Troubled by 70 years of vague and unsupported assertions by the church, together with unanswered questions about God and mans place in the universe, Malcolm Smith embarks on a down-to-earth, no nonsense study and seeks for himself any evidence for a God or Intelligent Designer. The result is this concise volume on the merits or otherwise of religion; on the grandeur of the universe; the incredibly elegant simplicity of evolution; and on mans place in it all. The book is both easy and fascinating to read. No college degree is required, just a healthy dose of common sense (a rare commodity these days); an open mind would be a plus. The down-to-earth style and occasional dash of humor helps avoid the dryness which often plagues similar works. Rarely does a work of this nature, in a single slim volume, treat the subject in such an everyday manner. The absence of vague, long-winded religious theo-speak and absence of technical jargon that goes with most scientific works, makes this book a pleasure to read. This book is for all those looking for a little help in sorting out, at least to their satisfaction, what religion is all about, and whether it has any place in their future? That the reader will gain a basic insight into the workings of the universe and evolution, is an added bonus. Is there any scientifically acceptable evidence for the existence of a God? The authors finding was a reluctant no but ironically led to a surprising realization that more than compensates for any perceived spiritual loss, and left him far happier than he had hoped. If the reader is moved to do his/her own thinking and reasoning, even in dissent, then the author will have succeeded. It was an easy, enjoyable read, void of filler and left me with much thinking to do, was a typical comment.
