBN 0-395-75515-8
• 1988 Return of the Rishi ISBN 0-395-57420-X
• 1989 Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine ISBN 0-553-34869-8^[75]
• 1991 Unconditional Life: Mastering the Forces That Shape Personal Reality
• 1991 Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide ISBN 0-517-58421-2
• 1993 Ageless Body, Timeless Mind : The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old ISBN 0-517-59257-6
• 1993 Creating Affluence: Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All PossibilitiesISBN 1-880032-42-2
• 1994 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfilment of Your Dreams
• 1995 The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons in Creating the Life You Want ISBN 0-517-70434-X
• 1995 The Return of Merlin: A Novel ISBN 0-449-91074-1
• 1995 Journey into Healing ISBN 1-4000-8069-X
• 1995 The Path to Love: Spiritual Strategies for Healing
• 1996 Perfect Weight ISBN 0-517-88458-5
• 1996 Restful Sleep ISBN 0-517-88457-7
• 1996 Raid on the Inarticulate ISBN 1-882971-16-7
• 1997 The Path to Love: Renewing the Power of Spirit in Your Life ISBN 0-517-70622-9
• 1997 The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents: Guiding Your Children to Success and Fulfillment
• 1997 Perfect Digestion ISBN 0-609-80076-0
• 1998 Overcoming Addictions ISBN 0-609-80195-3
• 1998 The Love Poems of RumiISBN 0-609-60243-8
• 1998 Healing the Heart ISBN 0-609-60035-4
• 1999 Everyday Immortality: A Concise Course in Spiritual Transformation ISBN 0-609-60484-8
• 1999 On the Shores of Eternity: Poems from Tagore on Immortality and Beyond ISBN 0-609-60564-X
• 1999 A Deepak Chopra Companion ISBN 0-609-80454-5
• 1999 Daughters of JoyISBN 0-451-20935-4
• 1999 Lords of Light: A Novel ISBN 0-312-96892-2
• 2000 The Angel is Near: A Novel ISBN 0-312-97024-2
• 2000 How to Know God : The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries ISBN 0-609-60078-8
• 2001 The Deeper Wound: Recovering the Soul from Fear and Suffering, 100 Days of Healing
• 2001 Grow Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging ISBN 0-609-60079-6
• 2001 The Soul in Love: Classic Poems of Ecstasy and Exaltation ISBN 0-609-60648-4
• 2002 Manifesting Good Luck Cards: Growth and Enlightenment
• 2003 Golf for Enlightenment: The Seven Lessons for the Game of Life
• 2003 The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence ISBN 0-609-60042-7
• 2003 Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence to Create Miracles ISBN 1-84413-221-8
• 2003 Manifesting Good Luck: Love and Relationships, 50 Card Deck
• 2003 The Chopra Center Cookbook ISBN 0-471-45404-4
• 2004 The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life ISBN 0-517-70624-5
• 2004 Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens ISBN 0-689-86216-4
• 2005 Peace Is the Way : Bringing War and Violence to an End ISBN 0-307-23607-2
• 2005 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit
• 2005 Magical Beginnings Enchanted lives: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy ISBN 0-517-70220-7
• 2005 Teens Ask Deepak ISBN 0-689-86218-0
• 2006 Ask The Kabala: Oracle Cards/Kabala Guidebook ISBN 978-1-4019-1039-6
• 2006 Power Freedom and Grace: Living from the Source of Lasting Happiness ISBN 978-1-878424-81-5
• 2006 Life After Death: The Burden of Proof ISBN 0-307-34578-5
• 2006 Kama Sutra: Including the Seven Spiritual Laws of Love ISBN 978-1-85227-385-9
• 2007 Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment ISBN 978-0-06-087880-1
• 2007 Boundless Energy: The Complete Mind/Body Program for Overcoming Chronic Fatigue ISBN 0-609-80075-2
• 2007 Freedom From Addiction ISBN 0-7573-0578-4
• 2008 The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore ISBN 978-0-307-33831-0
• 2008 Why Is God Laughing? The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism
• 2008 Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment ISBN 978-0-06-144873-7
• 2009 Reinventing The Body, Resurrecting The Soul
• 2009 The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment
• 2009 Chopra Center Herbal Handbook ISBN 0-307-45233-6
• 2010 The Shadow Effect with Debbie Ford and Marianne Williamson ISBN 0-06-196265-1
• 2010 Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet ISBN 978-0-06-178242-8
• 2010 The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness ISBN 978-0-307-40806-8
• 2011 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World with Gotham Chopra ISBN 978-0-06-205966-6
• 2011 The War of the Worldviews with Leonard Mlodinow ISBN 978-0-307-88688-0
• 2012 Spiritual Solutions: Answers to Life's Greatest Challenges ISBN 0-307-71917-0.

Music CDs/audio books[link]

• 1986 Total Health: The Rediscovery of Ayurveda ASIN B-000-K06QY-4
• 1994 Journey Into Healing ISBN 0-679-44089-5
• 1994 Power Talk!:The Power of the Human Paradox with Anthony Robbins ISBN 1-55927-267-8
• 1996 Crescent Moon: Prose Poems of Rabindranath Tagore ISBN 1-878424-20-3
• 1998 Synchrodestiny ISBN 1-905953-04-6
• 1997 Transformation of Mind: Deepak Chopra, Christopher Franke, ASIN: B000003KW4
• 1998 A Gift of Love: Love poems inspired by Rumi ASIN B-000-GRQX8-A
• 2000 All About God: A Dialogue Between Neale Donald Walsch and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-735-X
• 2000 Wisdom of the Sufi: A Dialogue Between Hidayat Inayat-Kahn and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-734-1
• 2000 The Spiritual Journey : A Dialogue Between Richard Moss, M.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-739-2
• 2000 Spiritual Insights into the Genius of Leonardo da Vinci: A Dialogue Between Michael J. Gelb, M.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-738-4
• 2000 The Art of Everyday Ecstasy: A Dialogue Between Margot Anand and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-737-6
• 2000 The Conscious Universe ISBN 1-56170-744-9
• 2000 Pathways to God: A Dialogue Between Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-736-8
• 2000 Unleash Your Potential with Marianne Williamson and Sarah Ban Breathnach ISBN 0-671-77180-9
• 2000 The Path to Enlightenment: Insights into Buddhism / A Dialogue Between Robert Thurman, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-732-5
• 2001 Healing the Planet: A Dialogue Between Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-743-0
• 2001 Self-Coaching Secrets for Success ISBN 1-56170-827-5
• 2001 Awakening the Goddesses Within: Deepak Chopra, M.D., Presents Agapi Stassinopoulos ISBN 1-56170-837-2
• 2001 Tell Me a Story: A Dialogue Between Lisa Suhay and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-874-7
• 2001 Sacred Sexuality: A Dialogue Between Felice Dunas and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-823-2
• 2001 Relationships As a Bridge to Divine Love : A Dialogue Between Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-742-2
• 2001 Training the Mind, Healing the Body ASIN B-000-BGT8K-6
• 2001 Soul of Healing Meditations – A Simple Approach to Growing Younger ASIN B-000-05TZS-K
• 2001 The Higher Self ISBN 0-7435-0921-8
• 2001 The New Physics of Healing ISBN 1-56455-919-X
• 2001 Science And Soul: The Survival of Consciousness After Death, A Dialogue Between Gary Schwartz and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-822-4
• 2002 The Yoga of Love and Devotion with Shree Ma ISBN 1-56170-838-0
• 2002 Integrating The Masculine And Feminine In The Spiritual Traditions Of Judaism and Vedanta: A Dialogue Between Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-824-0
• 2002 Quantum Physics of Quantum Healing: A Dialogue with Amit Goswami, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-920-4
• 2002 The Evolving Human: A Dialogue Between Jean Houston, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-916-6
• 2002 Rituals As a Path to the Divine: A Dialogue Between Stephen Huyler, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-841-0
• 2002 Healing Your Relationships : A Dialogue Between Kenny and Julia Loggins and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-840-2
• 2002 The Soul and Relationship: A Dialogue Between Shakti Gawain and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-917-4
• 2002 Yoga as a Form of Meditation with Yogi Amrit Desai ISBN 1-56170-839-9
• 2002 A Gift of Love II: A Musical Valentine to Tagore ASIN B-000-06IZP-E
• 2003 Magical Mind, Magical Body ISBN 0-7435-3013-6
• 2003 Journey to the Boundless ISBN 0-7435-3016-0
• 2004 Chakra Balancing: Body, Mind, and Soul ASIN B-000-667GN-W
• 2004 Sacred Verses, Healing Sounds, Volumes I and II: The Bhagavad Gita, Hymns of the Rig Veda ISBN 1-878424-78-5
• 2004 The Ultimate Deepak Chopra Collection 20 CDs ASIN B-000-BGV45-I
• 2004 Whispers with Eckhart Tolle, Jack Canfield and Don Miguel Ruiz ISBN 1-55961-722-5
• 2005 The Power of Intuition ISBN 1-4019-0622-2
• 2005 Living Beyond Miracleswith Wayne Dyer ISBN 1-878424-79-3
• 2005 The Cosmic Mind and Submanifest Order of Being ISBN 1-4019-0450-5
• 2005 Living Without Limits ISBN 1-878424-96-3
• 2005 An Ancient Magical Prayer ISBN 1-4019-0447-5
• 2006 Escaping the Prison of the Intellect ISBN 1-878424-56-4
• 2007 Creating Your World the Way You Really Want It To Be with Wayne Dyer ISBN 1-60252-748-2
• 2007 Meditations for Healing: A Dialogue Between Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-922-0
• 2008 Whispers of Spirit & Happiness with Don Miguel Ruiz ISBN 1-55961-945-7
• 2008 The Soul of Healing Affirmations A-Z Guide to Reprogramming the Software of the Soul ASIN B-001-2SAT7-S
• 2008 Grow Younger Live Longer Dave Stewart and Deepak Chopra ASIN: B0012GMXFQ
• 2009 The Soul Of Healing Meditations ASIN B-000-05TZS-K
• 2011 Stress Free with Deepak Chopra (Meditations) ASIN: B004JU157O
• 2011 The Secret of Healing: Meditations for Transformation and Higher Consciousness ASIN: B004K35UWG

Videos[link]

• 1995 Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
• 1995 The Way of the Wizard^[76]
• 2003 God and Buddha - a dialog
• 2004 Soul of Healing - Body, Mind, and Soul Vol. 1
• 2008 The Love Guru
• 2010 1 a Minute

Other published work[link]

• 2008 Introduction to Kim Feinberg's A Mother's Legacy^[77]
• Chopra co-authored Ask the Kabala with Mike 'Zappy' Zapolin and Alys Yablon, which is a set of 22 cards, each one representing a story or character from the Old Testament and a life lesson based on that story from a Kabalistic perspective.^[78]
• Chopra co-authored a blog in 2009 with Richard Barrett titled Can Values Save the Economy?^[79]
• Journal of Cosmology Vol. 14 April–May 2011, "How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe." with Menas Kafatos, Ph.D, Professor Chapman University and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., Professor of Neurology Harvard University^[80]
• Chopra is a co-author of 2011 Consciousness and the Universe: Quantum Physics, Evolution, Brain & Mind along with Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, Henry Stapp
• In 2011 Chopra co-authored a chapter of the book Exploring Frontiers of the Mind-Brain Relationship with Stuart Hameroff entitled The "Quantum Soul": A Scientific Hypothesis^[81]

Income[link]

Chopra's net income for 2008 was $22 million, according to a Forbes online article written by Melanie Lindner. It included $1.3 million for book sales and speaking arrangements. According to Lindner's 2009 article, Chopra's work time is now spent with non profit endeavours.^[75]

See also[link]

• Alternative medicine
• Quantum mysticism
• Monistic idealism
• Spiritual Naturalism

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Nacson, Leon (1998). Deepak Chopra: World of Infinite Possibilities. Random House. ISBN 0-09-183673-5. 
• Butler-Bowdon, Tom (2003). 50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life [The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success]. London & Boston: Nicholas Brealey. ISBN 978-1-85788-323-7. http://butler-bowdon.com/sevenlaws.html. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Deepak Chopra

• Official website
• VYou
• The Chopra Center for Wellbeing
• Deepak Chopra collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Deepak Chopra in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Deepak Chopra at the Notable Names Database