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Summary: "Show Me God" by Fred Heeren
Review: "Show Me God" wonderfully describes the most complicated theories in modern astrophysics - but it does so in the simplest way imaginable. But this book is about much more than astrophysics made easy, it is a book that shows the average reader that science does not have all the answers. Fred Heeren shows how it is for all practical purposes impossible to explain the creation of the Universe without factoring God into the equation. This book will show any reader with an open mind that many modern theories of the Universe assume many facts not in evidence and that only God can fill in these theories to create the Universe that we live in. The author steps back to carefully consider the recent "Mars rock" and concludes that NASA may have jumped the gun when they declared that this rock was proof of life on the Red Planet. He scientifically discusses the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe - and the results might surprise you based on what many other scientists are saying. In its simplest form, Fred Heeren shows that science is not disproving the existence of God, but that science must turn to God to explain the origin of the Universe. Those who have lost faith in religion should certainly read this book, it is truly out of this world. -Cody Oliver
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Summary: Needs a bigger cross on the cover
Review: Admitting my bias up-front, I got suckered into buying this book by the favorable reviews here so I'm balancing them out with my own. Apparently written to persuade Christianity to accept modern cosmology, it dissolves into illogic attempting persuasion in the other direction late in the work. David Deutsch far better belongs in such a book about physics (or God) than CS Lewis does. Skip this one unless you enjoy being the choir.
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Summary: Good for People who don't understand science
Review: I enjoyed this book. I felt it gave a fairly clear understanding of the relations between religion and science. People who misunderstand what science is trying to say should read this! Too many people think they know science and really don't have a clue. I have not taken this book 100% to heart but it has led me to study the subject more with books like "Genesis and the Big Bang" and "The Science of God" both by Dr. Gerald L. Schroeder.
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Summary: Physicists view
Review: I read this book from the perspective of a scientist and physicist. My main interest is astrophysics. I cannot fault the logic and assertions of the book. The construct of the book flows well and addresses the very essence of the subjects. I believe that the basic idea of the book, that God is real and influences all of creation, is substantiated. The references to current cosmological findings and relating them to the Bible is great. I especially like the discussion on entropy and the same subject discussed in the Bible, with perfect coorelation. A very deep and profound book that requires much thought and study to understand it's fill implications.
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Summary: Show Me The Sequel
Review: My girlfriend got me "Show Me God" for Christmas because of my great interest in amateur astronomy. Years ago when I first made steps to turn stargazing into a hobby I had problems trying to understand how the Young Earth doctrine (which I was raised to believe) could explain why I was seeing stars, nebulae, and galaxies so far away. This book will fill in that enormous gap for you, allowing you to not only see why but explain the *how* of cosmology and it's interaction with the Bible. Mr. Hereen makes the attempt to explain the latest cosmological theories in layman's terms, and for the most part suceeds. He follows it up with a piece by piece buildup throughout the book on why this rock we call home is not the result of an accident, or a mathematical fluke, but rather a "finely tuned" place, custom made for us to be here. If the reader is open minded he or she will be hard pressed to deny the possibility of God by book's end. While he doesn't offer his own opinion of a chronology of events (more specifically, a scientific explanation on the fly while describing the events of Gen 1 + 2), he does take the time to discount two Young Earth theories, the "light was created on the way" theory and the "the speed of light has changed" one as well. He does maintain a relatively strong adherence to Biblical scripture, although he does veer towards the length of the word "day" in the Genesis account, an issue that puts a ball of ice in my stomach and puts my senses on guard. I still do not really know his view on evolution for instance (promised in the nowhere to be seen Volume 2), although he goes to great pains to explain that the chances of it happening on it's own are so astronomically small that it's literally impossible. He also gives a chapter on extraterrestrial intelligence and why there might be more like us out there. Dispersed throughout the book in humorous fashion are imaginary conversations between he and his imaginary publicist Carl (based on his own experiences with real life Christian publishers) and a particularly impressive question and answer session with some of the leading physicists in the world, including Stephen Hawking. A book that is designed to make an atheist/agnostic really think twice about thier position! Bring on Volume Two! :)
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Summary: Show Me The Sequel
Review: My girlfriend got me "Show Me God" for Christmas because of my great interest in amateur astronomy. Years ago when I first made steps to turn stargazing into a hobby I had problems trying to understand how the Young Earth doctrine (which I was raised to believe) could explain why I was seeing stars, nebulae, and galaxies so far away. This book will fill in that enormous gap for you, allowing you to not only see why but explain the *how* of cosmology and it's interaction with the Bible. Mr. Hereen makes the attempt to explain the latest cosmological theories in layman's terms, and for the most part suceeds. He follows it up with a piece by piece buildup throughout the book on why this rock we call home is not the result of an accident, or a mathematical fluke, but rather a "finely tuned" place, custom made for us to be here. If the reader is open minded he or she will be hard pressed to deny the possibility of God by book's end. While he doesn't offer his own opinion of a chronology of events (more specifically, a scientific explanation on the fly while describing the events of Gen 1 + 2), he does take the time to discount two Young Earth theories, the "light was created on the way" theory and the "the speed of light has changed" one as well. He does maintain a relatively strong adherence to Biblical scripture, although he does veer towards the length of the word "day" in the Genesis account, an issue that puts a ball of ice in my stomach and puts my senses on guard. I still do not really know his view on evolution for instance (promised in the nowhere to be seen Volume 2), although he goes to great pains to explain that the chances of it happening on it's own are so astronomically small that it's literally impossible. He also gives a chapter on extraterrestrial intelligence and why there might be more like us out there. Dispersed throughout the book in humorous fashion are imaginary conversations between he and his imaginary publicist Carl (based on his own experiences with real life Christian publishers) and a particularly impressive question and answer session with some of the leading physicists in the world, including Stephen Hawking. A book that is designed to make an atheist/agnostic really think twice about thier position! Bring on Volume Two! :)
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Summary: Perfection -- but where is Volume 2?
Review: One can always tell if a book on science is written by a Christian, because there will always be militant atheists ready to rate it as terrible, motivated by nothing more than their usual knee-jerk reaction. _THINKING_ people -- including thinking scientists, agnostics, people of many different faiths, and none at all -- understand that one should read a book for its content, and not for what one believes the author's motives might be. Atheists and those who support what Johnson calls naturalism tend to claim the high ground of reason and logic, dismissing believers as some kind of fundamentalist fanatics who can't read. Ironically, in this case, as with many recent books (e.g., Ross, Dembski, Behe), it seems that it's the believers who are prepared to read about, and accept new data, and fundamentalist atheism doing its best to deny the evidence. It's they who cling to a century-old worldview as a matter of faith. In this book, Fred Heeren has assembled one of the most carefully thought-out, carefully researched books on the relationship between science and belief in a long time. His presentation is virtually impossible to find fault with. The end result is a devastating demonstration that, even if we wanted to, we could not ignore the fact that something seems to be going on out there in the Universe; something that neither Newton's equations nor Maxwell's can explain. As many other reviewers have pointed out, only a fundamentalist atheist determined to ignore all contrary evidence can muster the energy to dispute the evidence. One final thought: Negative reviewers claim that Heeren's purpose is to proselytize. I thought I read the same book, and I believe I read it pretty thoroughly. But I see _NO_ evidence that Heeren's goal is to convert anyone. He merely gives a lot of data, all well researched, thoroughly documented, and supported by virtually every competent scientist on the planet. If this is proselytization, I need a new dictionary. My only complaint about this book is that Heeren promised it to be the first of several. I keep checking Amazon.com for the sequels, to no avail.
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Summary: Not for the timid, surface dwellers. This one is deep!
Review: Probably the most exhaustive look into the proofs that cosmology can bring to the table of the science vs. Chrisitianity debate. The book actually helps to reveal the truth that science and Christianity are not so much in conflict with one another, but rather, that the sciences are yet another means of helping us tap into deep rooted physical evidence in the very fibers of this universe that there exists the greatness and awesomeness of a loving creator. The book helps to reveal the incredible amount of precision and "fine tuning" that is required to keep our universe in tact and functioning properly. If you are skeptical of the existence of God, or have been trained or are employed in the field of science, this book offers some very profound truths that should be considered. This book is definitely scholarly in nature and contains some very technical topics, but it is also written in such a way that the average person, such as myself, can understand the concepts. I enjoyed this book immensely.
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Summary: Almost seeing the Unseen, through the eyes of cosmology.
Review: Science writer Fred Heeren delivers a thorough, yet concise and very readable, presentation of recent findings in astronomy and cosmology, interviewing Nobel laureates, several of the most prominent people in astrophysics and cosmology (Smoot, Jastrow) and theoretical physics (Guth, Hawking), and perusing the ideas of leading mathematical physicists (Penrose, Davies, Barrow). While it is a fascinating look at the current state of physical science, it is also a deeply thoughtful treatise on the spiritual implications of our emerging knowledge. We find ourselves in an amazing universe, carefully and "finely tuned" and as Smoot says "perfectly orchestrated" with unimaginable precision by a "super intellect" [Einstein's description]. A genuinely skeptical consideration of the attempts to 'explain' our existence within these impossible parameters in any mechanistic (materialistic) way (e.g. the anthropic principles) is found to be irrational, illogical, unscientific, "fundamental goofiness of human nature." "Many skeptics aren't skeptical enough. Most people who call themselves skeptics are really just skeptical about one side of an issue...", states Heeren. "Some of the world's greatest people of faith started out as the world's greatest skeptics ... Logic can lead us to the very threshold of faith, but then it is up to the human spirit to make a choice."
While many might accept that extensive evidence for an intelligently designed universe is best explained, in fact is only explained, by the very real existence of an Intelligent Designer, they often claim skepticism that the Designer is the personal God that Christians claim him to be. But is the idea of a disinterested Creator really logical? "What kind of God best explains the facts," asks Heeren. Can the care which we observe in the implementation of this universe be consistent with a Creator who doesn't care? This book is for the skeptic, for the scientist, for the honest agnostic, for the Christian believer, for the interested seeker of truth. "You aren't a real skeptic if you don't examine the evidence for yourself."
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Summary: The Big Bang or the Bible - Why not both? Excellent Reading
Review: The Big Bang or the Bible - Why not both?"Show Me God" is the book for those who are not physicistsor astronomers, but do want to know how today's science aligns itself with current western religious thought. Many books which cover topics from the very small (atoms and smaller) to the impossibly huge (B)illions and (B)illions of galaxies :) are a very difficult read. This one is accessible to all. An added bonus is the section on the history of science and how it was prompted by man's search to know God's creation better. This easy reading book covers these topics well. Fred Heeren's main point is that the science available to this generation points towards events that look very much like the God of the Bible. An interesting read for the religious and non-religious.
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