Book Description

This book provides the overwhelming evidence from archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Talmud, and the Bible itself, that Tut-Ankh-Amen was the historical character of Jesus. The book examines the details of Tut's birth, life, death, resurrection, family roots, religion, teachings, etc., which were duplicated in the biblical account of Jesus. The book also reveals the world's greatest conspiracy and cover-up, which re-created the character of Jesus, living in another time (Roman era) and another place (Palestine, Israel).

Sample Highlights:
- King Tut's birth name was Tut-Ankh-Aton, meaning The Living Image of the Lord.
- King Tut was, like all Egyptian kings, the spiritual Son of God.
- King Tut was, like all Egyptian kings, called the Messiah/Christ, meaning the "Anointed One".
- The Bible affirms that Jesus was of royal descent, was born to govern, and ruled and died as a king.This contradicts the popular notion that Jesus was of humble roots.
- The Jews affirm that "Pinhas/Phinehas (a contemporary of Moses) killed Jesus" and they did not mention Jesus' presence in Palestine/Israel.
- The spiritual message of the Christian revelation, as told in the Gospel story, is exactly the same as told thousands of years earlier in the ancient Egyptian Osiris/Isis/Horus legend.
- The Christian Easter is a mirror image of the largest ancient (and modern) Egyptian holiday in timing and purpose.
- The Bible, or book, was derived from byblos, which is the Egyptian hieratic word for papyrus. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Study Study Study but no one PRACTICES!!
This author has done a lot for the deprograming of Africans from the disease of Christianity. I have been studying African Legecy for 10 years and been practicing for 3 years. Most Africans who do study, do just that STUDY. But do not apply what they have learned in everyday life. Basically seeds fallen on rock! Gadalla writes this book on the same idea that my greatest teachers taught Africans how to study our history. Stay away from Europeans dates and times!!! They mean nothing to us!- Dr. Ben & Dr. Clarke
Thats what was done here in this book and once this is accepted your are open to the truth Gadalla has brought to Us. TUA NTR !
This is a book for the student who still has a grip on Christ and the bible, but still are energized when speaking of Our Legecy! This book is not finish work! The rest is for us to do. Someone comment that Gadalla research on King David and Solomon are false and this and that. But have you read EVERYTHING out there about the Kemetic Kings and their Legecy?? Oh but you thought Gadalla was going to lay it all out for you? Shame Shmae! In my studies alone I realized that Ankenaten was also known as Moses and King Ezana the first Ethiopian King. No one told me this in a book but thru many books reading and putting one and one together. Now this connection by Biblical times is about 3,000 to 3800 years off each other. But now world religions authorities are agreeing with Gadalla theories. What will be next? This book can give you a insight! TUA NTR for Gadalla!

Meatless theory
I came to this theory via the Caesar/Christ parallels. And of the two, Caesar wins out. The oriental archetype of the 'king' is no conspiracy or coincidence. What great hero wasn't born under divine supervision, fought opposition and died a venerated death? One could make a similar argument with the similarities between Jesus and Superman (or Kennedy, or Charlie Brown), requiring the reader to suspend disbelief less frequently. Worst of all is the offensively thin scholarship pertaining to the Qumran scrolls and the Talmud.

Some people seem to have misread this book...
I noticed a that couple criticisms of this book are not quite accurate. The author did not say that Tut-Ankh-Amen means the Living image. He said Tut's birth name, Tut-Ankh-ATON, means the living image. This is a correct translation as the Aton (or Aten) was an abstraction. I can understand someone not agreeing with the author, but let's not mislead his potential audience by misquoting him.

And many of the ideas here are borrwed from Ahmed Osman. But the author doesn't try to hide this. I recommend this book.

Beware of this book, it is halfway researched
Moustafa Gadalla is notorious for not doing complete and thorough research. First of all Tut-Ankh-Amen does not mean "The living Image of the Lord". In Egyptian cosmology the aspect of god called Amen actually means the hidden or unseen force, that which from all creation came. The Egyptians never referred to this deity as Lord. In this book the author goes to great lengths to prove that Tut-Ankh-Amen was the historical Jesus. He makes very good conjectures about the possibility of AmenHotep III being King Solomon of the Bible and Ankhenaten possibly being Moses, However his research seemed to stop short, as it does in most of his books and he then begins to match up bible passages with Egyptian proverbs and prayers to prove that the young Pharaoh was Jesus. The author never touches on the possibility that the story of Jesus may have been a retelling of the mythical story of Heru (Horus) and that Jesus the person may never had existed, ironically if the author had included this in his book he would have lended himself more evidence to prove his theory because he could have claim that the stories of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Heru, and Jesus got intertwined somehow. But this is the problem with Gadalla, he never does the complete research necessary to support his claim just enough to sell a book. The idea that the young king may have been Jesus is fascinating but there was just not enough evidence given in this book.

No Respect,, some good info
After about page 35, I lost respect for the author and this book.I study history, Egyptology and Theology.However, it appears to me that facts are certainly twisted in this book.

The author USES scripture when it is advantageous to his theory.The scripture used is followed by his PERCEPTION of it taken out of context.The author also purposely misplaces biblical figures in time to make his theory feasible.

I'm a firm believer in God and Spirituality.I am not a Christian, so I wasn't turned off because of that aspect.I was turned off because the author made facts irrelevant when it was suitable for his theory. ... Read more

Book Description

For many years Richard Hoagland alone hypothesized that sentient beings spent time on Mars millions of ye ars ago assembling behemoth structures whose ruins are still seen today. Here Hoagland redefines the solar system as a different place than NASA has presented. The book includes a new preface covering the Mars Global Surveyor photos and reactions of NASA. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

The complete history of the NASA coverup of The Face
In "The Monuments of Mars: A City on the Edge of Forever," author Richard Hoagland gives a heavily referenced history of The Face on Mars and other suspiciously "non-natural" structures and features of the Martian surface. He describes how The Face was first discovered shortly after the Viking Mission started sending back images from Mars. NASA immediate pooh-poohed the possibility of its artificial origin. The images of The Face were too startling to be ignored, though, and research by Vince DePietro, Greg Molenaar, Hoagland and others resulted in the discovery of other unnatural, pyramid-like structures located in the vicinity of The Face. Hoagland provides solid arguments for the claims he makes. Often, this slows the pace of reading this thick book. But, by taking his time in explaining his claims, he tackles many of the arguments that might arise in the reader's own mind. Hoagland's book describes how NASA has pointedly ignored evidence from noted scientists and organizations verifying the suspiciously non-natural nature of the Cydonia region on Mars that is home to these anamolous features. Finally, Hoagland documents how NASA has refused to PUBLICALLY rephotograph Cydonia and suggests that NASA may have already done so in secret. He offers that there may be dark reasons for this suspected duplicity. "The Monuments of Mars" describes an engaging (and ongoing) real-world mystery. But, it is also frustrating in that the evidence that could solve this mystery is being withheld by the very government agency that is supposed to be honestly and publicly disseminating it...

Get past the crappy writing and you're okay
Guys, Hoagland is a scientist, NOT A WRITER. This book reads like it was written by a high school dropout. Incomplete sentances about, stunted paragraphs, lots of ellipses leading into nowhere... But so what? His job is to look at stuff and figure out what it is. His brain is used to asking questions and answering them. What he's found is, at the least, very neat. At the most, it points to something new and exciting discoveries. WIthin this book, Hoagland describes how he, with the help of two sattalite imaging specialists, investigated a little photo taken from the Viking expedition to Mars. To make a long story short, it looks like a face, there's lots of other formations nearby that look similarly artificial, and Mr. Hoagland thinks that the whole picture points to some kind of prior high civilization on Mars. You judge for yourself. Read through the hopes and dreams that (unfortunately) distort what it is he's trying to get at. Look through the diagrams, the credentials of those who have worked with him on this project... put aside the aesthetics and glean out the science from the garbage. To those who say you can see mathematics in your bowl of cheerios -- does that negate the mathematics from every other source? C'Mon man, the brain is a pattern-finding machine -- that's what it's for. Because we see patterns in just about everything, does that mean there are no legitimate patterns to be found? Should we discard every pattern we don't intuitively agree with, or offends our tender sensibilities? When does a bowl of cheerios because less mathematically meaningful, than say, the circlular artwork in the Mosque? Anyway, give it a look. At 20% off, you can afford to.

Very gutsy, exhaustingly researched, a stunner...
I read some of the negative reviews here at Amazon and they all struck me as inane drivel of the highest degree. If you're going to agree or disagree with any thesis you have to show why. If all you're going to come up with is name-calling and arguments about "math in cereal" (!!!, man, give us a break) or other , even worse, "arguments" like "NASA says it aint no face and that's what i believe" you're in my mind absolutely and positively hopeless. If, in the end, NASA and any institution of that order is for you a credible source, why bother thinking? Turn your brain OFFICIALLY off and let whomever, may that be NASA or anybody else, programm it for you. Why read what Hoagland or a number of other researchers out there profess?

"The Monuments Of Mars" is a book for people who are keen of doing something rare: think for themselves. In order to do that, you need to entertain whatever available notion out there even if it totally comes in conflict with the definition of the world in your mind. Especially if such a notion is well argumentated and has been hardly refuted with adequacy.

For those not familiar with what's presented in this book, here's a very ( and i mean, very) short summary: Hoagland along with a team of scientists ranging anywhere from geologists to physicists to computer programmers who resoluted photos, to historians and other specialties, analysed a vast series of photographs taken by NASA of the Cydonia region in Mars, photos in which the infamous "Face" appears, along with other clearly geometrical features such as pyramids or the clear designs of a former city. All these features, and their undisputed geometry, one would have to be either blind not to see, or terminally brainwashed.

The only question which remained, was to first verify through statistical probability, what the odds were of these features having been made "naturally". The odds are so staggeringly low that it would be a travesty to dismiss these as natural creations. The next, and more important questions have to do with who made them and why.

Why resort to odds when we could have more and clearer photographs of these features so the matter could be put to rest? Well, that's just it (especially for the naysayers), because Nasa refuses to rephotograph the region with a high resolution camera saying there's nothing there to be seen..And that despite all the "noise" about these features. Mysterious if not downright conspiratorial? Yes, obviously and undoudtedly so.

I don't intend to go more into what Hoagland says. You can pretty much imagine in broad lines, and besides it's your decicion and your inclination whether you'll invest the effort in reading his book anyway. To me, if your inclination is beforehand negative, you would've easily fit in in a past world who thought the world is flat because the church or "scientists" say so. And i could list a high number of such embarrasing examples, there's no shortage of them nor will there ever be.

As to the book itself, it is one which is incredibly researched. The degree of scholarship in it is superb, and more importantly, it is not the work of ONE person. Hoagland did not sit down and think all this up as some would like the case to be. There's a vast array of people who worked with him from the scientific community and who agree with him. There's also a number of other resarchers who did NOT research this subject but yet came to the same conclusions with him. Sitchin would be one. Robert Temple would be another. And the list does go on you know, as any search on alternative archaelogy in Amazon or elsewhere would show you.

The fact that we know only 5000-7000 years of human history when this planet numbers over a million years of existence means that we are actually in the dark about our origins. At least as far as "mainstream science" is concerned and this is a fact they accept themselves while offering us all kinds of comical explanations and tons of "missing links" in the process. The truth might be in fact very simple, that is, simple if you actually realise that the Universe is very probably bursting with intelligent life, not only now, but for millions of years in the past, and that the chance that we, are in very intriguing ways connected with the "out there" is also nothing shocking. It only is if you allow the world in your mind to be something painfully small.

Only reading this book will more than likely not be enough to provide you with all the data supporting such theories. Yes i mean data, and not speculations. Raw data. You will need to pick up some Sitchin, some Temple, some Colin Wilson, or others. Only then will you able to form a more spherical and stronger opinion.

But if you haven't done so up to now, Hoagland's book is a great place to start.
Absolutely essential material for people not content with the hilarious version of the truth spoon-fed to us on a daily basis.

Devastating truth about the "face"
After the subsequent closer-up photos of the "face," it is undeniable that the so-called "face" is NOT a face after all. Where was Hoagland when the defining photos came out? Apparently working on the 5th edition. No wonder he wears a cape. Without it, he'd have to face the devasting truth that he is mortal after all.

1/ (Resonable Doubt)
Well.... the decision is yours. The Avebury region map overlay on Cydonia is hard to dismiss as coincidence. I just may take a visit to Stonehenge and check it out myself. The Brilliant Pebbles testing broadcast was also quite interesting. ... Read more

Book Description

This work from one of the world's leading Islamic thinkers is a spiritual tour de force which explores the relationship between the human being and nature as found in many religious traditions, particularly its Sufi dimension. The author stresses the importance of a greater awareness of the origins of both the human being and nature as a means of righting the imbalance that exists in our deepest selves and in our environment. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Ecology, Modern Man, and Spiritual Crisis.
In this short book, Seyyed Hossein Nasr takes a look at the relationship between man and nature and the spiritual crisis that inflicts modern man in his "war against nature". In examining ecological crisis, war, and industrial failure, Nasr argues that modern science has lost touch with the sacred in its applications. Rather than being rooted in the unified outlook of traditional man along with his religious traditions, modern man sees the world through the eyes of a crass materialism, scientism, and positivism. It is this lack of worldview which Nasr believes is the spiritual crisis behind the troubled relationship between man and nature. Nasr begins by examining this problem and explaining how a base scientism has attempted to uproot the understanding of traditional man. In making this comparison, Nasr looks at the alternative philosophies of science, beginning with the positivists and comparing them to the viewpoints of various religious philosophers on the question of science. Here it is necessary to understand the limitations of science, particularly as they apply to its application, which is at the root of the ecological crisis in modern man. Next, Nasr turns to the historical roots of science in Greek and Christian philosophy and theology. Nasr argues that much of the problem can be found in the neglect to emphasize these historical roots rather than simply glorify modern science. By placing science within its historical framework, it is possible to see exactly how the crisis has come about. Nasr argues that in particular, the breakdown of the Christian tradition and the secularization of science is at fault. Next, Nasr turns to the metaphysical principles that underlie man's understanding of nature. In particular, Nasr examines those principles as expounded in the traditions of the world's great religions: Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, particularly with reference to Sufism. Finally, Nasr seeks to explain how the retrieval of this traditional understanding of nature can be applied to the modern situation and crisis. The book concludes with a discussion of what Nasr believes to be the errors of such modern theories and notions as that of evolution. All in all, this book is an interesting discussion of the shifting relationship between man and nature, and it offers hope for the alleviation of spiritual crisis by returning to the traditions within the world's religions.

A Refreshing Look at Man's Self-Destructive Machine
Bluntly said, human beings have constructed a machine that islosing control and rapidly moving towards the destruction of theentire human race. This machine is built with the philosophy ofmaterialism, the global economic system of capitalism, the neverending drive for technology, and the never ending desire for"progress". In our own lifetimes we are witnessingecological disasters that have never occured in world history. The"rape" of nature is manifesting signs of abuse, all of whichare progressively becoming uglier and more serious. Naively, somepeople think that alternative forms of energy will solve the entireproblem.

"Man and Nature" is an invaluable work in thatit puts the current madness of technology, capitalism, globalism, and"progress" into a proper perspective. Rather than picking atthe surface manifestations of the problem, Professor Nasr explores thehistorical developments that created the problem in the firstplace. He identifies a time when the West, the bastion of"progress" and technology, once had some respect fornature. This respect was part of a metaphysical view of a much morecomprehensive cosmology of the universe. This respect, thoughincomparable to the more natural metaphysics of Eastern cultures, wasnevertheless an historical fact of pre-Rennaissance Westerncosmology. Unfortunately, with the advent of the modern science andthe materialism of rationalists like Francis Bacon, the West lost thisrespect for nature and all metaphysical thought along with it. Bacon'scall to dominate nature for the benefit of human beings replaced theolder metaphysics as the dominant philosophy and remains sotoday. What is left is man at the center of the universe, who becomesthe object of unconditional worship, and to him is given the ritualsacrifice of nature.

Professor Nasr points to the metaphysical viewof nature in Eastern religions, arguing that a heirarchy of reality isa universal, indeed objective, truth. That such metaphysics of aheirarchy of reality, though not all exactly alike, was shared by allof the world's religions, including Christianity. The West should looknot only to its past (St. Francis of Assisi called his people towitness the mystery God in nature) but also to the East, to regain ametaphysical understanding of the world. The West should notcompromise with sell-out thelogians...who attempted to incorporateevolution into Christian theology. Such attempts yield"metaphysical absurdities and theological heresies" and onlylubricate the machine.

As insightful as this book is, I did feelthat it was somewhat lacking in answering the problem. Identifying theproblem isn't enough. Professor Nasr does state that we need toestablish a science of metaphyics and a philosophy of science andtechnology to check the current madness and put human endeavors in aproper context. However, this science of metaphyisics is not found inthe book and no specific reference is given to a book that doescontain such an elaboration. (The book does contain several pages ofuseful footnotes, but on this specific point no direction is providedby the author.) Another problem I found with the book is the call forthe West to revive the metaphysical science that once existed inpre-Rennaissance Christianity. Such a notion is not likely, asChristianity itself is no longer part of the establishment of Westernculture. Aside from the lay masses who still practice Christianitylike sheep, the intellectual classes simply have divorced themselvesfrom religion altogether. So, to call for a revival of an extinctaspect of a religion that is now officially defunct (I mean in theofficial domains) is to me futile. Rather, I would advocate theintroduction of Eastern metaphysics into the dry, spiritless cultureof the West, rather than appealing to the corpse ofChristianity.

Regardless, I still found the book to beintellectually invaluable. Seyyed Hossain Nasr is a powerful andinspiring mind. He not only stands apart from Muslim thinkers, but towers over Western thinkers with considerable force.

Profound and insightful
Seyyed Nasr, takes the reader through history and causes of the descralization of nature in the west and the resultant ecological crisis we face today. He shows how the west via the divorce of science from spirit has wrecked havoc on our planet. And also how the Christian faith helped accelerate this process when it removed elements of its metaphysical doctrines that kept nature as a part of the divine. In addition he elucidates how some of the philosophical schools of thought help widen the schism between man, nature and the divine. He closes with a chapter what can be done to correct the problem via the resacralization of nature as a reflection of the Creator.

Seyyed Nasr main thrust in correcting Christianity's loss of sapiential wisdom or gnosis is to turn to the eastern traditions like Tantra or Taoist alchemy. However considering the animosity that mainstream churches have towards the other spiritual traditions this is not likely to occur for a number of reasons.
1) The Christians who've adopted other methods are considered marginal at best, heretics at worst. Just try promoting yoga at your local highschool and see what happens. A current example would be Thomas Merton. He came closet to what Seyyed Nasr is asking. Still to many Christians he is considered an apostate.
2) Christianity in many instances has been reduced to down to after life fire insurance policy and God being a banker and greengrocer to the elect. Just get 'saved' and thats it.
3) Christian intellectual tradition is so bad nowadays as to be non-existent. So bad it took a devout Moslem to write about what should have been obvious to any Christian leader with a functioning brain.
4)To recreate a gnosis within Christianity it would take man whose a "finished student" of say Tantra and had the intellectual capacity and church authority to integrate these teachings in a seemless manner. Plus establish a living transimission. No small task.

What I even more amazing is that this book was first written in 1967 and is better than most of the recent writings on this problem including: Ken Wilbers Sense and Soul and Robert Ornstein's 'The AxeMakers Gift".

Overall it is a very informative and a easy read that one can keep comming back to and learning something new.

If you like E.F. Schumacher, Huston Smith, Gregory Bateson, Jacob Needleman, you will enjoy this book. I would also include anyone who is concerned about what is happening in the world via the loss of faith, runaway technology and destruction of the planet we live upon.

BTW the references section is a excellent starting point for further research. ... Read more

Book Description

Long regarded as the finest photographic lunar atlas available, The Hatfield Lunar Atlas is a model of accuracy and clarity. This new version updates some of the maps, names and technical data, but uses Commander Henry Hatfield's original - and unexcelled - photographic plates, taken with a purpose-built 30 cm reflector. The Atlas is divided into sixteen sections, each of which is made up of five or more photographic plates together with a map. Each map is based primarily of the facing plate. Where detail is lacking on this primary plate (particularly near the Moon's limb) supplementary detail is provided by one or more of the other plates in a particular section. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

It is what it is: A revised version of a 1960's classic
THE HATFIELD PHOTOGRAPHIC LUNAR ATLAS is a modern, updated and slightly revised version of the classic (~1968) AMATEUR ASTRONOMER'S PHOTOGRAPHIC LUNAR ATLAS by Sir Henry Hatfield. The original work was published just before man landed on the moon - and thus moon observation was a "craze".

This "new" version, bearing Hatfield's name, uses Hatfield's original Lunar photographs that were taken, obviously, in the 1960's.

I've read other people's reviews, most of whom complain about the quality of the photographs. These photograph's were truly remarkable in the 60's ... and 70's ... and even for the 80's into the early 90's. Are these the best photograph's for today's standards? No. But part of the beauty of this book are the remarkable vintage photographs (just as many of us marvel at the sight of vintage cars or vintage motorcycles).

Specifically, this book is a "nice" (not great) photographic atlas of the moon. The sketches are "very good" (maybe not perfect). And the book's format/layout is STILL very useful for the casual and amateur astronomer.

Yes, the RUKL MOON ATLAS is THE STANDARD. But this atlas has been out of print for several years. A copy of Rukl's was recently listed for $579 on eBay! And I've seen Rukl's sell for $100-$175 on other Internet sites.

In summary, is Hatfield's the best? No. Is it very nice? Yes. Though I'd also agree that the price for this book is a bit too high ($25 is more reasonable), when compared to Rukl's, is THE HATFIELD PHOTOGRAPHIC LUNAR ATLAS worth $35? Yes.

It is what it is: an updated reproduction of a classic. It doesn't have all of the bells & whistles a 2004 Corvette has, yet isn't it still a joy to drive a vintage Corvette? You bet it is!

Disappointing Atlas - Low Resolution Photographs
I regularly observe the moon through moderate aperture telescopes and find these low resolution images of little use. Even a three-inch refractor will show far more detail. There are better sets of photographs, covering most of the visible surface, available on the web.
However, the atlas will probably be useful to observers who are starting to find their way around the mooon's surface, as they will not be overwhelmed by fine detail.
If you want to see good quality images of the moon do not buy this book; look on the web.

Questionable Quality for the Millenium
This book of elderly, sometimes fuzzy photos and rough drawings is outrageously overpriced, even with the small Amazon discount.
Try to find a copy of the far better Rukl Moon Atlas, or write lots of letters to Kalmback to get them to reprint Rukl.
The only virtue of this book is the paucity of any Moon Atlas - a juicy opportunity for someone - Hello Msrs. Tirion, Dickinson, Ottewell, Crossen, Kepple or O'Meara?
Help, help!

Old pictures
Old pictures and quite badly drawn maps of the moon makes this book feel to expensive no matter what it costs.

Although, it gives you (as a matter of facts) very much information of the lunar surfice when it come to manmade names of the different places. Still some names misses, like the crater named after Neil Armstrong - where is it?

I also wish a book that says it is an Atlas of the moon, sold year 2001, would contain fresh photos of better quality (The Hubble Sky Telescope could maybe do something for us moonfans!) and better drawings. And why not more information about how and where the names of the places came to real and, what I really miss - pictures of parts of the earth placed on the lunar surfice to give me a view of how big the craters and the moon as a whole actually is. And why not a part in the book with pictures from the Apollo missions?! More could be done.

The one and only.
The importance of a good reference is incalculable for those who do any serious lunar observing, or for those who need to know exactly what they're looking at (or at least what they should be seeing). The Hatfield Atlas is by far the best lunar reference available. But rather than subject you to further ramblings-on about the merits of this book, I'll just state some straightforward points in simple fact:

The membership of our club includes about 140 dedicated amateur and professional astronomers. Many of us gather at our dark site facility to attend monthly star parties. If there is even the slightest moon that evening there may be a dozen or so telescopes trained on it well before dark. And those of us who do any serious lunar observing may already be consulting a single particular book which is kept on a desk in the observatory. Care to guess which book that is? "Yo, who's got the Hatfield's?".

The Hatfield Atlas is our 'official' lunar reference. Other references have been left out for the membership to browse and sample. Two of them drew favorable comments about their indices and cross references (and which are explicit advantages over Hatfield's). But as expected, we always go back to the Hatfield Atlas, and there are reasons. Plain and simple, you won't find better or more accurate renderings anywhere. If you want an exact reference, or if you need to match detail and gradations with what you see in the eyepiece, this is the book to have.

The first time one examines a reference of this quality, there is generally some astonishment at the high level of detail involved. My first inclination was to 'read' it from cover-to-cover, as one would regard a centennial issue of National Geographic. You will likely find the renderings here to be of equal or better quality and possibly more fascinating.

I highly recommend the Hatfield Atlas for both amateur and professional astronomers who have a need for the finest lunar reference available. ... Read more

Book Description

Egyptian cosmology is humanistic, coherent, comprehensive, consistent, logical, analytical, and rational.

This book is informative and well written, so that the whole spectrum of readers--from the serious to the casual--will find the subjects enlightening.

The book surveys the applicability of Egyptian cosmological concepts to our modern understanding of the nature of the universe, creation, science, and philosophy, such as:

- The Egyptians' expression of monotheistic mysticism.
- The Big Bang that started the universe, as described in the Egyptian Texts.
- The numerical codes of creation.
- The Egyptian concept of the universal energy matrix, how the social and political structures were a reflection of the universe, and the interactions between the nine universal realms, …etc.
- The Egyptians' perpetual cosmic consciousness - As Above, So Below and As Below, So Above - and its applications to man and society.
- The Big Crunch would end the universe, and the Big Bounce would start creation all over again, as foretold in the Egyptian Texts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Egyptian Cosmology Reinvigorated
The Second Edition print of Egyptian Cosmology could almost be a new book by Moustafa Gadalla. The chapters and a majority of the contents has been updated in line with his recent research and other publications. To compare the two academically would be an injustice, the second edition stands strongly on its own right and the divergent material included only accentuates what was a puissant publication. There is more than fourty pages of additional information and as ever the writing is succinct and intuitive.

In itself the book flows with the concept of universal harmonic laws, broken into eight parts the last being The Octave; which is a return to the beginning, or new beginning derived at the end. Moustafa explores number symbolism greatly in the second book and its co-existence with our own science and discovery of how all life is generated. Points are made clearly without academic egocentricity as the book breaks down the hegemony that surrounds modern Egyptology. "Words convey information; symbols evoke understanding." The book does not hide answers behind veils of rhetoric but delivers an intuitive perception that the reader can quickly identify with.

The symbolism of numbers one through eight are given a chapter, each outlining the basic principles of the numbers and their correlation to our world and as the Ancient and Modern indigenous Egyptians interpret them. Animism is a strong theme, but not a natural dissection of a culture rather a exploratory look at it through the eyes of the Egyptians analogous to our own scientific facts of the universe.

The so-called 'Gods', really neteru - the main principles/universal actions of the Egyptian spirituality - are detailed richly. Man's identification and personification of these neteru is dutifully explained as microcosm to the macrocosm. The books goes on to discuss the metaphysics of spirituality refusing to treat it like it was some fanciful metaphor giving strong backbone to ideas of life after death and the cycle of nature. In addition humankind's role in society and culture is explored as it was with the Ancient Egyptians and how it saw and maintained itself in accordance with true harmony of community, not just titular.

Egyptian Cosmology is not a book for the academic shelf, it is a book of rediscovery of what is lost in many cultures and shows with clarity the links with nature and the universe now taken for granted. It is a book to read and re-read, to give understanding to the nature of life.

For students of Egyptology and metaphysics
Now is an expandedand and enhanced second edition, Moustafa Gadalla's Egyptian Cosmology: The Animated Universe offers the reader a an unusual and articulate introduction to the advanced and sophisticated cosmology of ancient Egypt. The metaphysics of Egyptian antiquity is coherent, comprehensive, consistent, logical, analytical, rational, and had an influence that went well beyond the borders of Egypt to influence the cultures of Rome and the western world. A native Egyptian and independent Egyptologist, Moustafa Gadalla provides the non-specialist general reader with highly recommended commentaries and insights into the Egyptian concepts of monotheistic mysticism; the description of the"Big Bang" origins of the universe as described in Egyptian texts; the numerical codes of creation; and much, much more. Egyptian Cosmology is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of Egyptology and metaphysics. ... Read more

Book Description

This textbook has been designed by a team of experts for introductory university courses in astronomy and astrophysics. Beginning with a description of the structure and history of the Milky Way, it introduces normal and active galaxies in general. A wide range of cosmological models are then presented, including a discussion of the Big Bang and Universe expansion. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a website hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, the book is suitable for self-study. ... Read more

Book Description

White dwarfs, neutron stars, and (solar mass) black holes are the collapsed cores of stars which, near the ends of their luminous lives, have shed most of their mass in supernova explosions or other, less spectacular, instabilities. Here gravity crushes matter to realms that lie far beyond present empirical knowledge. This book explores the diverse forms that such compact stars can possibly take, as constrained by the laws of nature: the general principles of relativity and quantum mechanics, the properties of nuclear matter deduced from nuclei, and the asymptotic freedom of quarks at high density.

The book is self contained. It reviews general relativity, essential aspects of nuclear and particle physics, and general features of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes; it includes background on such matters as stellar formation and evolution, the discovery of pulsars and associated phenomena, and the strange-matter hypothesis. The book develops a theory for the constitution of neutron stars and the more exotic Hyperon Stars, Hybrid Stars (containing a quark matter core surrounded by an intricate lattice of quark and hadronic matter) and Strange Stars and Dwarfs (composed of the three light quark flavors sheathed in a solid skin of heavy ions).

This second edition has been revised throughout to clarify discussions and bring data up to date; it includes new figures, several new sections, and new chapters on Bose condensates in neutron stars and on consequences and signals of phase transitions. ... Read more

Book Description

A major scientific revolution has begun, a new paradigm that rivals Darwin's theory in importance. At its heart is the discovery of the order that lies deep within the most complex of systems, from the origin of life, to the workings of giant corporations, to the rise and fall of great civilizations. And more than anyone else, this revolution is the work of one man, Stuart Kauffman, a MacArthur Fellow and visionary pioneer of the new science of complexity. Now, in At Home in the Universe, Kauffman brilliantly weaves together the excitement of intellectual discovery and a fertile mix of insights to give the general reader a fascinating look at this new science--and at the forces for order that lie at the edge of chaos.

What we are now only discovering, Kauffman says, is that range of spontaneous order is enormously greater than we had supposed and, in fact, self-organization is a great undiscovered principle of nature. He contends that complexity itself triggers self-organization--what Kauffman calls "order for free"--and that if enough different molecules pass a certain threshold of complexity, they begin to self-organize into a new entity: a living cell. There is a phase transition when water abruptly turns to ice. Likewise, life may have originated when the mix of different molecules in the primordial soup passed a certain level of complexity and re-grouped into living entities (if so, then life is not a highly improbable chance event, but almost inevitable). Using the basic insight of "order for free" Kauffman illuminates a staggering range of phenomena. Darwin's natural selection has not acted alone, but in a persistent marriage with self-organization to create the majesty of the biosphere. A new slant can also be applied to the field of genetic engineering wherein trillions of novel molecules can be generated to find new drugs, vaccines, and enzymes. Kauffman extends this new paradigm to economic and cultural systems, showing that all may evolve according to similar general laws.

An exciting exploration into the nature of life, At Home in the Universe provides stunning insights into a new scientific revolution. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

the self-organization and evolution of complexity.
Whereas Darwinian Evolution theorizes that all life evolved from single-cell organisms via natural selection applied to variation, Kauffman focuses attention upon the source of variation, and his Theory of Emergence poses a plausible answer to evolution's stickiest question: how did cells arise. His "autocatalytic sets" spontaneously emerge "fully-grown" - and you'll understand why upon reading this book. He also suggests a principled reason for why life may depend upon - even flourish due to - chaos, without resorting to the wide-eyed speculation found in other chaos-theories on organic evolution & development.

Compelling science
It seems to me that people are getting too caught up in the argument as to whether God exists or not, but this has nothing to do with Kauffman's work here. I'm not fussed whether an almighty Creator is responsible for nature, but I am interested in what science is revealing about evolution. To give this book 1 star and to throw it away as "a heap of rubbush" is a somewhat immature and is frankly uncalled for.

There are many implications of Kauffman's work here which cannot be disregarded frivolously. Reaction systems in nature known as 'catalytic cycles' are now becoming established as 'fact' by biologists and chemists, and catalytic reactions are crucial processes in the chemistry of life. The most common and most efficient catalysts are the 'enzymes' which are components of cells promoting metabolic processes. (Kauffman shows in his other book 'The Origins of Order' that a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being changed in the process).

Kauffman shows clearly that these catalytic cycles are at the core of self-organising chemical systems, and they play an essential role in the metabolic functions of living organisms.

I noticed a previous reviewer say that "Every cell biologist will tell you that Kauffman discussion of cell cycle is plain nonsense". This is, in fact, plain nonsense.

The laws of thermodynamics was also mentioned. The second law of thermodynamics contradicts ALL notions of inherently progressive complexity - yet progressive complexity is a fact of nature, (see the origins of life; see the human brain; consciousness may be telling something deeper still about reality, but I'll leave that to the philosophers).

Stephen Jay Gould said of this book: "Kauffman has done more than anyone else to supply the key missing piece of the propensity for self-organisation that can join the random and the deterministic forces of evolution into a satisfying theory of life's order."

It's foolish to rubbish cutting edge work like Kauffman's and to throw it away as a "heap of rubbish". Such attitudes only prevents science from progressing.

Kauffman's book returns the problem of evolution to the central issue that evolutionists have been avoiding for too long - the organised system that we call life, self-organisation, - and the origin of the beast itself.

Fantastic and enlightening
This particular book is a fantastic revelation and study of the boundary between order and chaos as it applies to the evolution of life, culture, technology and anything else in the universe. Its goal is to seek a universal law regarding the emergence of order in what we've traditionally considered unordered or random sets of fundamental stuff. For example, one of the observations that it makes is that evolution as Darwin revealed it is by itself not a sufficient explanation (scientifically) for why and how creatures like us could be here at all. In other words, natural selection is not sufficient to accomplish what life has accomplished in this world of ours. It needed the help of a very important other "force"... the life force, I might call it, and to which I've alluded many times in many forms through my writings. It's that special something about the nature of the universe that brings about the cooperation of systems, the autocatalytic closure which makes "hanging together" and "existing" some sort of "goal" deeply encoded in the nature of it all. You might be able to see how I might identify these ideas very closely with that term "lifetoward". What goal-oriented force brought life to be and continues to make life strive for ever more order and complexity? This book answers I think very well with: it's not a force, per se, but rather a fundamental aspect of the basic nature of the universe. To quote the book, "We the expected." We as living beings belong here and are an integral part of an incredibly awe inspiring process of creation of meaning and order in a world aching to give birth to it. The book closes with a nice summary, which much like a message I had posted to the lifetoward@yahoogroups.com list some time ago, extols the development of a new and enlightened faith, based on a realization of the wonder of the way the universe deeply is and how we are in it.

In terms of the meaning and importance of this book, I would recommend it to everyone. However, I will warn you that it may be a significant challenge to read. It calls on a deeply considered understanding of a variety of disciplines, including most notably evolutionary biology, organic chemistry, mathematics, anthropology, and economics. It proceeds with an assumption that the reader has realized or can quickly recognize the common ground between these different areas of study. It uses a lot of mathematical models and visualizations of 2, 3 and hyperdimensional spaces to discuss the nature of this common law and its emergence in the world around us.

Autocatalytic sets and more.
Kauffman is a complexity theorist/mathematical biologist. The most intriguing concept in this book is that of an autocatalytic set: put enough kinds of organic molecules, which possibly could be developed by non-organic means, in a self contained space, which can arise in various ways, and a system with the properties of life will emerge with reasonable probability. This is just one example of a self-organizing system. Another important idea is the importance of the boundary between sub-critical and super-critical regions of a dynamic system: if super-critical there is chaotic change, if sub-critical there may not be enough flexibility to adapt. Organisms have evolved so mutation rates lay near the boundary, but still in the sub-critical area, and it is characteristic of successful ecosystems. There is an explanation of why it is natural and logical that all the current phyla, and many more extinct ones, arose in the Cambrian period or "immediately" after, even though in the subsequent Permian extinction, for example, 96% of species became extinct, to be replaced by new ones. While sometimes repetitious, Kaufman's prose would often do a novelist proud, and he is excellent in explaining abstract concepts, using images and graphs to good effect. He is particularly good at explaining the work of others. He has a very likable personality and is great in giving credit to others, eminent scientists as well as Emily Dickinson (a computer scientist who worked for him). Why then did I not like this book even more than I did? A major problem for me is that Kauffman's passion is for the logic, not the biology, and I would have appreciated additional fleshing out of his models in their biological context. His application of his models to other areas such as technology are sometimes interesting, but not always; sometimes, what he thinks is a new insight is hardly new at all: cf. his discussion of the use of a set of sub-optimizations to solve one large optimization problem. Finally, I found his discussion of ontogeny very confusing: recalling his image, I understood that there were a number of sub-systems of flashing green lights of varying size(corresponding to cell types), so how does the total number of green lights relates to the time for cell division?

My first exposure to the topic
This book is written from a biological perspective, which is not where my interests lie. Perhaps if my background were different, I would have given it an additional star.

The greatest benefit I received from this book was exposure to a whole new subject area (self organization). After reading the book, I moved on to read several other books about emergent behaviour which is more along the lines of my interests.

It served me well to open my eyes to a different way of thinking. The other books I have read have served me better as they are not primarily biologically based. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The Cydonia Codex offers persuasive evidence of artistic and symbolic design on the surface of the planet Mars — and of an ancient base established there by the same beings, the Annunaki, that created humankind. The authors' research encompasses over ten years of study and analysis of NASA photographs of the "Face on Mars" and its surrounding complex. Beginning with the famous 1976 photograph of a mile-long formation in Mars's Cydonia region that strongly resembles a human face, Haas and Saunders present compelling evidence for a terrestrial connection between Cydonia and Mesoamerica. The book's side-by-side comparison of the face (a split-faced geoglyph) and masks at a temple in Belize lends support to the notion of a prehistoric Martian civilization paralleling ancient cultures on Earth. The implications here are staggering. If these structures are remnants of the Annunaki, then Earth's — and humankind's — history must be rethought. Includes black-and-white photos throughout, as well as illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Intersting Earth - Mars connection
When I first got this book it was to read more about the faces that have been seen on Mars.The authors have done an excellent job of identifing and describing not only the faces but numerous other structures that I wasn't aware even existed.I think if someone was only interested in the Face on Mars the book is well worth it.What I found really fascinating however was the connection between the images seen on Mars and the images found in ancient cultures here on earth.The authors have obviously done a great deal of research not only into the Martian structures but also into ancient Mesoamerican, Egyptian and other cultures and have shown how the images from Mars are repeated in the religous and cultural artifacts from those ancient civilizations.Its very thought provoking.

If I have any criticism its that the authors sometimes delve too deeply into some of the details regarding the ancient civilizations, however I'm sure that a reader who has an interest or some knowledge of that subject or is hungry for more information will appreciate the detailed work that they have done.

The information is well laid out and while the authors resist forming a conclusion the reader can judge for themselves how it all ties together.

All in all an excellent informative work.I hope they do a follow up book.

A codex of pictographic structures on ... Mars
I found this Adobe Reader, CD ROM book to be easy to use, very well written, and beautifully illustrated. The book features forwards by two of the "pillars" of Martian anomaly research, Richard Hoagland and Dr. Mark Carlotto, both of whom have also written books about the Face on Mars. If that isn't enough to get your attention, the book also has Keith Laney's enhancements of NASA photographs, which are of the highest quality. It is no wonder NASA has decided to make Laney one of their own and now use his work in their own research and publications. In my opinion Mr. Leney's enhancement of the 2001 image of the Face on Mars is surely a national treasure. One look at this image and you'll be convinced that the Face on Mars is real. If Mr Laney has any influence over at NASA/JPL, maybe he can open the door and tell NASA they need to read this book.

Moving on to the illustrations, Haas' drawings are fine but, the use of famous Mayanist Linda Schele's drawings as comparative source material was surprising; however the correlation between the Mesoamerican and Martian inscriptions that they support are truly amazing. Throughout the book the authors present a highly probable hypothesis that there was once a highly evolved civilization that left a codex of pictographic structures on Mars and through an amazing display of side by side comparisons they trace the source of these images all the way back to earth. The book also touches on a connection between the mythologies of the Sumerians and Asians with those of Mesoamerica. The most astonishing thing is that the authors of The Cydonia Codex not only reveal the Face on Mars to be a gigantic two-faced geoglyph, of a human and feline mask, they provide overwhelming evidence that it's related to a two-faced style that was utilized by the ancient Maya. Although some of the "mirrored" images push the envelope to the extreme, most of their discoveries are stunning and display recognizable features in great detail. One of my favorite images in the book is the one on the cover, which features the bust of a bearded and helmeted Viking.If you are interested in the origins of man and the Face on Mars and the idea that there may be evidence of ruins on another planet that may be connected to "us"... this book is for you.

Asks the questions that need to be asked
In May of 2001, high-resolution imagery of the famous "Face on Mars," taken by the Mars Global Suveryor satellite, was finally released, confirming a well documented decade-old prediction made by Richard C. Hoagland that the Face on Mars (which NASA keeps insisting has been disproven by study to be more than a "trick of light and shadow," but when pressed to actually name a single study, cannot) is a deliberately asymmetrical artform, composed of distinct hominid or humanoid, and feline, halves. In spite of a tendency for early Cydonia researchers to cite parallels to Egyptian culture in a singularly dramatic pyramid and a "Martian Sphinx" in the form of The Face, perhaps the best parallel that can be drawn, in part, is to the extensive use of asymmetry and feline motifs in ancient Mesoamerican art.

From a stone cousin of Ohio's Great Serpent Mound in at Loch Nell in Scotland, to the extensive earthworks of the Great Lakes Region, to enormous effigies and intaglios of humans and animals in the Southwest to South America, mankind has devoted great energy to creating nearly countless large scale artworks that are by far best appreciated from aerial views, and unless we accept astral projection on the basis of ancedotal evidence and on top that, the notion that shamans flying "out of body" actually required such artworks as the landmarks for their astral navigation, the purpose and intent of these artworks remains very much a mystery.In the premise that their purpose is somehow kindred to the surmised and rigorously examined purpose of engimatic landforms of Cydonia, may yet lie the most plausible sort of reason for the existance of these artworks- these "geoglyphs"- on both worlds.

A "Mars-Mesoamerican Connection" may yet also provide the most plausible rationale for the ancient rejection of certain technologies; numerous working examples of the wheel are found in ancient Mesoamerican and South American children's toys, but the well-known rejection of the wheel by these cultures tends to almost imply cultures that, having had previous experience with such "modern" technlogy in some missing chapter of human history, were well aware of the pitfalls of their abuse, and may have declined their use on those grounds.

The authors of the "Cydonia Codex" take on the formidable challenge of taking these observations to the next logical level, and the greater challenge of looking for the minute details to fully authenticate the proposed Mesoamerican character of enigmatic Martian landforms, as they explore the premise that symmetry analysis is not intended purely as an analytical tool for the verification of artificiality, but as a fundamental tool for their actual decoding, just as with The Face on Mars at Cydonia.

There are few who've spent any comparable number of hours actually pouring over the Mars satellite image data with any semblance of an open mind and the freedom to speak uncompromised by restrictive institutional affiliations, who can deny the basic premise of remnants of a Martian civilization. There are few with equal experience and liberty who can deny that Mars seems to show us (complete with corroborating redundancy to help set it apart from random geology or pariedolia) the remains of a civilization who wisely used the very landscape to write- and draw- in stone, what Earth's civilizations have too often written on mere parchment, only to have it put to flame.

While the interpretation of eroded landforms must categorically contain some small degree of subjectivity, the authors are rarely if ever alone in their perceptions of artistically-designed Martian landforms similar to those on earth, and while this work may reflect only the beginning chapters of filling in the large number of pages that may have been torn from human history, it represents a very important and very necessary step on the way. This work is true progress, and an exciting adventure.

A connection of ancient knowledge
This book looks at the mysteries of the Maya civilization and proposes a connection to monuments and geoglyphs found on Mars. Regardless of what you might currently believe about the possibility of the existance of ancient civilizations here on Earth or on other worlds and their possible interactions, this book gives solid theories and backs them up with images provided directly by NASAs current orbiting satellites.

At the least this book is a great lesson in Maya history and culture at the best it is a difinitive explanation for the connections between ancient civilizations and the origins of our own modern times. ... Read more

Book Description

"I don't know of a better introduction to the basics of physics and cosmology."- Sterne und Weltraum (Stars and Space).

Nothingness addresses one of the most puzzling problems of physics and philosophy: Does empty space have an existence independent of the matter within it? Is "empty space" really empty, or is it an ocean seething with the creation and destruction of virtual matter? With crystal-clear prose and more than 100 cleverly rendered illustrations, physicist Henning Genz takes the reader from the metaphysical speculations of the ancient Greek philosophers, through the theories of Newton and the early experiments of his contemporaries, right up to the current theories of quantum physics and cosmology to give us the story of one of the most fundamental and puzzling areas of modern physics and philosophy. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

THE UNCERTAINTY OF NOTHINGNESS
Genz tries to put empty space into a few words [9 Chapters] but ends the book on P. 312 with "the epilogue of this book may serve as the prologue for physics of the future." In a word he ends where he begins-lost in space.

Try to put one of his statements in context: "The fluctuations of zero point energy are real and measurable [Casimir effect], even if the zero-point energy itself is not." Whether space can be empty, he asserts, depends on orientation. As though one had two pairs of glasses with which to view the question. On P. 202 he writes, "Since we do not yet have a theory that unifies general relativity and quantum mechanics, anything we might say about fluctuations of the fields of general relativity must remain mere speculation."

Genz relishes the idea that Aristotle flatly denied the existence of empty space. He uses modern speculations to agree with Mr. A's s thesis, speculations of Heisenberg's uncertainty relation and speculations about the vacuum fluctuations of zero point energy. Like a politician flipping flapjacks he tosses both something and nothing into the air but nothing comes down. Yes, the smaller the space the higher the velocity and more random the energy movement but what became of those elusive eleven dimensions that string theory promised us?

vacuous treatment of the "vacuum"
A disappointing read; Tries to construct the whole treatment from various pespectives; historical and scientific.. However, the book falls short of any serious merits that would make this recommended reading. Possibly intersting for the uninitiated? The book holds a lot of unrealized potential in the treatment of this subject so full of possibilities.

Fascinating!
Shows that the boundaries between science, religion, and philosophy have always been arbitrary and meaningless. The discussion of the Casimir effect - the finding that the vacuum exerts pressure - is mind blowing. Those who are familiar with Zen will be struck by the parodoxical finding that nothing is not nothing at all, just as Zen tradition maintains. Very perplexing.

Much Ado about Nothingness
J. Richard Gott's _Time Travel in Einstein's Universe_ does a much better job than Genz does, and Genz just rehashes the content of John D. Barrow's _The Book of Nothing_. There's no need for yet another book about the same thing with nothing else to say about it.

Into the void
I was excited to finally start reading this book but sadly could barely finish the first two chapters. As other reviewers mentioned, this organization of this book is bothersome and distracting. So much so that I decided not to waste my time but to try Barrow's The Book of Nothing. ... Read more

Book Description

Recent books about the relationship between science and theology have generally taken one of two positions. Some argue that the differences between the two disciplines are irreconcilable, and there can be no constructive conversation between the two. Others argue that there should be a genuine rapprochement between the two since they are both truth-seeking disciplines.

Richard Coleman disagrees with both approaches, and argues that theology and science are sibling rivals competing for the attention of truth seekers. In Competing Truths he contends that, in the Renaissance, theology lost its place as "queen of the sciences" thanks to the combative nature of its "sibling," science. Although science did not reign in the same way as theology did—mainly because science itself was displaced by philosophy—it sought to answer the same questions that theology did. This book places the conversation between theology and science in its broadest possible context, pushing both scientists and theologians past the paradigms of comparison and contrast, opposition and competition. Coleman recommends that both siblings use the model of narrative truth to connect the word-truth of theology with the fact-like statements of science, since narrative truth has the potential to connect decisive events in a way that teases out their significance and meaning. Coleman's helpful historical surveys and his constructive arguments will galvanize scientists and theologians to challenge each other, while still seeking truth in their own particular traditions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Getting the Know the Truth
There is a small but growing band of Christians who believe an honest dialogue between science and theology is not only possible and necessary but would be beneficial to both parties.Richard Coleman is committed to the enhancement of such a dialogue.His book is an excellent addition to this endeavor.His description of the relationship between sicience and theology as sibling rivals alters the myth of science and theology as enduring enemies and gives a new sense of the long, complex and exciting history of two tradititons growing up in the same household.Sibling rival captures the depth of love, hate, power and passsion tht exists between these two worldviews.He writes, "I wish to take seriously a scientific view of the world, knowing that it is limited and embedded in its own self interest, and ash how it coheres with a theological understanding, likewise circumscribed and driven by it own intereest."

The argument in this book focuses on the relationship between ontology and epistemology and the shift that is taking place in current science and theological communities.Coleman develops interesting lists that help explain how both disciplines approach the relationship between how-we-come-to know and the world itself.Science, for example, developed an epistemology that depended upon manipulation and vexing nature.Theology was more passive, accepting and responsive in it understanding of the world and prized mediation as the par excellence way of knowing.The scientific epistemology (empiricism) eventually became the accepted way of knowing, but the author believes both disciplines have valuable and distinctive ways to answer the perennial questions about the nature of the universe, who we are, and our place within it all.

Critical to his argument is the shift in our postmoderan age concerning the ontological real.No longer is the scientific community so confident that its epistemology will give final solutions to life's questions about nature and human existence.There is a deeper understanding of the universe which indicates there is more mystery and depth than expected.The author's extensive knowledge of the literature in science, theology and postmodern philosopy is amazing.

This is not an easy book to read but the author does explain any technical terms.It demands some knowledge in the fields of science, theology and current philosophical trends, but anyone who thinks the dialogue between science and theology is the critical interfiath conversation for out time will be informed, rewarded and encouraged by this book.It would be an excellent text for parish discussion groups of scientists and a fine text for student in both theological school and colleges.

Read "Competing Truth, Theology and Science as Sibling Rivals" for a hopeful possibility. ... Read more

Book Description

Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards explores the anticipated consequences of comet and asteroid impact. It presents the first computer simulations of the hazards of comet and asteroid bombardment of a populated Earth. Previous estimates of fatality and damage rates on the 100 to 10,000 year time scale are shown to be too low because they neglect rare, highly lethal outriders of the populations of bombarding objects, those with exceptional strength, unusually low entry velocity, and near-horizontal entry angles. This is the first realistic assessment of both the mean casualty rate and the expected statistical fluctuations in that rate. A breakdown of fatality and damage rates by impactor energy and compositional class suggests lessons for both asteroid search strategies and interdiction techniques.
This book is written so that anyone with college level experience in the physical sciences can understand it. It includes a disk that allows the reader to simulate impact catastrophes. It serves as a useful resource in various physical sciences courses such as astronomy, planetary science, and environmental science.

* Quantatively rigorous treatment of the state of impact hazard prediction, including stuctural blast damage, firestorm ignition, tsunami generation
* Realistic treatment of the impact on population, composition, and orbits
* Attention to economic and public policy issues of warning, interdiction, and asteroid and comet search strategies
* Comparison of simulation results to historical records
* Detailed and realistic Monte Carlo simulation software included ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent Book but the Software presents a Hassle
The text is an excellent and scholarly treatment of the subject. Itis very detailed, quite factual, thoughtfully constructed and verythought provocating. It generates a lot of interest in the includedMonte Carlo impact/fatality model.

Unfortunately, the attached model program is very difficult to use. It is written in native GW-BASIC which can only be read by GW-Basic running under DOS (not a Windows shell). One needs to find a copy of GWBASIC and a DOS boot disk to convert HAZARD5.BAS to ASCII format. Once in ASCII it will run in the more common QBASIC in Windows. In short, it presents an unnecessary hassle. Indeed, there were no instructions to do the conversion and Michael Paine and his web site .... came to the rescue with detailed instructions and some refinements to the model.

Wow!
Dr. Lewis makes a compelling case for the reappraisal of comet and asteroid impacts. This book is lucid, sharp, and, well, SCARY. I strongly recommend it to all readers curious about these potentially cataclysmic events; when you understand the energy involved in one of these impacts, and the effects on human populations it becomes clear that we are currently just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs were 65 million years ago. I also recommend Rain of Iron and Ice for the popular science audience. It is an equally compelling, and also entertaining, read. Worth every penny.

Devastating impact!
Of all the hazards facing Earth, impacts are the most dangerous. Their effects can be devastating over the entire surface of the planet.

I enjoyed the comparison of simulation results to historical records and the attention to economic and public policy issues of warning, interdiction, and asteroid & comet search strategies. David Egge's paintings (in the color section) are awesome.

Keep your eye on the sky!

Simulate asteroid and comet impacts on your PC
This book by Planetary Scientist John Lewis includes a diskette with a Monte Carlo program to run simulations of Earth impacts over time. The book is basically a handbook for the software with a wide range of physical information about NEOs, impacts and effects on the human population. An excellent resource covering physics, chemistry and environment. I can recommend it to anyone studying the possible influence of impacts on civilisation. Over thousands of years airburst events like Tunguska turn out to be important sources of fatalities and yet they leave little or no physical evidence so information about the danger is unlikely to be reliably passed from generation to generation.

Note that the program requires GW-BASIC to run To run the program in a higher version of BASIC such as Quick Basic you will need to convert it from binary to ASCII format from within GW-BASIC. To do this load the program in GW-BASIC (F3 path/filename.BAS) then save it with the ASCII option set (F4 path/new_filename.BAS , A ). This is all subject to the copyright conditions of course. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Inspirational essays on the natural world
Linda Hogan, a Chickasaw novelist, essayist, and poet, writes some of the most beautiful prose of any living Americxan writer. When she writes nature essays, as in this collection, her style is not that of the journalist (like, say, John McPhee) or even the activist (Rick Bass). Instead, her words are imbued with beauty and wisdom and spirituality. While I hesitate to use the term "Native American writer" to describe Hogan because I believe any such terminology to be limiting, in her case it is necessary because her Chickasaw background informs so much of her work. The plains of Oklahoma, snakes, dreams, a suspicion of technology, and bats all feature prominently in her writing. Hogan doesn't always deal well with the specifics of ecology--she suggests, for example, that wolves never predate on livestock, which of course is an oversimplification of lupine behavior--but she writes extremely well about the importance of human beings seeking a spiritual connection with the natural world. I highly recommend this book, particularly to anyone wishing to teach high school students about the spirituality of nature.

So much in such a little book!
This book is amazing in its multitude of ideas about life! Practically every sentence makes an amazing statement that causes you to stop and think. Plus, Hogan is obviously an avid reader for her book is stuffed with other readers, scholars, and scientist's words and thoughts. I