Publisher's Synopsis
Books which deal with what many regard as big questions in our lives such as: Is there a God? What happens after death? How did we get here? usually are several centimetres thick. The Small Book that Answers the Big Questions is a rarity. It has been kept small intentionally but provides answers which are logical and fully compatible with science. This is essentially the position of an atheist, as might be expected from this author, a 96 year old retired research scientist, but it is not aggressively so. For example it respects the beliefs of the many Christians who simply "feel there is a God inside them - guiding them." The Answers include hard evidence now being found by scientists using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to study the human brain while it is functioning (fMRI) and other relevant research. A further theme of the book is the striking contrast between what the churches say on the web and elsewhere are their core beliefs, which often include miracles and anti-science, and the actual beliefs of their congregations, which are more in keeping with modern knowledge. The Small Book condemns those who misuse the trust young children have when searching for truths about their world, by teaching anti-science as truth. The Book gives the recent example when children were scared by being taught that their parents would burn in hell, because they said we did not descend from Adam and Eve, but evolved. The book takes into account my personal experiences, from having listened to hundreds of sermons, homilies, hymns and psalms in my youth. The views of influential writers such as Paul Davies, Barbara Thiering, Richard Dawkins, John Shelby Sprong and others are cited where relevant.
