The Grand Contraption: The World as Myth, Number, and Chance

David Park, a professor of physics, writes with expertise about humankind's quest to answer the big questions of life: How did we get here? Is there anyone else out there? Science can only take us so far before crossing the unseen boundary into metaphysics and speculation, but it's an interesting trip nonetheless.

This is a very readable, accessible work of scientific history. Rather than focus on any one scientific leap, Park weaves together a history of the main attempts to answer the "Big Questions" -- How did we get here? What exactly is "here"? What else is out there? Such ambition is dangerous, and Park could be criticized for too much and too little detail, or cultural bias in focusing on Western intellectual tradition. But Park anticipates these criticisms from the outset, through his own description of the scope of his project, both grand and limited at the same time. The book reads like a series of lectures from one of your favorite professors, both learned and benevolent, never condescending but also never incomprehensible. I come to this with a background in history, not science, and found the book enjoyable and well worth reading. Given the current debate in America over Intelligent Design, this book is also quite topical, and would make a good primer for someone on either side of the debate, precisely because Park avoids taking sides and just presents the history in a neutral, but engaging, manner.

The Grand Contraption is easy to read. Professor Park never spends too much time on any of the subparts of his story of how we humnan beings have conceived of the universe's structure, beginning, and future. The concepts of time and space are addressed throughout. The best part is that he doesn't come to any grand conclusion himself. Except to suggest our grand speculations, founded on scientific evidence, will continue for, well, forever. Add some intuition and even a belief in some type of creative intelligence in the cosmos, and that drive to figure it all out will continue (and may never end until the universe itself does). (If it does.) David Park is quite a wit, too! And is obviously a Renaissance Man!!!

Histories of how mankind views the world should be rather non controversial, but in this day of extremism those who favor Science and Naturalism are locked in a bitter fight with religious fundamentalists, over Darwinism and much else. As one who leans toward the scientific story I wondered why I was reading this book that was very much interested in how the ancients saw the world and why they came to the conclusions that they did. The book took me back to my undergraduate years when I had a much more liberal attitude toward life - and I enjoyed it for that. The facts are accurate, and the style is that of a very well educated author. It is a pleasent read whatever your philosophy of life.