“Certainly there was something that set it all off. Certainly, if you are religious, I can't think of a better theory of the origin of the universe to match with Genesis.” - Robert Wilson

Why is there something and not nothing? How did the Big Bang happen and what does it mean? Why did some of the most militant atheist thinkers become agnostic or even deist as they studied the Universe?

This book is a superb resource that uses physics and math primarily - as well as history and philosophy - to answer those questions. The scope of its research is truly astonishing. With the incredible amount of information they’ve armed themselves with, Bollore and Bonnassies argue that a preponderance of evidence makes belief in a Creator to be absolutely rational.

For me, the most riveting part of the book was learning about physicists and mathematicians who risked their livelihoods and even their lives to argue, in the face of Nazi and Soviet persecution, that the Universe HAD a beginning. That may not be “evidence” that there is a God, but it was so interesting and inspiring.

For the majority of the book, it does not advocate for or against a particular religion. The end of the book defends Christianity, Israel, and the existence of miracles, which may bother some readers. Other readers may be offended that the book does not take a strictly-literal view of a six-day Creation. The end of the book also focuses more on philosophy, which may interest fewer readers if they chose the book looking for more evidence in math/physics. Personally, I felt the discussion of the Problem of Evil wasn’t convincing yet, but that’s not the focus of this book.

This book has an unusual organization (one chapter is entirely devoted to quotes) but as someone without a background in physics or higher-level math, I found it very accessible. I highly recommend this book to religious people who want to bolster their faith, and to skeptics wise enough to consider the evidence for God.

Thank you to NetGalley and Palomar for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.

This review is cross-posted on Goodreads. It will be posted on Amazon and Instagram within one week of the book’s publication in English.

This book gives a good analysis of the topic of god and belief in the viewpoint of science, philosophy and experienced life. The topics are well documented with quotations. The language and arguments are clear and follow an easy to follow layout. I liked that there were so many subheadings and subchapters used.
I especially liked the science discussion. I am familiar with the topic and would have wished for a little more details at points. But as the book is geared more towards the general population the topic was explored deep enough.
There were clear answers to questions asked.
If you are interested in the topic the book gives both, an overview and a deeper insight.