The magic is the way Schroeder adds exponentially to the conventional wisdom to weave a great explanation of life and the universe that is consistent with both the Torah and modern science. He also encourages both sides to back down from extreme stances, giving examples for both sides to show the error of the blinded way. At the forefront of the argument is the observation that even Moses himself declared the Pentatuech to have deep and profound levels of meaning. Simultaneously, he shows that the die-hard scientic views of evolution and an eternal universe have both been countermanded in the last 20 years. His most impressive point concerns the big bang and the duration of creation. Using Einstein's relativity to explain the slowdown of time relative to the original first 6 days after the "light" was let to be there, the author shows that modern science places each of the events described each day at about that point in time as the Bible's version. Time then is essentially an exponential curve until the creation of man, at which point the Bible's schedule is the same as our modern duration. Onward to the advent of man, the author consistently uses the meaning of the original Hebrew to clarify exactly how man was first made and then created with the breath of a soul. Until that time, Cro-Magnon man could look exactly like us but not have a soul, which the Bible defines as that which separates us from the animals. Further comparison involves the similarity of DNA across all living things and the inclusion of more advanced DNA (such as for building eyes) in organisms that will never implement the information. The discussion of evolution concentrates on the difference between micro evolution (changes within phyla) and macro evolution (all of those dubious missing links). Solid evidence is given that with one exception, no missing links have been found. And of course, the one missing link, known to science as Archeopterix, is described in the Bible, which uses the same word in clarifying what birds and what reptiles cannot be eaten. All of this must strengthen an open mind toward realizing that something more than just random circumstances led to the world we know and the life that we see in it. In fact, the author repeatedly shares the skepticism of other great scientists and mathematicians who had calculated such odds. This book is an instrumental foundation to anyone who wants to have an intelligent conversation about life. ( )

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