Open Letters Monthly
Hands wants to create here a grand synthesis of the history of scientific research in such fields as astronomy, physics, and evolutionary biology. He lays out a sharply lucid picture of each of these disciplines and expertly summarizes the latest thinking on each.
Nicholas Blincoe - The Telegraph (UK) Best Science Books of 2015
[A]rgues that mind and matter evolved in unison and, one day, human consciousness and the star-filled universe will be revealed as part of the same cosmic whole. Such ideas were lapped up by the 19th-century followers of Hegel and it is both shocking and invigorating to hear them stated again…in the context of a quantum universe
Jeffrey Schwartz
A work as bold, broad, and challenging as this will no doubt tweak the bias any one of us may have regarding a particular event, but, then, so did Darwin’s On the Origin of Species.”
Paul Steinhardt
John Hands is an astute observer of recent trends in scientific ideas bold enough to point out what he sees as sense and nonsense and intelligently explain why. Even in cases where one might disagree, the arguments are thought-provoking.
Peter Dreier
Hands’s book is a game-changer. In the tradition of Thomas Kuhn’sThe
Structure of ScientificRevolutions, this lucidly written, penetrating analysis challenges us to rethink many things we take for granted about ourselves,
oursociety, and our universe. It will become a classic.
Professor David Knight
John Hands…came to realise, and makes us realise, how much we don't know. Nevertheless, he is optimistic, and when he comes to human evolution and a schematic view of our history, he is hopeful and sees progress in understanding and co-operation. From his book we get that big picture he sought.
Professor Stuart Kauffman
A fine book...brave, very wide ranging, synoptic.
Derek Shearer
With depth and virtuosity, John Hands explores the Big Questions of human existence: who are we? why are we here? where are we headed? …Hands's voyage of inquiry will not only educate you, it will also surprise.
Larry Steinman
An audacious and admirable book…written with engaging style, and the strongest scientific ideas across a swathe of fields in physics and biology are presented lucidly
Professor Steve Jones
Any conventional Darwinist (and I am one of them) will find a lot to take exception to: but disagreement is the fuel of progress and if you enjoy an argument this is the book for you.
Professor James Shapiro
A major accomplishment
Professor Francis Heylighen
This book is an intellectual tour-de-force…highly recommended for anyone wishing to get a deeper insight into the fundamental but typically arcane theories that purport to explain where we and the universe that surrounds us are coming from.
Dr James Le Fanu
A magisterial, persuasive and thought provoking survey of the horizons of modern science.
Tim Crane
This is a truly exceptional piece of work.
TLS (A Best Book of the Year)
[A] Book of astonishing ambition and scope.
From the Publisher
A compendious work that will intrigue serious readers — Kirkus
Hands’s book is a game-changer. In the tradition of Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, this lucidly written, penetrating analysis challenges us to rethink many things we take for granted about ourselves, our society, and our universe. It will become a classic. — Peter Dreier, E P Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, Occidental College
This is a truly exceptional piece of work. — Tim Crane, Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge
John Hands is an astute observer of recent trends in scientific ideas bold enough to point out what he sees as sense and nonsense and intelligently explain why. Even in cases where one might disagree, the arguments are thought-provoking. — Paul Steinhardt, Albert Einstein Professor in Science, Princeton University
A work as bold, broad, and challenging as this will no doubt tweak the bias any one of us may have regarding a particular event, but, then, so did Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. — Jeffrey Schwartz, Professor of Physical Anthropology and of The History & Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh
A magisterial, persuasive and thought provoking survey of the horizons of modern science. — Dr James Le Fanu, author of The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine
This book is an intellectual tour-de-force…highly recommended for anyone wishing to get a deeper insight into the fundamental but typically arcane theories that purport to explain where we and the universe that surrounds us are coming from. — Professor Francis Heylighen, Evolution, Complexity and Cognition Group, Free University of Brussels
A major accomplishment — Professor James Shapiro, author of Evolution: A View From The 21st Century
Any conventional Darwinist (and I am one of them) will find a lot to take exception to: but disagreement is the fuel of progress and if you enjoy an argument this is the book for you. — Professor Steve Jones, author of The Language of the Genes
An audacious and admirable book…written with engaging style, and the strongest scientific ideas across a swathe of fields in physics and biology are presented lucidly — Larry Steinman, Professor of Neurological Science, Stanford University
With depth and virtuosity, John Hands explores the Big Questions of human existence: who are we? why are we here? where are we headed? …Hands's voyage of inquiry will not only educate you, it will also surprise. — Derek Shearer, Director, McKinnon Center for Global Affairs, Los Angeles
A fine book...brave, very wide ranging, synoptic. — Professor Stuart Kauffman, author of At Home in the Universe
John Hands…came to realise, and makes us realise, how much we don't know. Nevertheless, he is optimistic, and when he comes to human evolution and a schematic view of our history, he is hopeful and sees progress in understanding and co-operation. From his book we get that big picture he sought. — Professor David Knight, author of The Making of Modern Science
Kirkus Reviews
2015-09-21
Hands has spent the last 10 years assembling a critical overview of scientific orthodoxy in an attempt to answer the fundamental questions "what are we?" and "why are we here?" The author, who has had managerial responsibilities in the British government and has tutored in physics and management studies for the Open University, acknowledges the help of more than 50 accredited scientists with expertise in the fields he explores. The first target of his scrutiny is modern cosmologists, who face the dilemma of attempting to explain the putative origin of the universe in a big bang. Hands finds their efforts to be fundamentally inadequate due to their necessary reliance on both Einstein's general relativity theory and the Standard Model of particle physics. Even though "each has been extremely successful in making predictions that have been verified by observation and experiment within its own realm," they are incompatible theoretically. Another of the author's bones of contention concerns the rate of expansion of the universe and whether it is constant or cyclical. He examines various attempts to explain the process, including string theory, loop theory, and the existence of undetectable dark matter and energy. In the author's view, an even more fundamental issue is that scientists today mistakenly "conflate mathematical theory with scientific theory." Moving on to the origins of life on Earth, Hands suggests that Darwin's reputation is overblown and finds fault with the current "gene-focused paradigm." Although the author refutes the claims of intelligent design proponents, he accepts the views of the Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that the evolution of self-reflective humans has created a new stage in the evolution of the biosphere by our use of tools, artistic creations, and philosophy. Hands speculates on new stages of development involving "psychic" energy, and he provides an extensive glossary, which is helpful given the amount and depth of the material, much of which is esoteric. A compendious work that will intrigue serious readers; others may find it overlong and too comprehensive.
