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Richard Dawkins is not a shy man. Edward Larson's research shows that most scientists today are not formally religious, but Dawkins is an in-your-face atheist in the witty British style:
I want to persuade the reader, not just that the Darwinian world-view happens to be true, but that it is the only known theory that could, in principle, solve the mystery of our existence.
The title of this 1986 work, Dawkins's second book, refers to the Rev. William Paley's 1802 work, Natural Theology, which argued that just as finding a watch would lead you to conclude that a watchmaker must exist, the complexity of living organisms proves that a Creator exists. Not so, says Dawkins: "All appearances to the contrary, the only watchmaker in nature is the blind forces of physics, albeit deployed in a very special way... it is the blind watchmaker."
Dawkins is a hard-core scientist: he doesn't just tell you what is so, he shows you how to find out for yourself. For this book, he wrote Biomorph, one of the first artificial life programs. You can check Dawkins's results on your own Mac or PC.
Book Description
"The best general account of evolution I have read in recent years."—E. O. Wilson. With a new introduction.
Twenty years after its original publication, The Blind Watchmaker, framed with a new introduction by the author, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the eighteenth-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte. Natural selection—the unconscious, automatic, blind, yet essentially nonrandom process Darwin discovered—is the blind watchmaker in nature.
Customer Reviews:
Makes evolution understandable.......2007-10-02
It is some years since I read this excellent book on evolution. But I still remember it as the book that really laid out the nuts and bolts of the process and made it easy to understand at the "Ah now I see" level. I know of no better layman's guide to evolution.
"Passionate advocacy" and storytelling: 2 stars?.......2007-10-02
". . . there are wonderful stories to be told, and I love storytelling." Dawkins, tBW, chapter 2.
It must be admitted that Dawkins is an entertaining expositor, at least when he avoids repetition and a bad habit of prolonged hammering away at very simple concepts, often for pages on end, as if his assertions and arguments were more difficult to grasp than they actually are. In some instances he explains rather well, in comfortably pedestrian language, certain specific biological details, but when he tries to generalize and extend his views to larger scale philosophical perspectives, his assertions quickly disintegrate under critical scrutiny. All things considered, TBW isn't very impressive.
Dawkins states early on that he is writing from the perspective of a "passionate advocate" rather than that of a scientist proceeding along lines of argument that might be recognized as being scientific. He says that he does this because the reader can't grasp the science involved, therefore he is to invoke "wonderful stories." He frets that some will not believe him because they do not "want to believe." Dawkins wants to believe.
I find it curiously disingenuous, perhaps even insulting and intellectually evasive on Dawkins' part, that he suggests he must deal in metaphors and stories because his readers are too stupid (no, he doesn't use the word `stupid', but this is what he repeatedly describes) to understand his deep, scientific understanding of the Darwinian story. His lengthy insistence that evolution has hard-wired us to be unable to understand and appreciate echolocation in bats, is obviously wrong. In Dawkins' hands, this kind of suggestion is supposed to, in its own merit, buttress some of his arguments (see the following paragraph). A thinking person begs to differ. Many of the most brilliant and penetrating minds of modern theoretical science and mathematics, including Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, John von Neumann, and Kurt Gödel, among others, have found the Darwinian story to be non-compelling at best, and on some points glaringly wrong. Dawkins may want to dismiss them as `not wanting to believe' or as being somehow stupid, but . . .
Dawkins: "Our minds can't cope with [large numbers] . . . Our minds can't imagine a time span [greater or less than `routine' human experience]," because "it offends the economically minded human." Dawkins says "there was no need for our ancestors to cope with sizes and times outside the narrow range of everyday practicality, so our brains never evolved the capacity to imagine them." Dawkins loves this mythic defense and ducks behind it frequently, but it is a hapless argument. It is "a slander against humanity," as one philosopher of science has stated, and it is self evidently wrong. The human mind certainly CAN imagine numbers both much larger and smaller than can be encountered in "routine experience," and can do more than 'imagine' them! Consider for a mere moment the insights of a Gauss, Cantor, or Riemann; consider that even a modestly competent math student CAN not only imagine very large and very small numbers [including quantities of distance and time units], but CAN engage and manipulate these numbers accurately, often rather easily when abstracted with decipherable notations like exponents!
It is not a matter of this _kind_ of observation being inherently untrue; many physicists, including Paul Dirac, have spoken this way about quantum mechanics, for example. Indeed it is difficult to understand quantum mechanics because neither Bohr's complimentarity principle nor Heisenberg's uncertainty principle have any obvious analogs within normal human experience, let alone the way in which these two surprising qualities are entangled. But this observation is fundamentally different than Dawkins' argument that humans cannot understand imaging with non-visible frequencies or what to make of big numbers! Any curious person who has ever considered a sonogram or x-ray image, or seen a movie featuring submariners watching sonar screens, grasps non-visual spectrum images, and any modestly competent high school student well understands what large numbers are!
Dawkins' sluggardly argument "whistles past the graveyard" that is home to a real problem for the great Darwinian thesis: why should our abilities to examine non-commutative algebras or higher dimensional topologies or even advanced number theory [or any of the more esoteric fields of mathematics] exist at all in a Darwinian world? Certainly not for any of the rationales that Dawkins appeals to. They provide no survival or reproductive advantage within evolutionary `routine experience,' or in any other sense whatsoever. They avail "the selfish gene" nothing. They exist as a non-Darwinian/ anti-Dawkins reality.
Dawkins says that "5 per cent of an eye" would probably provide "5 per cent vision." Skepticism seems reasonable here, except perhaps for those who "want to believe." He presents many such dubious assertions, like: "living organisms exist for the benefit of DNA rather than the other way around" (ultimately--in DNA--teleology and `purpose' are alive and well!) and, "DNA molecules themselves, as physical entities, are like dewdrops" (true in a very limited and caricatured sense perhaps, but grossly misleading, to put it mildly). Presumably Dawkins would deflect criticism of some such colorful assertions by claiming them mere metaphors. Okay, but what then are the actual `truths' he is trying to demonstrate? Can they be stated precisely or directly and seem less cartoonish? Or are his readers merely too stupid for the `scientific' explanations that he is protecting them from? (With apologies to Dawkins' fans who might consider the last question a cheap shot [I do not].)
There are so many aspects of Dawkins' book that beg critical analysis, that, in the desire to keep this review short, I will have to simply point some of them out briefly before moving forward: (1.) His programmed stick figure "bio-morphs" obviously have been brought into `existence' by design, in an intelligently designed `world,' and for a specific purpose, how does this support his "without purpose" and "without design" doctrine? (2.) His `typing monkeys' story, borrowed from one of his heroes, TH Huxley, is hopelessly burdened with design, purpose and intelligent contrivance--who builds the typewriters, who made the language and symbols thereof that the builder of the typewriters clearly needed as a starting point, who makes the paper (cuts and mills the trees, etc), who keeps those 99.999. . . percent of monkeys that would simply smash the typewriters away from them and keeps that rare typing monkey on task?--again, how could any of this support his "without purpose" and "without design" doctrine? He eventually (chapt 6) admits that it does not. (3.) His computer program designed to derive a sentence from Hamlet, if given the necessary letters to work with, and if specifically designed to achieve a specific result, will do so--well folks, are you beginning to see a pattern here? Design is supposed to equal no design! Dawkins' core thesis in TBW, as presented in the book's subtitle, "the evidence of evolution reveals a universe without design," fails utterly in all of his memorable and now famous arguments, no matter what points concerning natural selection one may believe he has made cleanly.
"It could happen:" Dawkins' most fundamental and foundational arguments and speculations are also his most flawed, and are appropriately employed in the center of the book, chapter six, "Origins and miracles." Here Dawkins quickly demands that an extra-cosmic designer (God) must be an "organized complexity" that evolves naturally within an infinite regress of causes. This is certainly a convenient construction, as it makes "god" quite expendable by definition, but the definition is poor quality straw. The god whose fire he steals is not the "simple unity" or the "first cause of causes" that one finds in either Abrahamic or neo-Platonic theology. His wrong argument simply defeats a wrong god. He next sketches a somewhat accurate picture of the profound difficulties of `abiogenesis'/ `autogenesis'/ `spontaneous generation' of life theories. He says that to effectively put these problems aside, we only need to imagine that these difficulties were somehow overcome--"it must have happened." The "pathway" model he chooses to champion as being plausible is due to Graham Cairns-Smith, and goes something very like this:
Carbon macromolecules, proteins and nucleic acids, necessary to all carbon-based life, that is all life that we know of, are so complex that it is hopelessly difficult to imagine them arising spontaneously in any non-living substratum. That Stanley Miller and others have synthesized amino acids is of no real help here, the gap between mere amino acids and the highly complex carbon macromolecules is too great. So let's imagine something simpler, that silicon-base lattices are "life-like" in that they are "organized" and rudimentarily "complex." Now imagine that non-directed geological and meteorological forces in some sense "select" certain silicon dust crystals such that they accumulate and form larger "organizations." Now imagine that these silicon "organizations" become something that might be described as "RNA-like" mud. Now imagine that actual RNA begins to "take over" the "RNA-like" mud. Carbon macromolecules somehow have arisen and now somehow replace silicon structures. Viola! "Life-like" "organizations" of "RNA-like" mud are now organizations of RNA and RNA organizations eventually become DNA organizations and "life-like" organizations become life. Inorganic structures somehow `commute' to carbon molecules. Mineral (silicon being the best candidate) crystal `genes' commute to carbon-based genes, RNA "takes over" "RNA-like", DNA eventually takes over. I suppose this is plausible for a `true believer' for whom the proper kind of `imagination' is sufficient, but it's not plausible in any scientific sense. The entire heart of the original problem remains intact. Where did the carbon macromolecules come from? How did RNA "appear"?
Dawkins defense of this problem is interestingly empty and invokes "a marble statue of the Virgin Mary suddenly" waving its hand at us. Here it is: "In the case of the marble statue, molecules in solid marble are continuously jostling against one another in random directions. The jostlings of the different molecules cancel one another out, so the whole hand of the statue stays still. But if, by sheer coincidence, all the molecules just happened to move in the same direction at the same moment, the hand would move. If they then all reversed direction at the same moment the hand would move back. In this way it is possible for a marble statue to wave at us. It could happen. The odds against such a coincidence are unimaginably great but they are not incalculably great. A physicist colleague has kindly calculated them for me. The number is so large that the entire age of the universe so far is too short a time to write out all the noughts! It is theoretically possible for a cow to jump over the moon with something like the same improbability. The conclusion to this part of the argument is that we can calculate our way into regions of miraculous improbability far greater than we can imagine as plausible."
All that is left to Dawkins is to again regale our inability to imagine numbers "so large that the entire age of the universe so far is too short a time to write out all the noughts!" It's the final sum of his argument--we don't have good enough imaginations! It is interesting that Dawkins doesn't recognize that this same specie of argument can more easily be employed to defend belief in a First Cause of causes (here Dawkins seems to have a contentedly parochial imagination). And of course, neither a cow jumping over the moon nor a marble statue waving at us either establishes or quantifies the plausibility of life spontaneously arising from non-life.
Although his deepest philosophical assertions fail grandly, although he is repetitive and wordy, and although he is given to belittling his readers' intelligence even while trying to educate and entertain them, the book has its moments; Dawkins certainly doesn't get EVERYTHING wrong, he IS at times entertaining, and this book isn't as bad as The Selfish Gene.
Please Read (Especially if You're Religious)!.......2007-09-29
I have a degree in English and American Literature and my minor was in History. In other words, I'm not great at science or math. But I've always been interested in some aspects of science and biology and evolution happen to be subjects I like. I'm not a complete moron when it comes to scientific subjects but I'm sure any 8th grade science geek could probably run rings around me.
Consequently, this book by Richard Dawkins is made for me. The way I understood it it was written with a general reader in mind. The book is well written and plausibly argued. And as long as you pay attention and follow the logic of the author's arguments it's not that hard to follow.
The basic premise of the book is to show how life could appear in the universe without a creator or any pre-conceived notion of design (the whole "Intelligent Design" argument now being debated across the U.S.). Dawkins obviously loves Darwin and bases his argument on cumulative evolution over billions of years (the age of the Earth [and please shut-up you stupid creationists trying to argue that the Earth is only 6,000 years old!]). Dawkins patiently explains how such a slow and random process like natural selection could evolve our life-forms over vast amounts of time. Like I said, I'm no great scientist, but the argument makes perfect sense and I still fail to see why anyone tries to argue otherwise (except, of course, for religious reasons, but those are very silly reasons).
Overall, this is a good way to try to understand evolution in more depth than the few words hopefully given to you in high school and college. There are a few parts which I found to be boring (like the taxonomy debates and different schools of thought in taxonomy) but I think this book is an important read--especially now that religious nuts are trying to dumb people down.
468 pages of evasive reasoning.......2007-09-15
Dawkins' thesis in this book is to prove that the universe is a non-sentient thing which merely exists. There is no God who creates. What order there is (e.g. life) has been produced by mutation and cumulative selection (i.e. evolution).
But one could ask, who designed evolution? How did the universe come to be? Dawkins' sidesteps these questions for 468 pages (in my edition of the book).
As an engineer, I find his whole approach disturbing because he asks us to have faith in evolution rather than in God. I write this because evolution seems to be an untestable theory. If I propose to do an experiment to evolve bacteria into human beings a Darwinist will tell me that it is impossible to do because the time required would be much, much longer than that of a single human lifespan. And Dawkins seems to be saying that even if one could do that, the result would not be a human being but maybe something resembling a human being. What is there left to do but have faith in the priests of evolution? It's not as though I can test their theory. Given this, Dawkins' obvious contempt for those who believe in God is hard to take.
Great explanation of evolution.......2007-09-13
This book is an excellent explanation of evolution. It's a little on the dry side, and people who already know quite a bit about evolution will find it slow in the beginning. It picks up, though. Dawkins starts off with simple concepts and gradually builds into the more complex understandings of evolution. He explains everything very clearly, using analogies to help visualize some of the more difficult concepts. This book does a great job of clearing up a lot of the misunderstandings of what evolution is really about and putting a beautiful concept in science into terms any lay person can understand. Dawkins makes evolution impossible to dispute once you have read his book. I think most people who try to argue with evolution could only possibly be doing so because they do not fully understand it.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Amazon.com
Are Christianity and science incompatible? If there is a God, is he only an impersonal starter force? An introductory high school biology class first propelled Lee Strobel toward a life of atheism. God and science, he reasoned, were mutually exclusive. When the former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune converted to Christianity, he decided to investigate the science he had once accepted as truth. Did science point toward or away from God? As Strobel interviews a variety of scientists on everything from debunking evolutionary icons to the implications of the Big Bang to the existence of the human soul, he builds his case: scientific evidence points toward Intelligent Design.
Although the discussion often veers into the academic, Strobel works hard to make it accessible to those without scientific training. Throughout the book, he salts interview transcript information with interesting personal stories of his own spiritual and scientific quest for knowledge, as well as sometimes over-detailed descriptions of the actual interviews (right down to the type of beverages consumed). Each chapter contains suggestions for further reading on particular issues of science and faith.
Strobel concludes that, when correctly interpreted, science and biblical teaching support each other. He quotes physicist Paul Davies, "…science offers a surer path to God than religion." Open-minded readers will find that this book, and its questions for reflection and group study, invites conversation and investigation.--Cindy Crosby
Book Description
Lee Strobel investigates the latest scientific discoveries to see whether they form a solid basis for believing in God.
Customer Reviews:
Solid Introduction to Scientific Evidences For God.......2007-09-23
This is a solid introduction to the scientific evidences for the existence of God.
It contains numerous arguments from various disciplines inluding physics, astronomy, cosmology, and biochemistry. The author does a masterful job of poking holes in evolutionary theory and naturalistic explanations of the origins of the universe, life, etc. This is summed up by former Texas A&M University professor Walter Bradley, who said: 'I think people who believe that life emerged naturalistically need to have a great deal more faith than people who reasonably infer that there's an Intelligent Designer.' The truth of this becomes abundantly clear throughout the text of this book.
Although this is basically a general introduction to the topic, Lee Strobel has made a strong case for those who are open minded enough to consider it. It is certainly a reinforcer for those who already believe that God exists and is the Creator. It is a good starting point for open minded skeptics. For those who are steeped in the religiosity of Darwinism and naturalistic beginnings, it may help open their eyes a bit. I recommend it.
Pared down version.......2007-09-21
Stroebel makes some really good points in this book and changed some of my thinking about evolution, and it was a quick read, so I wasn't dissatisfied with it until I saw the non-student version at a book store. Maybe I should have done some more research on the differences between editions, but I really think anyone high school age or above could handle the 300-some pages of the "adult" version, which must contain a lot more information. So I'd recommend this particular version only to younger students or to someone who really just wants a small taste of the evidence.
Good Introductory Material.......2007-09-19
Lee Strobel has made another accessible and fascinating introductory apologetics book. By interviewing leading Christian scholars, including William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland, and Michael Behe, Strobel lays a solid foundation for belief in a Creator of the universe.
Due to the nature of the material, this book is more technical than "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Faith." Nevertheless, Strobel makes the book enjoyable and easy to read with his excellent writing style.
This book covers a large scope of issues, mostly dealing with scientific evidence for the existence of God. Craig gives a great defense of the Cosmological Argument while Robin Collins provides an excellent defense of the Teleological Argument (also known as the Design Argument)- including a brilliant refutation of the so-called "multi-verse" theory. Stephen Meyer demonstrates that the origin of life is strong evidence for a Creator, and J.P. Moreland shows that philosophical reasoning and scientific studies support the idea of a soul, which is inconsistent with the materialist philosophy espoused by almost all atheists.
As with all the other books in the "Case" series, Strobel offers some excellent recommended further reading at the end of each chapter for those who wish to pursue the issues further.
The only problem I had with the book was that I felt it focused too much on the issue of evolution. In many cases it seemed that Strobel was equating "Darwinism" and atheism- concepts which are certainly not interchangeable. By implying that evolution entails atheism, Strobel puts an unnecessary stumbling block in front of any person who believes that there is strong evidence for evolutionary theory, yet who could still be convinced on the basis of other evidence that God exists. I think it is unwise to spread the notion that Christianity and evolution are directly incompatible.
Despite this flaw, The Case for a Creator is an excellent resource and a recommended read for everyone.
An eye opening book.......2007-08-31
I would recommend this book for everyone. It deals with the creationism vs. evolution/science debate in a new and fascinating way. He uses science to discredit many of its own theories. Lee Strobel never falls into the trap many creationists do - start with the Bible, and build a scientific theory around it. Instead he uses science, discredits many of the assumptions used today, and shows how science actually supports Biblical principles. I am still excited about this book even though I finished reading it over a month ago.
Repels Reason.......2007-08-29
I have read a number of the prior reviews and agree with many of them so I will not restate their good points. I would only like to say that (having also sat in sermons by Lee Strobel) I found the author's smug approach (he does not realize that the standards of science are vastly more rigorous than either journalism or law) to the subject insufferably frustrating. Instead of approaching the subject humbly and seeking out a balanced set of arguments, he instead relies exclusively (with one exception who's biological irreducibility claims has been discredited in other books such as, Finding Darwin's God, a book written by an actual biologist) on either his close friends or representatives of the Discovery Institute-a known PAC (I encourage you to look up the Discovery Institute on Wikipedia).
I have been a high tech engineer for more than 15 years and I would not recommend this book if you are someone who is sincerely seeking God in truth. I would instead recommend that you first read Finding Darwin's God by Kenneth Miller. Lee Strobel's book only convinced me that most of the people who believe in intelligent design are either ignorant fools or are seeking power for themselves over others.
Average customer rating:
- GREAT BOOK
- THIS BOOK IS GREAT!!!!
- A comprehensive text for my students. Highly recommended!
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Forensic Anthropology Training Manual, The (2nd Edition)
Karen Ramey Burns
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ASIN: 0130492930 |
Book Description
The Forensic Anthropology Training Manual, 2/e is designed to serve three purposes: to be used as a general introduction to the field of forensic anthropology; as a framework for training; and as a practical reference tool. This book will make readers aware of the challenges and responsibilities of the forensic scientist, the multidisciplinary nature of the work, and the international potential for the forensic sciences.
The manual examines physical evidence, death investigation specialists, forensic anthropology, human Osteology, human Odontology, laboratory analysis, field methods, professional results, and human rights applications.
For those seeking basic knowledge necessary to collect and process skeletonized human remains.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT BOOK.......2007-07-18
I used this book for my Intro to Foensic Anbthropology class and continued to use it in Grad School. It is the only book I can find that has age determination from sternal rib ends.(not even "Standards" has it). HIGHLY recommend!
THIS BOOK IS GREAT!!!!.......2003-10-14
I am physician-lawyer from the Philippines. I practice in the field of Clinical Forensic Medicine with special interest in Forensic Anthropology. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in forensics-be they lawyers, physicians, judges and law enforcement officers. This book is "the" book if you want to get started in forensic anthropology and forensic osteology.It provides an introduction to osteology and how it is used to determine age, sex and race. The book outlines the basics of laboratory analysis of skeletal remains, field methods used in forensic anthropology,documentation, report writing, court testimony, and human rights application of forensic anthropology. Forensic forms used in actual cases are even included.
The book is highly recommended to students of forensic anthropology and a must read for professionals from other subspeciaties of forensics, lawyers and judges who deal with forensic cases.
A comprehensive text for my students. Highly recommended!.......1999-08-04
I am using this text in the anthropology lab with my students of Introduction to Forensic Sciences. As a former student of Dr. Ramey Burns, I am convinced she is an excellent educator who enjoys working with new generations of forensic scientists. Students from First World societies find chapter 15 extremely helpful in our seminar discussions about the importance to learn and to respect local cultures when investigating all sort of crimes. For the next edition of the manual, I would like to recommend the inclusion of scientific advancements in Latin America the author has contributed to develop. For instance, normative standards from populations with Latin American biological affiliation may be used in the identification of skeletal remains here in North America.
Average customer rating:
- Fascinating book.
- This should be the most widely read book on human evolution
- human evolution explanation at its best
- A splendid book
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Where Do We Come From?: The Molecular Evidence foe Human Descent
J. Klein
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ASIN: 3540425640 |
Book Description
From the moment it first began to contemplate the world, three questions have occupied the human mind: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? Artists (notably Paul Gauguin), religious thinkers, philosophers, and most recently scientists have all searched for answers. Here, the authors describe how scientists decipher human origin from the record encrypted in the DNA and protein molecules. After explaining the nature of descent and the methods available for studying genealogical relationships, they summarize the information revealed by the molecular archives about the Tree of Life and our location on one of its branches. The knowledge thus gleaned allows them to draw conclusions about our identity, our place in the living world, our future, and the ethical implications of the changed perspective.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating book........2007-09-12
This is a wonderful book on the fascinating subject of human origins and evolution written by two experts in the field. It is a journey though many aspects of evolutionary biology but focusing on the mind-boggling developments in molecular biology. A rare and refreshing qualily of the book is that the authors try always to give a balanced and critical discussion of the hypothesis at stake, their strenghts and weaknesses.
Some parts of the book are quite technical but worth the effort. In any case, one should praise the authors for their courage in trying to explain some of the complex science and mathematics involved in the field. Though this inevitably has shortcomings, it is infinitely better than the usual path of oversimplification and white-washing, fashionable in many science books nowadays.
This should be the most widely read book on human evolution.......2005-11-13
Klein and Takahata present a very readable account of the hard science and mathematics that underlies what Nobel laureate James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the molecular structure of DNA, has come to refer to as the "law of evolution". The title of the book comes from the Gauguin painting "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" As pointed out in the text, science has essentially answered the first question.
Although popular books meant for a lay audience abound in the literature, and are often quite well written, they shy away from the rigorous underpinnings of modern Darwinian evolutionary theory. Klein and Takahata give the reader the details needed for an understanding of human evolution that goes beyond mere storytelling. They assume knowledge of mathematics and biology that we all were supposed to have learned in high school, and develop the remaining background in the course of the text. As a consequence, if you learn nothing else by reading this book, you'll learn some math and molecular biology that apply to things other than evolution. Hopefully, however, you'll come to understand that evolution is a fact which can't be invalidated by legal argument or religious sophistry, including the current shibboleth of "intelligent design."
human evolution explanation at its best.......2003-03-02
This is simply the best book i've found on human evolution. The subtitle is "The Molecular Evidence for Human Descent", don't be put off if you don't have a degree in biochemistry. Unlike most other technical and scientifically sophisticated books, in this one, the author holds your hand. He does it very well, introducing binominal and poisson distribution analysis both in the text and in appendices, for example. You are aware of his careful setting up the pieces that you need in order to understand the take home message of each chapter, and you are grateful, even if you already know the material, for the 'nice' way he does it. I finished the book wishing he would rewrite many biology and engineering textbooks i have been subjected to over the years by authors who assumed if you didn't know exactly what you were reading, then you shouldn't have bought and tried to read his book in the first place. For this characteristic alone the book is deeply and joyfully to be praised.
I am aware of the divisive character of the debate on human origins, this book will not settle it. But it will be a book that can be recommended to bring your reasonable intelligent but somewhat scientifically ignorant friend up to speed on the issues from a unabashed secular scientific viewpoint. It will, i would hope, set a standard for introductory books in the field. For if it can get a hearing, and even become popular then other authors will be forced to help people understand their arguments by giving them the tools to analyze and understand their positions, not just assume them. Now this doesn't negate the need to do your homework in order to be a serious student in any field, many things will take lots of reading to get the basis for advanced arguments. Something that will never be done in one, or even a set of books. But as the authors prove a reasonable grasp of human evolutionary arguments from a biochemical/genetic point of view is not that sophisticated of a field to require volumes, just this one.
Lest i miss an important issue, i would like to state that the author, like most secular scientific people makes the mistake of drawing metaphysical conclusions from scientific data. This i belief to be the problem of scientism, the unjustified extension of method-science into metaphysics or religion. The authors would certainly disagree with me. In any case, their philosophic position is clearly stated, open and presented in a manner that is not belittling of a religious prespective. So even if you are a theist i believe that there is much to be gained from reading this book, don't let the scientism put you off.
thanks for reading this review, and please get the book, it is certainly a most important topic, whether you agree with evolutionary analysis or not, you must be informed.
richard williams
A splendid book.......2002-04-22
This is a super-ambitious, yet superbly-done account of life on earth from the first primitive creatures down to you and me. It's quite technical, but as lucid as possible. And the equations, diagrams, and tables are interspersed with fascinating asides, such as full explication of the the Gaugin masterpiece that provides the title and cover picture. It also offers in passing the most interesting interpretation of the Garden of Eden and the serpent's offer from Genesis that I've ever read.
Book Description
The Case Against Darwin is James Perloff's newest title on the creation-evolution debate. Written from a creationist perspective, this 83-page book is a primer for those unfamiliar with the subject, and too busy for a full-length book such as the author's earlier Tornado in a Junkyard.
Perloff first explores the social impact of Darwinism to establish the relevance of the topic. Then, in layman's language, he discusses the growing body of evidence that is invalidating Darwin's theory of evolution: evidence from genetics, origins science, biochemistry, paleontology, taxonomy and molecular biology. Finally, he examines fallacies of certain evidences commonly said to support Darwin's theory: Ernst Haeckel's embryo drawings, vestigial organs, salt percentages in blood and seawater, babies born with "monkey tails," peppered moths, microevolution, and similarity as a proof of common descent.
Despite the scientific nature of the material, Perloff keeps it light and short, and most readers should find The Case Against Darwin an easy read.
Customer Reviews:
disappointing.......2007-09-12
I've read all the reviews here and I must say they all baffle me a little. There's simply not enough here to either hate or proclaim as the greatest thing since sliced bread. There's very little current religious thinking and I couldn't find any real science despite going back through it quite carefully. There are numerous valuable books on both sides of this debate, but unfortunately this isn't one of them.
Common Sense not based upon theory but fact.......2007-08-18
This was a great book. I enjoyed the refrences as well. It is a great starting place to part the fog that clouds most people's minds. Prove what you hear and read, don't just accept it because they are "scholars" or so called "scientists".
Fails at its Proclaimed Objective.......2006-10-13
Because its proclaimed objective is an impossibility.
All Perloff does is reiterate the same tired nonsensical "evidence against" the very real process of natural selection. Perloff's "arguments" have been repeatedly and summarily dismissed by the scientific community as either ignorance or willful misrepresentation of fact.
The notion that Science avoids the claims of so-called critics of evolutionary theory is both ironic and laughable given the fingers in the ears approach that "creationism" generally takes to the subject.
To call this book "logical" is to dilute the meaning of logic to the level of the superstitious pap that goes by the name of "intelligent-design".
Simple and straight to the point.......2005-10-12
For someone who didn't know there were any arguments against Darwinism, this book is small, easy to read and to the point. It summarizes a number of important arguments against Darwinism. It is a good "starter" book and has some references to some other books that the reader can follow up with if they are interested in pursuing this topic further.
However, don't expect this book to present you with "irrefutable evidence". If you don't have an open mind about the subject, this book will probably not force it open. But if you do have an open mind, it will point out some areas of the Darwinian theory that don't stand up against serious scrutiny. And given today's scientific bias, this may surprise you and awaken a desire to understand the issues in greater depth.
Therefore, I heartily recommend it.
Science, logic and clarity.......2005-09-14
The emperor has no clothes. Someone had to say it, and more and more scientists are choosing science over the religion of Darwinian evolution. Many of the books exposing macro-evolution as a fraud are written by scientists, and a bit over my head; James Perloff is a superb author, and puts matters clearly, with plenty of evidence from evolutionists. Only a totally closed-minded person would fail to be disturbed at the problems with evolution and the lies our children are being fed.
Book Description
A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
“My road to atheism was paved by science . . . But, ironically, so was my later journey to God.â€â€”Lee Strobel
During his academic years, Lee Strobel became convinced that God was outmoded, a belief that colored his ensuing career as an award-winning journalist at the Chicago Tribune. Science had made the idea of a Creator irrelevant—or so Strobel thought.
But today science is pointing in a different direction. In recent years, a diverse and impressive body of research has increasingly supported the conclusion that the universe was intelligently designed. At the same time, Darwinism has faltered in the face of concrete facts and hard reason.
Has science discovered God? At the very least, it’s giving faith an immense boost as new findings emerge about the incredible complexity of our universe. Join Strobel as he reexamines the theories that once led him away from God. Through his compelling and highly readable account, you’ll encounter the mind-stretching discoveries from cosmology, cellular biology, DNA research, astronomy, physics, and human consciousness that present astonishing evidence in The Case for a Creator.
Mass market edition available in packs of six.
Customer Reviews:
Unconvincing.......2007-06-20
I had the fortune/misfortune of being born into a very religious family. I grew a little tired of rejecting invitations from friends and family to various religious services and outings. My rejections stemmed from doubts as to the usefulness of religious pursuits as I was skeptical of the bible as an actual and factual recount of history. I was decidedly agnostic (not an atheist; there's a difference) and thought I had to be missing something. I came to this book through a desire to somehow reconcile the world as I saw it around me with a belief in God. I had just completed a book by a young earth proponent which actually served to push me further from a belief in God. This book (which I intentionally refuse to identify here) required the suspension of common sense and the abandonment of logic and reasoning to believe in God. I have since read many other books which include books by self professed atheists, creationists, and evolutionists. I have also read many books on the topic of intelligent design; books on theology, psychology, the human brain, and why we believe what we believe. I have come to several conclusions as a result of my readings. I will list a few of these before I get into my review:
I have the utmost faith in the scientific method and believe that it will ultimately reveal real scientific truths over time.
I do not believe there is a conspiracy in science to deceive or harm people. Having flown on planes, eaten canned foods, driven in cars, had surgeries, taken medications (some of which worked), nuked hot dogs in my microwave, and turned on my TV (with a remote no less) without any fear of death or even harm, I must conclude that the pursuits of science are in general good and benevolent.
I believe that the 99% or so of scientists who believe in evolution really do (that should go without saying, but some people I have spoken to believe they don't but have a hidden agenda), and I believe that they have valid reasons to think the way they do. There is no reason for me to doubt that men capable of putting a robot on Mars would lack the cognitive capacity to draw logical conclusions from thier observations.
I do not believe that anyone should criticize creationism, ID or evolution without first making every attempt to understand each side of the argument. That does not mean asking a creationist to explain evolution to you or accepting an evolutionists explanation of creationists arguments for creation and/or against evolution. I have found that this is the surest way to get misled. Each position should be researched from sources put forth by proponents of each side that reflect the true stance of each camp. That is what I did. Admittedly though, this was probably easy for me as I was looking for truth and not reassurance.
I have an excellent understanding of evolution (from an evolutionists standpoint), and I have an excellent understanding of the arguments against evolution (from a creationists standpoint).
MY REVIEW:
This book has one glaring flaw that must be addressed before any other issue can be dealt with. Throughout this book, Strobel casts himself in the role of the skeptic; an unbiased journalist in search of actual truth who was quite often "shocked" at where the "evidence" led him. I didn't have to read too far into the book to see that the opposite was actually the case. Biased doesn't even begin to describe this book. Strobel neglects to interview anyone with stances antithetic to those of the logically apparent creationist views of his chosen interviewees. I suspect that the conspicuous absence of even one interview with an evolutionist had more to do with strategy than presenting the truth. This ultimately served to detract from the credibility of this book, but somehow I don't think this was a problem for Strobel. Overt one-sidedness notwithstanding, this book actually made a poor case for a creator. There are ostensibly a handful of arguments that creationists invariably reiterate as facts that supposedly invalidate evolution. These are more or less the same arguments put forward in Strobels book. The problem is each and every one of them have sound and convincing refutations in main stream science. I'll admit that I found Behe's irreducibly complex argument a bit novel and a somewhat worthy challenge to Darwinian evolution, but it also has already been effectively refuted. Strobels book really adds nothing new to the whole creation/evolution debate, so if you've already heard the current arguments, then you already know where Strobel is headed.
I must admit though that I am in total agreement with this book on one major point: evolution is a theory in crisis. Evolutions one possibly (though not likely) fatal flaw is that it dares to contradict a literal interpretation of the bible. There is no doubt in my mind that the bible would be a heck of a lot different had science been at the stage it is now when the passages of the bible were originally written. For those of you who think that evolution is a myth that can be disproved, guess what, you are right. Evolution can be disproved quite easily in fact. If any of the following were found, for example, it would disprove evolution and send the scientific community scrambling for answers:
-Any primate that doesn't carry the gene for vitamin C synthesis.
-Fossils of prehistoric kangaroos in North America (or Mt Ararat for that matter).
-Indigenous cacti in the deserts of Australia.
-Fossil horse ancestors in Antarctica or Australia.
-An australopithecine fossil anywhere outside of Africa.
-Atavistic legs on sharks.
-Atavistic gill slits on whales.
-Atavistic feathers on bats.
-Alligators or magnolias indigenous to anywhere outside of Eastern North America or East Asia.
If you do not know why any of these would disprove evolution, then you don't know enough about it to lable it as false. Take the time to research it conscientiously from sources by mainstream science and not from people like strobel. I am not saying that he is a bad person, but he has a clear agenda, and it is not one that allows him to treat evolution with integrity. Strobel's book summarily states that there is no evidence for evolution. The wanton truth is, however, there is plenty. There is a veritable web of interconnectivity between evolution and virtually every branch of science. Evolution makes many predictions in the areas of geology, genetics, biochemistry, and geography to name a few. If anyone of these predictions cannot be borne out through research or experiment, then the theory would indeed be a bust. I have to believe that many of the "scientists" that claim to have disproved evolution know at least some of these predictions. If they are serious about debunking this 150+ year old theory, I would suggest these predictions might be good starting points. In the mean time I would say this to the average lay person (like me): make an honest attempt to understand evolution. Ask for help if you need it. Science is, afterall, a difficult subject to tackle for most. If after you have done so you still believe there is no basis whatsoever for even entertaining a belief in evolution then wait. Give it some time. There is no greater friend to truth than time. If evolution is a myth, then it will be proven to be so by the unrelenting progress of science. I promise you. One thing though, don't hold your breath.
As for my search for God. I've concluded that it is absurd to think that science can be used to quantify or validate God. God is beyond the empirical and cannot be experienced but through faith. As proof of this I offer the foolish and awkward attempts of young earth creationists to shoe horn natural history and science into compliance with a literal interpretation of the bible. The efforts of old earth creation scientists and IDers might not be as blatantly misguided, but they are just as foolish. To try to justify God through science is to admit weakness. Such endeavors only serve to turn people from God. Even though it might seem like it sometimes, science is not trying to disprove God. Science simply cannot do that and is actually not even equiped to comment on God. All science is trying to do is improve lives through knowledge and understanding. Is it rational to so casually dismiss science in this instance without hearing her story (from those who represent her acurately and honestly) while viewing images of shoemaker-levy 9's collision with Jupiter on the internet or taking an antibiotic for that infection your doctor discovered Through MRI technology? Real faith lies outside the purview of science or empirically measurable experience and is not unreasonablenable. Keep your faith, but not because someone tells you the universe is 15,000 years old. Keep it in spite of the knowledge that it's closer to 15,000,000,000.
This Case You Must Have.......2007-03-08
The Case for a Creator is a tremendously straightforward explanation of powerful evidence to substantiate the existance of The Creator. DNA, Micro-Biology, Darwinism revealed, debunking of popular thinking and presentation of cutting edge scientific thought. The experts are called out to explain how the world got made. And the overwhelming evidence is it as NOT an accident. Only one way to build a mousetrap that works. But where did the parts really come from? Dinosaur evidence is severely lacking to explain evolution and the creation of the thinking process in your head could not have happened by accident. Science cannot account for the fact that you exist, but you do. Wonderful presentation and explains opposing viewpoints with aplomb.
A convincing book, for a layman in scientific field.......2005-11-14
To be honest, I, too, am a layman in many scientific fields. And I must confess that I was almost convinced by this book when I reached Chapter 2 of this book. However, I noticed something lacking in this book. It is the lack of opposite argument that opposes all the scientists that were interviewed by Lee Strobel.
When I reached Chapter 2 and started reading the argument concerning the flaw of Miller's experiment or should we say Miller-Urey experiment, I noticed something strange. The scientist said that there was very little hydrogen within early-earth atmosphere because they escaped into space. How can anything escape into space? How can anything of earth escape earth's gravity? Unless, of course, the object's initial velocity is 11.2 Km/s (while excluding the friction of the atmosphere). So what has propelled the entire Hydrogen atom into space? And after this point, I found it difficult to continue reading.
But for the sake of reading, I continued on and I noticed that for every argument, there is no counter argument. You might say that the entire book itself is the counter argument. And you are right. However, every scientist in the book claimed that the "recent" discoveries of science showed that the previous theories no longer hold. And that the scientists who still hold on the old theories did not even counter these "recent" discoveries. As a journalist, Strobel should also interview the scientists who hold opposite view than the ones he interview in the first place.
I heard from a friend of mine that the book even discredit Stephen Hawking's mathematical model of the universe. And apparently, according to the scientist interviewed by Strobel, it was because Hawking use imaginary number within his equation and did not convert it into real number at the end. Tell you what; imaginary number is as real as any number. However it will be meaningless to apply them in construction or accounting. But applying them into AC circuitry will give a satisfactory answer, even if you do not convert them into real number. Moreover, their real life counterpart can cause harm or damage to either human or other equipment even if they themselves are called imaginary.
In the first chapter of the book, Strobel said that he wanted to explore all possibilities. Alas, he failed miserably. By reading the book, you will wonder why our school textbook still teach the "misguided" and "misleading" information and might be convinced of conspiracy. Well, maybe because the "recent" discoveries itself are not well supported and failed. I have shown you two minor aspect of the book that is flawed, for I know of them. And I bet that any reader with more knowledge than me will be able to point out more flaws within the book. And even if it is only a minor aspect, no hypothesis will survive if one of the assumptions it is build upon is flawed. Such is science.
However, he did write a good book for the conversation within the book is easy to understand. What he failed, however, was to present the other side of the argument. And one must take heed of this fact when reading this book. I was planning to give it one star but seeing how argumentative it is and easy to understand, I will give it 3 stars.
Strobel's Third Book Explores Evolution vs. Creation.......2005-09-30
As a biology student in the 1970's, I was exposed to evolutionary theory in my college education. Not only had I been exposed to it, I was absolutely indoctrinated in it, and I learned that my college professors considered evolution a "fact", not just a theory. I was never fully convinced of the theory of evolution, as it did not explain adequately in my mind how all the different life forms evolved from one single-celled organism. I considered this a tremendous leap of faith, one that took more faith to believe than believing in a Creator. Many of my questions and doubts about evolution were poo-poo'ed by my porfessors, and although they did not have definitive answers to the questions either, they assured me that in time (and with more scientific study) my questions would be answered.
As we enter a new millenium, the theory of evolution is being questioned like never before. Proponents of "intelligent design" claim that the theory of evolution cannot account for the beginning of life from non-living matter, and that the diversity of life is such that unguided "blind" evolution cannot explain it adequately. Although the general public has not yet been informed of this, the theory of evolution is a theory in crisis, not only through those that criticize its faults and weaknesses, but from scientists themselves that no longer find adequate explanation in the theory. Strobel's book takes up these issues and presents a logical discussion on the weaknesses of evolutionary theory and the case for intelligent design. Issues explored are as follows:
Modern Education and Evolution in the Classroom
Doubts about Darwinian Evolution
Cosmology
Physics and evolution
Astronomy and evolution
Biochemistry and evolution
DNA and intelligent design
This is a great resource for the average lay-person who does not want to get bogged down with in-depth discussions on physics and molecular structure. Strobel presents the material in a manner that is easy for all to understand. However, please know that this is not an "easy read". It will require thought on the part of the reader and is not just a book you can pick up and read at leisure. If used as a serious study book, the reader will get far more out of the content than if read casually.
As in Strobel's previous two books on Christ and Christian faith, this is another highly recommended book. It will definately challenge your conceptions on evolution.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
To Truth.......2005-09-06
I cannot escape the negativity that follows me, or so it seems. Every time I put a review on Amazon, people that, either have no intention to read the book in the first place, or do not like the fact that I am telling the truth, seem to believe that I have no idea what I am talking about. Unfortunately for them, I do.
I have read three books by Lee Strobel, so far. Not because I think that he is the quintessential apologist for the American faction, but because I think that his conversational style reaches people who might otherwise not understand the subject. Strobel's syntax and diction, alone, should gain him a three star rating. That's like me saying that Stephen Jay Gould has no literary ability, while giving him one star. Though I may not agree with everything that Gould says, I certainly have a great deal of respect for his literary prose! If a man can write, let him write!
Now, on to a Case for a Creator. I have read quite a few books on science against evolution, but this one, by far, is the most comprehensive collection of facts, information, and data that deals with evolution that I have read, so far. Strobel tends to have a keen eye for finding experts that, not only know what they are talking about, but are able to relate that information in a consumer friendly form. That being said, the information presented boggled my mind. Having never read anything about our "privileged planet," or anything else on cosmology for that matter, I was truly shocked to learn about how perfect the Earth really is.
Like any other book by Lee, he packs this book with locatable citations, and ends chapters with "for further evidence." While I agree to some extent the Strobel may have taking the ID argument past its intention by mentioning religion, I do not agree that this book was made for Christians, at all! In fact, most of the writers in this books discuss a several million (some billion) year old universe. How then, would this be a literal 7-day interpretation of Christianity? Obviously, it wouldn't. In fact, the fact that Strobel doesn't attempt to counter this fact clearly shows that Christians weren't his only intended audience. What better way to destroy a "science" you think is erroneous, than by asking the EXPERTS (whose credentials are touted by Strobel to erase the myth that religious people are `idiots' as Dawkins loves to suggest), while bludgeoning them with questions that a skeptic would ask.
If you are interested in Intelligent Design, or have some nagging questions about Darwinism, read this book. I promise-- you will not be disappointed. Like I always say, you do not have to agree with someone's views to learn from them; all you do is have to read, and you have done your brain a great service already. Viva informacion
Book Description
Why is Darwin’s theory of evolution taught as fact? Based on current advances in genetics, astrophysics, microbiology, and other sciences, it should have been discarded years ago! In straightforward, easy–to–understand language, Ralph Muncaster investigates evolution and natural selection by examining—
- Darwin’s reservations regarding his theory
- the “evolution†gaps in the fossil record
- theories that counter evolution
- the scientific evidence of intelligent design
- why many scientists now believe in creationism
Dismantling Evolution helps people understand the facts that refute evolution between species and the scientific evidence that supports creationism—and the divine creator.
Customer Reviews:
We are without excuse.......2007-04-21
Former evolutionist turned creationist, Ralph Muncaster saw the absurdities in evolutionary theory. He raises amazing, thought provoking questions. He tests theories made by scientists supporting evolution, and quotes their findings, indicating difficulties in the support of evolution; it is severely flawed.
When looking at creatures and plants we need to ask: "how" did they know........."how" to grow?, "how" to repair?, "how" to form?, "how" to reproduce? Through probability, Muncaster shows us that life by chance from a simple cell to a full life form is an unbridgeable chasm. There is such an irreducible complexity even within the simplest of life forms that if one bridge is broken the whole theory collapses. We have discovered: mutations are damaging, order can not come out of chaos, and the incredibly complex designed machines from nanotechnology. What we are learning on the molecular level is truly mind-blowing. These small molecular machines may hold the future. "It defies logic to pretend that such complex systems--systems that work together in such a precise and harmonious way--came about randomly. It is plainly obsurd."---------Gerald Schroeder
Why bother studying this? Because evolution is being taught as fact in our schools, and secularism is creeping into our church. This book will help reinforce us.
We should be asking why evolutionists don't mention "chirality" in their studies? Is it not because it cannot be explained, so it is then ignored? If scientists believe in the impossible probabilities of life by chance, why are we still in disbelief? One only needs to go to the textbooks, the Science Channel, the National Geographic Channel, PBS, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel, to see evolutionary thinking is rife.
Ralph believes no matter a young or old earth, there has not been enough time for evolution. We are without excuse, there is a Creator; He has manifested himself.
Wish you well
Scott
Building or burning bridges?.......2006-09-22
I found it amusing that a reviewer, Pattyo, states that anyone giving this book four or more stars must have a low IQ. Pattyo, what's your IQ? Feel comfortable posting that on the Internet for everyone to see? What advanced degrees do you hold, that you can make such a bold statement without actually providing any evidence from the book (or anywhere else) to suggest that all the evidence contained within is simplistic and unworthy of an intelligent person's attention? Is name-calling really the best you can do? How sad for you.
Dangerously misleading!.......2005-08-08
That's it! It really scares me that people can read this stuff and not question the validity of the material being presented. I generally read books with an open mind... different religions, god(s), worldviews etc; but this book is an insult to anyones intelligence. I'm seriously considering writing a book about religion, because it apparently doesn't matter how much filth, lies, half-truths, and bogus science you put in there people will still buy it! Yes, I'm guilty too... It's one thing to have faith, but at least keep at least a little sense of your reason while doing so! It's probably safe to say that people that rate 4 or higher on this book have a lower IQ than the average. Apparently fancy writing is all it takes to get people to believe in anything. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR REASON FOLKS!
Even less reason and science than similar creationist drivel.......2005-04-20
Like virtually all other faith based attacks on evolution and promotion of intelligent design or other creationisms, this book presents no evidence or reasoned argument against evolution. Instead it resorts to absurd distortions of fact, logic and probability theory to construct a fallacious case only believable to the scientifically illiterate.
The authors assumptions and conclusions are insupportable via any of the branches of mathematics and science he distorts for his faith based ideological cause.
This book does provide clear evidence of something, namely that the anti-evolution and ID movement are fully willing to destroy the publics understanding of science and reasoned inquiry itself since they cannot find legitimate rational grounds for their attacks.
The real problem with the Theory of Evolution..........2005-02-19
... is not necessarily that Intelligent Design offers a much more rational and scientific explanation for the origin of life. As Muncaster explains, the real enemies of Evolution are the sciences of mathematical probability and microbiology. This book takes the Theory of Evolution apart piece by piece by exposing it to the hard light of scientific and mathematical review. As a result, Evolutionary theory is revealed as a complete fraud. Every Christian apologist should commit large portions of this book to memory.
Amazon.com
In 1976, NASA's Viking orbiters photographed the surface of Mars and sent pictures back to Earth. What some people see in these pictures, a distinctly humanoid face, has been hotly debated ever since, prompting the question, "Are there artificial structures on Mars?" If you haven't heard of the face on Mars, then you haven't been paying attention to the news about the photos taken by the recent Mars Global Surveyor mission or Art Bell's late night radio talk show about paranormal phenomena or even the covers of the supermarket tabloids. The face is nearly everywhere.
The Case for the Face examines the original NASA images using a battery of different techniques, from stereo imaging to fractal analysis, in an effort to determine if the face is simply a trick of the light or a structure fabricated by an extraterrestrial intelligence. Rather than handing out unchallenged assumptions, The Case for the Face explains how the evidence is gathered, what tests are used for analysis, and gives the reader a crash course in geometry, Martian geology, and computer-image enhancement. The authors present a strong case for the belief that the face, and many other structures in the area, were artificially constructed. In doing so, they also make a compelling argument for opening a new era of manned space exploration and further investigation of this enigmatic portrait in stone. --Brian Patterson
Customer Reviews:
Just Read the Book.......2002-10-30
Don't let your preconceived notions about what is possible and what is not possible prevent you from reading this book. It is objective and reasonable and quite possibly the best book on the subject I have read. Keep an open mind and understand the scientists who wrote this book just want a chance for a scientific study of the evidence, but the current climate at NASA is denying them the opportunity. How many other marvelous discoveries have been lost to us because of other people's closed minds? Why is it so impossible for people to believe there may have been an ancient civilization on Mars? We have them on Earth! They came from somewhere! Let them have their objective investigation, but don't close the door on the means to find out the truth, one way or the other. If the truth is stifled then we all loose out on what may be the most profound discovery of human history. We need to know one way or the other!
Give Me a Break.......2000-08-27
I can drive to Utah and Arizona tomorrow and see over 1000 rock formations, in a 1-week trip, which all resemble something, from Snoopy on his doghouse(near Sedona), to giant mittens(Monument Valley), to huge arches and phallic symbols(Arches Nat'l Park). Oh, and there are also a million rocks that look like...uhhhhhh....nothing but ROCKS. Big surprise!
The truth is, human beings throughout history have some bizarre need to look at things in the natural world(rock formations, clouds, etc) and somehow correlate them to man-made formations or animated objects. When a rock or a volcano or a canyon or whatnot, especially in conjunctions with shadows, the right combination of light, and viewed from a specific angle or distance, looks like some kind of symmetrical man-made form, there is a word for this kind of phenomenon; COINCIDENCE. With the billions of rocks on this world and other planets, I find it quite comical that people are doofus enough to not realize that, given enough wind and rain and erosion, a LOT or rocks are going to look like something besides a rock.
Sober and provocative cosmic wake-up call.......2000-06-25
"The Case for the Face" is a thoroughly sensible and compelling account of a small handful of resarchers with the intellectual clout to tackle an enigma mainstream science has labled "off-limits": the possible existence of alien artifacts in our solar system. The contributors raise fascinating possibilities that we would be wise to examine in depth. Validating the existence of probable artificial structures on Mars is an opportunity we can't afford to miss through fear of offending the status quo.
DRY, IMAGINATIVE and very FACTUAL.......2000-03-21
This book is a valuable tool and aid to anyone interested in obtaining certain information about the anomalies located on Mars. Some chapters are very interesting and provide compelling evidence for alien artifacts while others are very dry leaving the reader slightly bored. The book can definitely be used as a research aid from the library, but I do not recommend it for casual reading purposes. Although quite imaginative and informative I believe there are probably better books to read on the Martian anomalies than this one. I would consider other sources before choosing to purchase this book.
This is a must read for every astronomer ........1999-03-09
The remarkable and revealing story of a group of dedicated scientists and engineers. Their testimony, details one of the most exciting and dramatic ongoing investigations of the 20th century. The compelling evidence for ancient alien ruins on Mars.
Average customer rating:
- An Early Introduction to Intelligent Design As a Scientific Hypothesis
- Excellent and Concise
- The Creation Explanation: Why Design is just as good.
- A Scientific Analysis for the Existence of God
- Shut Up
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The Creation Hypothesis: Scientific Evidence for an Intelligent Designer
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ASIN: 0830816984 |
Book Description
Is there evidence from natural science for an intelligent creator of the universe?For a century the reigning scientific view has been that God is not necessary to account for the existence of the world and of life. Evolutionary theory is said to be all that is needed to explain how we got here. In addition, many theistic evolutionists contend that God likely used many of the mechanisms of evolution to achieve his will.In this book J. P. Moreland and a panel of scholars assert that there is actually substantial evidence pointing in a different direction. First, they consider philosophical arguments about whether it is possible for us to know if an intelligent designer had a hand in creation. Then they look directly at four different areas of science: the origin of life, the origin of major groups of organisms, the origin of human language and the origin and formation of the universe.The team of experts for this work includes a philosopher, a mathematician, a physicist, a linguist, a theologian, a biophysicist, an astronomer, a chemist and a paleontologist.Their data and their conclusions challenge the assumptions of many and offer the foundation for a new paradigm of scientific thinking.
Customer Reviews:
An Early Introduction to Intelligent Design As a Scientific Hypothesis.......2006-06-21
This early volume exploring some of the current intelligent design arguments contains essays by numerous Discovery Fellows. Philosopher J.P. Moreland explains that a philosophical view called "scientism" has become prevalent in academia. Scientism, in its various forms, holds that only scientifically verifiable truth has any real value.
Following Moreland's introduction, Stephen C. Meyer argues that the theories of intelligent design and common descent are "methodologically equivalent" theories which should both be considered as legitimate fields of historical science. William Dembski explains how observations which cannot be accounted for using known probabilistic resources imply that some intelligence might be at work. Hugh Ross lists a large number of physical laws and finely-tuned parameters which imply that some intelligence designed the universe to be hospitable for advanced, intelligent life. Charles Thaxton and Walter Bradley explain that the fundamental challenge facing origin of life researchers lies in the origin of information. These assembly instructions for life are not specified by natural laws.
The volume also tackles the fossil record. Kurt Wise explains that transitional forms are rare or completely absent from the fossil record. But Wise also explains that an intelligent agent could account for the nested hierarchy of the organization of life's major groups. Finally, John Oller and John Omdahl explain that there is a distinct break between the cognitive capabilities of apes and humans. Apes cannot bridge "Einstein's gulf," the ability to use abstract representations, nor do they display the ability nor desire to ask deep questions.
This volume provides an early look at many of the leading arguments for intelligent design.
Excellent and Concise.......2004-05-10
This was a good book, it covers many different areas as to why evolution is not possible (the kind evolutionists say lead to humans). I did think there was an error in the intro however where someone, not sure who, says that biologists have no business being philosophers, or he said it the other way around, either way he was saying that people who were educated in certain fields (by universities i suppose) have no business teaching what they weren't educated in, which of course, is wrong. You don't need to be educated in a university in a class and get straight A's or average grades to teach certain things in a field you weren't trained in, anymore than a Christian needs to be to say why evolution is wrong even though he doesn't know much about the intricacies of biology.
I also thought the book would have been good to explain why there is dash in front of the numbers that show the odds against a man evolving by chance, because I was told that there is no such thing as a negative probablity, if not, what is that dash there for, please let me know.
Other than the intro, like I said, this is a good book.
The Creation Explanation: Why Design is just as good........2002-07-26
I would honestly have titled this book "The Creation Explanation: Why Creation is just as good an explanation as Evolution is". This is precisely what this book attempts to do. I found the scientific evidence to be lacking. This book is not completely bad. In fact..I have found some good material in the book along with some bad material in the book. Let's take a look.
The first section of the book was on the philosophical question of design. I didn't care for Moreland's essay critiquing methodological naturalism. Honestly I found it hard to stay awake reading his material because his points are convoluted and hard to follow at times. Meyer's essay was great except that he needlessly makes both design and descent to be mutually exclusive. They need not be. Design and descent can be integrated into a theory of theistic evolution. What Meyer has in mind are creation and evolution. Creation is not the same thing as design, for creation is more of a typological theory of design: it places fixed limits on variation and supposes that there is a archetype for each group of animals. Design by itself does not require this. Demski's essay was as good as Meyers, although Demski is quick to rule out superluminal physics as a cause for his hypothetical talking pulsar for no well-argued reason. ( No offense Bill, but have you heard of Bell's Theorem, the Innsbrunk experiment? Not that I buy into non-locality in physics but Demski needs to elaborate more on why we shouldn't buy into non-locality).
This is all I can say is good about the book. The science section was pretty bad. The first is an essay by Hugh Ross on how astronomy supports the creation hypothesis via the big bang. As typical Ross constructs a big bang argument for a Creator despite the fact we don't have a quantum theory of gravity. He doesn't attempt to answer the arguments of Halton Arp in this essay nor does he attempt to answer my argument about the possiblility of energy being supernaturally replinished in a singularity in the cycling universe theory. I have explained in a separate review why Ross's arguments are flawed. The next essay on the origin of life. I skipped over this one because I felt that I was not informed enough to critique it. After that is an essay by Kurt Wise on the origin of major groups. This essay was flimsy! I was expecting Wise to produce some scientific evidence for his Creator. Wise does nothing of the sort! Wise goes through the traditional case for evolution. It was poorly critiqued. For instance, Wise doesn't provide a good explanation of vestigial organs other than that they lost function some time ago. A book has been written debunking the vestigial organs argument ( "Vestigial Organs are Fully Functional" by George Howe and Jerry Bergman). Wise should have either adopted some of their arguments or at least made a reference to them or this book of theirs! The arguments debunking the case for evolution appear too simplistic and superficial! What's worse is that he doesn't produce any evidence for creation or design. He just argues that complexity and organization in nature are "unexplained" anamolies and that creation is just as good as an explanation! Hold it! Wise gives NO justification for this because he doesn't discuss any criteria for detecting intelligent design or how this organization, complexity or integration bears marks of design according to any accepted criteria for design. THAT is what scientific evidence I would have been looking for: Wise just argues that creation is just as good an explanation if not better than naturalistic evolution. Come on!
I was so disappointed I didn't even bother to read the last essay. The authors pretty much shot their project in the foot! As if that wasn't enough..two more Christian authors put a bunch of quotes in the appendix as an appeal to authority as to how serious in trouble evolution really is. Well, no offense guys, but if I didn't find the case in the essays all that convincing what makes you guys think an appeal to authority using quotes is going to be any more convincing. (It's just icing on the cake..to remove any last lingering doubts for readers not 100% convinced that creation is a better explanation than naturalistic evolution is.)
I found it hard to rate this book. I had to balance the good with the outright bad. It has some value to it. I would very cautiously recommend this book just as a starting point on the subject for further investigation. This book should only get people to ask themselves "Is Design a legitimate explanation after all?" and nothing more. The book's title was misleading, a unnecessary essay or two was added in (yes, Moreland and Ross, I mean you). People should be open-minded yet very cautious and extremely critical when reading this book!
A Scientific Analysis for the Existence of God.......2002-01-28
A well written and thought provoking book that is detailed and scientifically valid. Those who state otherwise either have not read the book, or do not know how to conduct philosophic and scientific inquiry.
J. P. Moreland and a panel of experts consider philosophical arguments about whether it is possible for us to know if an intelligent Designer had a role in creation. Then they evaluate the creation hypothesis against scientific evidence in four different areas: the origin and formation of the universe, the origin of life, the origin of major groups of organisms, and the origin of human language.
The team of experts assembled for this work includes a philosopher, a mathemetician, a physicist, a linguist, a theologian, a biophysicist, an astronomer, a chemist, and a paleontologist.
The contributors include Stephen C. Meyer, William A. Dembski, Hugh Ross, Walter L. Bradley, Charles B. Thaxton, Kurt P. Wise, John W. Oller, John L. Omdahl, John Ankerberg, and John Weldon.
Their data and their conclusions challenge the assumptions of many and offer the foundation for a new paradigm of scientific thinking.
Shut Up.......2001-04-14
This is to people like John M K who goes around and put bad reviews on Christian book. People like that need to shut the mouths because they dont even know what they are talking about. For instance John M K bashes Christians and says anarchy books are great i think there is something incredibly wrong with some like him.
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