Journey of the Universe
Paperback – October 21, 2014
by Brian Thomas Swimme (Author), Mary Evelyn Tucker (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 109 ratings
by Brian Thomas Swimme (Author), Mary Evelyn Tucker (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 109 ratings
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The book is simply written and easy to read—more like Kipling's Just So Stories than Being and Time—and you may or may not be convinced by Swimme and Tucker's interpretations of modern cosmology and evolutionary history. But it's a fascinating game to play. More theology of physics, please!"—Josh Rothman, Boston Globe (Brainiac blog)
"What’s most striking about Swimme and Tucker’s work is a simple but beautiful assumption: a cosmological orientation opens the human mind to wonder, gratitude, humility, and creativity."—Mitchell Thomashow, Orion
"Strikingly, . . . the co-authors managed to fit 14 billion years of grandeur along with humanity’s most fundamental questions into small spaces. . . . Perfectly tailored for classroom use . . . offering a common ground for discussion among people of myriad points of view."—Julianne Lutz Warren, Journal of Environmental Studies and Science
"In their new book, Journey of the Universe, Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker invite us into the scientific story of the Universe, imbuing it with all the passion and purpose of a great religious myth. Their 'invitation into grandeur' carries us into the heart of a story that Homer would have loved to tell—the story of how life began, evolved, and turned into you and me."—Carter Phipps, EnlightenNext
"This highly descriptive text is a poetic expression of the authors’ view of biological and physical sciences."—Choice
Journey of the Universe (the film) has been nominated for an Emmy for the West Coast (winner will be announced 9 June)
"For those of us enmeshed in symbolic consciousness, this is just the story we need to hear, loud and clear. It helps us understand how we happened to be here, and, more important, why."—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet and The End of Nature
"This is a wonderful, highly readable account of the history of the universe from the Big Bang through the present moment. . . . There is blockbuster potential in Journey of the Universe, and I recommend it with great enthusiasm."—Thomas Lovejoy, University Professor in Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University
"Journey of the Universe is eloquent, accessible, and powerful, and conveys a sense of wonder ranging from the cosmos to the microcosm—in itself a considerable achievement. This is one of the most compelling and inspiring works I've read in a long time."—David W. Orr, Oberlin College
"This cosmic saga offers a compelling vision of the grand adventure in which we humans are taking part."—Scott Russell Sanders, author of A Conservationist Manifesto
"The sense of deep time and space that Journey of the Universe establishes is the greatly needed context for students, who do not always appreciate the present predicament and the role of humanity in the world. It puts us in perspective—and conveys wonder that Earth and life are here in the first place and how amazing it is to be in what is apparently one of the most creative nooks in the universe. Also wonderful is the scientific narrative spine and to ask over and over—ok, what does it mean for us?"—Julianne Lutz Warren, author of Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey
Read less
About the Author
Brian Thomas Swimme is a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Mary Evelyn Tucker is senior lecturer and research scholar at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School. She is co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale.
Product details
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press; Reprint edition (October 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300209436
ISBN-13: 978-0300209433
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars 92 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#79 in Science & Religion (Books)
#92 in Cosmology (Books)
#137 in Ecology (Books)
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journey of the universe brian swimme mary evelyn swimme and tucker evelyn tucker story of the universe thomas berry highly recommended big bang universe story swimme and mary several times required reading well written sense of awe read this book little book current science history of the universe life on earth
Top Reviews
Lee Wayne Wimberly
5.0 out of 5 stars The Journey: A Walk between Science and Religious Narrative
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I read "Journey of the Universe" as a part of an online CourseA lecture series of the same name. In a video interview, author Mary Evelyn Tucker drew a metaphor to the "Journey" being a trip down a river. She said she expected "arrows and barbs" to be shot the right bank where the mechanistic scientists reside, and from the left bank from where the fundamentalist Christian reside.
This phenomena of pushback from these two differing perspectives exemplifies where the content of this book does reside. It is this reviewer’s opinion that it not meant to be a science book. Nor is it meant to be a book on religion. It instead looks at the current science in many fields through the perspective of religious and spiritual narrative.
This reviewer found the information presented in a respectful way, drawing us into, and asking us to, join in a sense of awe of the universe around us.
I identified two principles in the text related Tucker's comment about "arrows and barbs" from the two sides of the river. The first is the principle is what I label as "definitional dissonance” in “Exploring the Gap between Science and Religion." Both sides would find information in the book to be an anomoly to their model/representation of the universe. The second principle is that they have a choice to either reject the information or change their model.
One way that a science-centric thinker would reject the information would be to question the qualifications of the scientists that contributed to the book. Having heard this critique in a casual discussion, I did a network search of each scientist listed in the book. This review easily found each to have extensive credentials.
6 people found this helpful
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Olivier Clerc
5.0 out of 5 stars what a beautiful and stunning accomplishment
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Managing to tell the history of the Universe in just 120 pages : what a beautiful and stunning accomplishment !
This is the story that all of us should read, or hear about !
There's a DVD in which Brian Swimme tells this modern tale of our fantastic adventure, and it ought to be shown in every school in the country.
This book is just a pure jewel.
Perfect.
Brillant.
PS : I had a publisher buy the French rights of it and I had the great pleasure and honour of translating it into French !
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
Vicki P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful saga of everything!
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Not incredibly technical (and that's okay by me), but it's a wondrous story of the Universe, Big Bang style, in simpler terms. It almost has a poetic feel to it as the story is told as a continuing unfolding of the Universe with life on Earth being a part of the bigger story. It tells how our "smaller" story of humanity fits into the picture and poses the emergence of humans as the Universe looking back at and pondering itself. I found it to be a very beautiful saga of everything!
3 people found this helpful
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Rev. David Price
5.0 out of 5 stars A Life Changing Spiritual Journey
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2014
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This is a life changing read for those who value their Spiritual foundation, their understanding of Cosmology and an effort to walk faithfully and knowledgeably in this century. The book gives a great overview of current science of the creation of the Universe and our evolution. It gives great data in a way that is understandable to the layman. It is not iconoclastic and pejorative towards the reader.
This open style of writing is welcome and inviting. It is a great place to start a journey of understanding Cosmology.I invite spiritual seekers to read this book and use it to add to their spiritual practice of reflecting and mindful respect for our earth and the Universe.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
G. Murphy
5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing Book for our Times
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2012
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
For those whose spiritual quest goes beyond conventional religion and orthodoxy, this is a refreshing and delightful aid to enlightenment; for those who are bio and cosmic nerds with all the blinding 'facts', stats, projections and empirical data of science, but have intuitively glimpsed the underlying mystery and loving intelligence of creation's evolutionary journey, this book will elevate your human consciousness to new and daring heights. In essence 'Journey of the Universe' in clear, poetic prose reminds us - ever so elegantly - of how we got here (on an ever-so-bumpy ride at times) and how we are, and will continue to be, a living, breathing, evolving, integral part of this multi-dimensional, ever expanding universe - a universe that (from our Earthling perspective) has to be our reference point on all matters of coexistence, human dignity, justice, interdependence, and the overall flourishing of our little planet on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.
6 people found this helpful
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Loren G. Carlson
5.0 out of 5 stars The last half of the book paints a wonderful image of the 'recreation' of our planet in a ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is a very readable explanation of the un-explainable for non scientists (and most scientists) and especially for those who know still think God is a person or a being. I can now grasp the wonder of the random universe created by the dynamic tension between energy forces and self organizing particles and waves of energy. The last half of the book paints a wonderful image of the 'recreation' of our planet in a cycle of destruction and recreation several times in its 4 billion year history. I cannot comprehend the immensity of the universe or the sense of time but I can see the the egg image of the earth with its thin layers of crust and molten center constantly changing and producing new life. We read this in our men's reading group at our church -- good discussion simulator.
One person found this helpful
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Marion Foerster
5.0 out of 5 stars Humans are stardust
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Brian Swimme's _Journey of the Universe_ is by far the best book I have read in a decade! I have given copies of this book to countless people. Swimme is both a physicist and a poet. His book shows the great wonder of how the universe was created and how it is forever changing. He also notes that there are more galaxies within our universe than we can imagine. He has helped me to regain the wonder I felt as a child exploring the life around me with my field geologist father. The idea that we and all of life came from stardust is intriguing and exciting. For those of a spiritual nature, one gets the idea from Swimme that there is a guiding Intelligence that is part of the mystery that man will probably never completely understand. I appreciated this thought coming from a scientist.
4 people found this helpful
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Top international reviews
Mr. Philip R. Hyne
5.0 out of 5 stars Across the universe in time, in space, and in an armchair.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A fascinating but easily read story of how the universe developed - and is still developing. Even for a non-scientist like me it makes good reading - quite the best explanations I've come across in a long time.
3 people found this helpful
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Michael Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is possibly the most important book I have ever read.
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GE Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Riveting
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Don Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Small Book - Big Story - Even Bigger Message!
Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2011
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Having just completed this wonderful short (117 pages) book, I am awestruck at the ability of the authors to tell "The Journey of the Universe" in so few pages and yet evoke a deep new awareness of what it means to be human within the Earth Community and Universe today.
I have read Swimme's previous books and much of Thomas Berry's writings and perhaps the best way to describe this book is as a distillation and re-focusing of the best of this previous work. Although not as involved as "The Universe Story" by Berry/Swimme, it brilliantly captures its essence and expounds insights without bogging down in detail. I was amazed at the writing style which is so concise and informative and packs deep and thought-provoking insights into every paragraph. Yet it is a joy to read and what I would call an "easy read" probably requiring not much more than 2-3 hours! The collaboration of Mary Evelyn Tucker (editor of Thomas Berry's later books of essays) and Brian Swimme has created a book which could (and should!) well become one of the most widely read in the English-speaking world.
Although the authors outline the cosmological history of our Universe it never bogs down in scientific jargon and always keeps the reader firmly focused on what this all means for us today. They do, however, paint an awe-inspiring picture of the Universe out of which we have emerged and the cosmological forces which have shaped this emergence.
The essential focus of the book is not at all scientific in nature - most of it is concerned with subtly raising our awareness of the human species' place or role within Earth Community now that we understand all that modern cosmology has revealed. Note that this is subtle. Nowhere do the authors present a dogmatic or ideological agenda for what humans should now do. The book is first and foremost an awareness-raising exercise using only the most established mainstream science and cultural history.
Yet, once you read the book, if you are like me, you will be stunned with the breadth and depth of what this awareness means for our personal, national and cultural lives. It is indeed quite brilliant that the authors leave so much to our own conscience and discernment without beating us over the head with their own conclusions. The wisdom contained in this book needs to be disseminated and discussed much like the sacred scriptures of the world's religions.
This book is written at a level which kids in their early teens could easily assimilate. It would be my hope the "Journey of the Universe" would become a standard part of school curriculum across the globe. Everyone should read this amazing book.
Highly recommended.
Read less
7 people found this helpful
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Derry A. Mc Donell
5.0 out of 5 stars An Epistle for the 21st Century
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Albert Einstein contended that, at their best, science and religion are not at odds, but totally complementary, mutually supportive and moreover, that Mankind needs both to make sense of Creation. Citing the explosive discoveries recently revealed by modern science (especially in astronomy) and coupling them with an expansive, unified vision of the human experience, Journey of the Universe vividly and profoundly demonstrates Einstein's argument. This is an important book that could and should be read and discussed by anyone with a sense of wonder, or who has ever asked himself "Why are we here?" Recommended for reading in conjunction with Hubble's Universe, by Terence Dickinson.
One person found this helpful
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Review
"The book is simply written and easy to read—more like Kipling's Just So Stories than Being and Time—and you may or may not be convinced by Swimme and Tucker's interpretations of modern cosmology and evolutionary history. But it's a fascinating game to play. More theology of physics, please!"—Josh Rothman, Boston Globe (Brainiac blog)
"What’s most striking about Swimme and Tucker’s work is a simple but beautiful assumption: a cosmological orientation opens the human mind to wonder, gratitude, humility, and creativity."—Mitchell Thomashow, Orion
"Strikingly, . . . the co-authors managed to fit 14 billion years of grandeur along with humanity’s most fundamental questions into small spaces. . . . Perfectly tailored for classroom use . . . offering a common ground for discussion among people of myriad points of view."—Julianne Lutz Warren, Journal of Environmental Studies and Science
"In their new book, Journey of the Universe, Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker invite us into the scientific story of the Universe, imbuing it with all the passion and purpose of a great religious myth. Their 'invitation into grandeur' carries us into the heart of a story that Homer would have loved to tell—the story of how life began, evolved, and turned into you and me."—Carter Phipps, EnlightenNext
"This highly descriptive text is a poetic expression of the authors’ view of biological and physical sciences."—Choice
Journey of the Universe (the film) has been nominated for an Emmy for the West Coast (winner will be announced 9 June)
"For those of us enmeshed in symbolic consciousness, this is just the story we need to hear, loud and clear. It helps us understand how we happened to be here, and, more important, why."—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet and The End of Nature
"This is a wonderful, highly readable account of the history of the universe from the Big Bang through the present moment. . . . There is blockbuster potential in Journey of the Universe, and I recommend it with great enthusiasm."—Thomas Lovejoy, University Professor in Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University
"Journey of the Universe is eloquent, accessible, and powerful, and conveys a sense of wonder ranging from the cosmos to the microcosm—in itself a considerable achievement. This is one of the most compelling and inspiring works I've read in a long time."—David W. Orr, Oberlin College
"This cosmic saga offers a compelling vision of the grand adventure in which we humans are taking part."—Scott Russell Sanders, author of A Conservationist Manifesto
"The sense of deep time and space that Journey of the Universe establishes is the greatly needed context for students, who do not always appreciate the present predicament and the role of humanity in the world. It puts us in perspective—and conveys wonder that Earth and life are here in the first place and how amazing it is to be in what is apparently one of the most creative nooks in the universe. Also wonderful is the scientific narrative spine and to ask over and over—ok, what does it mean for us?"—Julianne Lutz Warren, author of Aldo Leopold’s Odyssey
Read less
About the Author
Brian Thomas Swimme is a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Mary Evelyn Tucker is senior lecturer and research scholar at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School. She is co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale.
Product details
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Yale University Press; Reprint edition (October 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0300209436
ISBN-13: 978-0300209433
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars 92 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#79 in Science & Religion (Books)
#92 in Cosmology (Books)
#137 in Ecology (Books)
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More about the authors
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4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
109 customer ratings
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87%
4 star
5%
3 star
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Read reviews that mention
journey of the universe brian swimme mary evelyn swimme and tucker evelyn tucker story of the universe thomas berry highly recommended big bang universe story swimme and mary several times required reading well written sense of awe read this book little book current science history of the universe life on earth
Top Reviews
Lee Wayne Wimberly
5.0 out of 5 stars The Journey: A Walk between Science and Religious Narrative
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I read "Journey of the Universe" as a part of an online CourseA lecture series of the same name. In a video interview, author Mary Evelyn Tucker drew a metaphor to the "Journey" being a trip down a river. She said she expected "arrows and barbs" to be shot the right bank where the mechanistic scientists reside, and from the left bank from where the fundamentalist Christian reside.
This phenomena of pushback from these two differing perspectives exemplifies where the content of this book does reside. It is this reviewer’s opinion that it not meant to be a science book. Nor is it meant to be a book on religion. It instead looks at the current science in many fields through the perspective of religious and spiritual narrative.
This reviewer found the information presented in a respectful way, drawing us into, and asking us to, join in a sense of awe of the universe around us.
I identified two principles in the text related Tucker's comment about "arrows and barbs" from the two sides of the river. The first is the principle is what I label as "definitional dissonance” in “Exploring the Gap between Science and Religion." Both sides would find information in the book to be an anomoly to their model/representation of the universe. The second principle is that they have a choice to either reject the information or change their model.
One way that a science-centric thinker would reject the information would be to question the qualifications of the scientists that contributed to the book. Having heard this critique in a casual discussion, I did a network search of each scientist listed in the book. This review easily found each to have extensive credentials.
6 people found this helpful
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Olivier Clerc
5.0 out of 5 stars what a beautiful and stunning accomplishment
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Managing to tell the history of the Universe in just 120 pages : what a beautiful and stunning accomplishment !
This is the story that all of us should read, or hear about !
There's a DVD in which Brian Swimme tells this modern tale of our fantastic adventure, and it ought to be shown in every school in the country.
This book is just a pure jewel.
Perfect.
Brillant.
PS : I had a publisher buy the French rights of it and I had the great pleasure and honour of translating it into French !
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
Vicki P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful saga of everything!
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Not incredibly technical (and that's okay by me), but it's a wondrous story of the Universe, Big Bang style, in simpler terms. It almost has a poetic feel to it as the story is told as a continuing unfolding of the Universe with life on Earth being a part of the bigger story. It tells how our "smaller" story of humanity fits into the picture and poses the emergence of humans as the Universe looking back at and pondering itself. I found it to be a very beautiful saga of everything!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
Rev. David Price
5.0 out of 5 stars A Life Changing Spiritual Journey
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2014
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This is a life changing read for those who value their Spiritual foundation, their understanding of Cosmology and an effort to walk faithfully and knowledgeably in this century. The book gives a great overview of current science of the creation of the Universe and our evolution. It gives great data in a way that is understandable to the layman. It is not iconoclastic and pejorative towards the reader.
This open style of writing is welcome and inviting. It is a great place to start a journey of understanding Cosmology.I invite spiritual seekers to read this book and use it to add to their spiritual practice of reflecting and mindful respect for our earth and the Universe.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
G. Murphy
5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing Book for our Times
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2012
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
For those whose spiritual quest goes beyond conventional religion and orthodoxy, this is a refreshing and delightful aid to enlightenment; for those who are bio and cosmic nerds with all the blinding 'facts', stats, projections and empirical data of science, but have intuitively glimpsed the underlying mystery and loving intelligence of creation's evolutionary journey, this book will elevate your human consciousness to new and daring heights. In essence 'Journey of the Universe' in clear, poetic prose reminds us - ever so elegantly - of how we got here (on an ever-so-bumpy ride at times) and how we are, and will continue to be, a living, breathing, evolving, integral part of this multi-dimensional, ever expanding universe - a universe that (from our Earthling perspective) has to be our reference point on all matters of coexistence, human dignity, justice, interdependence, and the overall flourishing of our little planet on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
Loren G. Carlson
5.0 out of 5 stars The last half of the book paints a wonderful image of the 'recreation' of our planet in a ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is a very readable explanation of the un-explainable for non scientists (and most scientists) and especially for those who know still think God is a person or a being. I can now grasp the wonder of the random universe created by the dynamic tension between energy forces and self organizing particles and waves of energy. The last half of the book paints a wonderful image of the 'recreation' of our planet in a cycle of destruction and recreation several times in its 4 billion year history. I cannot comprehend the immensity of the universe or the sense of time but I can see the the egg image of the earth with its thin layers of crust and molten center constantly changing and producing new life. We read this in our men's reading group at our church -- good discussion simulator.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
Marion Foerster
5.0 out of 5 stars Humans are stardust
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Brian Swimme's _Journey of the Universe_ is by far the best book I have read in a decade! I have given copies of this book to countless people. Swimme is both a physicist and a poet. His book shows the great wonder of how the universe was created and how it is forever changing. He also notes that there are more galaxies within our universe than we can imagine. He has helped me to regain the wonder I felt as a child exploring the life around me with my field geologist father. The idea that we and all of life came from stardust is intriguing and exciting. For those of a spiritual nature, one gets the idea from Swimme that there is a guiding Intelligence that is part of the mystery that man will probably never completely understand. I appreciated this thought coming from a scientist.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
Comment Report abuse
See all reviews from the United States
Top international reviews
Mr. Philip R. Hyne
5.0 out of 5 stars Across the universe in time, in space, and in an armchair.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A fascinating but easily read story of how the universe developed - and is still developing. Even for a non-scientist like me it makes good reading - quite the best explanations I've come across in a long time.
3 people found this helpful
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Michael Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is possibly the most important book I have ever read.
Helpful
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GE Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Riveting
One person found this helpful
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Don Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Small Book - Big Story - Even Bigger Message!
Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2011
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Having just completed this wonderful short (117 pages) book, I am awestruck at the ability of the authors to tell "The Journey of the Universe" in so few pages and yet evoke a deep new awareness of what it means to be human within the Earth Community and Universe today.
I have read Swimme's previous books and much of Thomas Berry's writings and perhaps the best way to describe this book is as a distillation and re-focusing of the best of this previous work. Although not as involved as "The Universe Story" by Berry/Swimme, it brilliantly captures its essence and expounds insights without bogging down in detail. I was amazed at the writing style which is so concise and informative and packs deep and thought-provoking insights into every paragraph. Yet it is a joy to read and what I would call an "easy read" probably requiring not much more than 2-3 hours! The collaboration of Mary Evelyn Tucker (editor of Thomas Berry's later books of essays) and Brian Swimme has created a book which could (and should!) well become one of the most widely read in the English-speaking world.
Although the authors outline the cosmological history of our Universe it never bogs down in scientific jargon and always keeps the reader firmly focused on what this all means for us today. They do, however, paint an awe-inspiring picture of the Universe out of which we have emerged and the cosmological forces which have shaped this emergence.
The essential focus of the book is not at all scientific in nature - most of it is concerned with subtly raising our awareness of the human species' place or role within Earth Community now that we understand all that modern cosmology has revealed. Note that this is subtle. Nowhere do the authors present a dogmatic or ideological agenda for what humans should now do. The book is first and foremost an awareness-raising exercise using only the most established mainstream science and cultural history.
Yet, once you read the book, if you are like me, you will be stunned with the breadth and depth of what this awareness means for our personal, national and cultural lives. It is indeed quite brilliant that the authors leave so much to our own conscience and discernment without beating us over the head with their own conclusions. The wisdom contained in this book needs to be disseminated and discussed much like the sacred scriptures of the world's religions.
This book is written at a level which kids in their early teens could easily assimilate. It would be my hope the "Journey of the Universe" would become a standard part of school curriculum across the globe. Everyone should read this amazing book.
Highly recommended.
Read less
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
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Derry A. Mc Donell
5.0 out of 5 stars An Epistle for the 21st Century
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Albert Einstein contended that, at their best, science and religion are not at odds, but totally complementary, mutually supportive and moreover, that Mankind needs both to make sense of Creation. Citing the explosive discoveries recently revealed by modern science (especially in astronomy) and coupling them with an expansive, unified vision of the human experience, Journey of the Universe vividly and profoundly demonstrates Einstein's argument. This is an important book that could and should be read and discussed by anyone with a sense of wonder, or who has ever asked himself "Why are we here?" Recommended for reading in conjunction with Hubble's Universe, by Terence Dickinson.
One person found this helpful
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