Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind by Hubert Reeves (PDF)

Description

Three eminent scientists examine the age-old questions that have obsessed humankind, including the creation of the universe, the first particles, and the evolution that lead to contemporary lifeforms, providing easy-to-understand answers in a layperson’s terms.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From Library Journal Origins is one of the most commonly used words in the titles of popular science books. Thus, when you see it, you should be skeptical as to whether the book contains anything truly original. Let’s politely call this book unique, but not original. Casting their work as a play in three acts, the authors?scientists from different fields?pose and answer a series of questions related to the universe, life, and human evolution. This approach would work only if the structure made expository sense (it doesn’t), the connections between subjects were seamless (they aren’t), and the questions the authors ask themselves are the same as readers would ask them (they aren’t). Furthermore, the book, first published in France, has an ethereal, New Age tone that can seem simplistic. Not recommended.?Gregg Sapp, Univ. of Miami Lib., Coral Gables, Fla.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus Reviews A series of interviews with three French-based scientists presents current theories on the origins of the world we see around us, of life itself, and of our own species. Journalist Dominique Simmonet encourages her three guests– an astrophysicist (Reeves), an organic chemist (Joel De Rosnay), and an anthropologist (Yves Coppens)–to speculate on the Big Questions. Each gets roughly a third of the book. Reeves leads off by sketching the story of cosmology from the formation of the basic building blocks of matter in the era after the Big Bang to the coalescence of our sun and its family of planets. De Rosnay then examines the conditions believed to have existed on the primitive Earth and how they may have given rise to life– curiously, this topic is the one most amenable to direct laboratory study, yet in some ways the one about which we are least certain of the details. Finally, Coppens recapitulates the now-familiar African origin of hominids, their gradual development into our human ancestors, their invention of technology, and their spread throughout the world. Simmonet has somewhat artificially broken up the discussion into three “acts,” of three “scenes” each, a rather facile attempt to create links between the insights of these very different sciences. But the scientists present their summaries clearly, and Simmonet has the knack of anticipating questions an intelligent layperson would like to ask. The (uncredited) translation from the French is idiomatic and smooth. A useful though not especially deep summary of the current state of knowledge in three key areas of science. — Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Very good read will open your eyes up

⭐Book is great so far. Just what I expected.

⭐I read this book in French. It was suggested to me when my husband passed away. It is one of the most beautiful, and spiritually rich book I ever read! I am so happy to find it in English. I want to buy it for a dear friend and will buy it again !

⭐Great little book filled with amazing theories of the beginning of it all, how we got here, and where we are going.

⭐Excellent reading! I just wish that more of Hubert Reeves’ work was out in the U.S.! If you are in doubt about where we come from, here are the answers, in terms we can all understand.

⭐Extraordinary brief account of our origins, Earth and Cosmos written in simple languaje accesible to all. Mindboggling and awesome ideas to invite your own reflection on the ancient question of who we are and where do we come from

⭐It did not take very long to read this book from cover to cover; that’s how easily it reads. I have done research into cosmology, astronomy, and the history of the scientific origin of species, so I understand many of these concepts prior to having picked up this book, but it still touches on the fundamentals of evolution and life in general. Many of the concepts are skimmed over (understandibly so considering the scope of what it intends to cover) so there will inevitably be issues you may want further information on, but it’s a great teaser for the layperson. There were times when further explanation would have been nice, but I got the point regardless.It’s concepts are applicable today and the facts, as far as I understand them, are still up-to-date. I like that they attempted to take a determinist view throughout, but planted some seeds for thought concerning the overall meaning to life and if there is any inherent logic to it.It was structured in a way that, at first, seemed to me to be very contrived. The authors plant ‘questions’ for themselves throughout as if we, the readers, are asking them. Really? I wasn’t thinking that at all! :)But, in the end, the book goes on to speculate about the future of mankind and the universe and it was all very informative, engaging, thought-provoking, and far-reaching. We have a choice now that we have taken the evolutionary reigns away from mother nature and put them into the hands of cultural impeti (sp? impetuses plural :).Overall, I really enjoyed it!

⭐It is an excellent, compact source of most fascinating facts about origins of the Universe, life on Earth and the dawn of humans; easy to read in the form of interviews conducted with selected top French scientists/experts in each field. One may read at the same time more detailed Fred Adams’ “Origins of Existence”, but Reeves’ book is more simplistic.Other important book by Reeves: his classic: “Hour of Our Delight: Cosmic Evolution, Order, and Complexity”, still valid after being published in 1991. All three books I highly recommend.

⭐Got this for my Dad, he’s over the moon about it. Keeps reading me passages.

⭐New, excellent condition. Good quality as expected. I recommend this product to every one. I am very pleased with this product.

⭐Should read

⭐good book

Keywords

Free Download Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind in PDF format
Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind PDF Free Download
Download Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind 1998 PDF Free
Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind 1998 PDF Free Download
Download Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind PDF
Free Download Ebook Origins: Speculations On the Cosmos,earth, And Mankind