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Creativity in Sport: Originality, Transformation, Indeterminacy, and New Concepts in the Arts
Eisenberg, J., with Levin, M., Eben, M., Eisenberg, H., Katz, M., Adamson, S., Cheifetz, D., Hanna, M., & Moffat, B. (2004). The Triumph of the Imagination: Creativity in Sport. Toronto, ON: Chestnut Publishing Group. Softcover, 174 pages.
John Eisenberg, author of ten books and one of the most important philosophers of education today, has written his most recent book entitled The Triumph of the Imagination: Creativity in Sport. It is the practical actualization of two previous theoretical books on creativity and indeterminacy in education. As such it is a highly accessible and entertaining work aimed for a general readership interested in sport and one that speaks meaningfully to educational theorists as well. For the latter, in particular, it is both a metaphor and parable of creativity through various sports such as boxing, baseball, the high jump, football, the mile run, basketball, figure skating, soccer, swimming, hockey, wrestling, golf, and tennis. Each of these different sports is accorded a separate chapter. As well there is an introductory chapter by John Eisenberg with the intriguing and provocative title: "Is AIi as Intelligent as Einstein." Of the 14 chapters in total, John Eisenberg, is the sole author of five chapters and a preface. He is also co-author of two other chapters along with practicing athletes Herbert Eisenberg and Michael Katz, and these two authors are featured in two other chapters as well. There are six remaining contributors, all former or current practicing athletes: Malcom Levin, Michael Eben, Stan Adamson, David Cheifetz, Mark Hanna, and Bob Moffat.
In another recent book (Eisenberg, 1992) Eisenberg explored the philosophical importance of indeterminacy. In an essay review, Yaroslav Senyshyn, wrote that this book is a "rebuttal against those who espouse the determinacy of reason in knowledge. John Eisenberg's book examines ... theoretical aspects of the indeterminable in reform programs in contemporary psychology, moral education, and the law" (1993, p. 317). Eisenberg was able to conclude that we cannot "know everything about everything ... [nor] ... can we know everything about something... we can know something about something.... In all cases, we can at least know that we cannot know. But this was said by Socrates over 2400 years ago"...