Review by engarl -- The Biblical Clock

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engarl
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Review by engarl -- The Biblical Clock

Post by engarl »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Biblical Clock" by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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The Biblical Clock by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon is an odyssey through history, science and religion as the author explores various theories regarding the creation of this world and its eventual end. In general, the book follows the author’s individual journey through the myriad theories available and attempts to reconcile the differences between the biblical record in Genesis and current scientific observations. During the first half of the book, chapters begin with some short context for the individual they study. They continue by explaining the significance of that individual’s theory in relation to the creation story. The second half of the book uses those theories and data to develop a plausible theory for the coming of the Messiah and the subsequent end of the world. The book includes pertinent maps, appendices, and a glossary that are critical for understanding its theories.

What I truly liked the most about this book was its subject matter: the link between science and religion. This subject is of personal importance to me and I appreciate the author’s thorough research. It is clear that the author is passionate about this subject. The information that was presented in this book was new and understandable, incorporating different theories from Judaism, Christianity, Science, and various other schools of thought. I was able to see how the author’s own theories about the creation of the world were developed as they were met with challenges, re-analyzed, and then ultimately re-worked by new solutions. I also appreciated the historical background that the author used to introduce the theorists, scientists, and rabbis that are the foundation for this book.

The portions of this book that I disliked most were simply those that required constant referral to the glossary in order to understand. It would have been better if my eBook reader had links to take me straight to the glossary and back again, but it didn’t. This made reading the book very choppy as I had to stop every other page to refer back to the glossary. This problem could have been more easily resolved had the author incorporated more of the glossary’s explanations into the text itself. Then, when readers needed to refresh their memory for subsequent mentions, there would not have been as much constant referral to the back of the book. The organization of the book could also have been improved. It would have made more sense if it had started with the author’s first exposure to the subject matter and his growing interest in it, then explained his very first thoughts and theories, ultimately following his research journey as he developed newer theories. Instead, the book starts somewhere in ancient Israel with no foundation for scientific or religious understanding clearly stated.

Accordingly, this book is most suited to a group of readers who have--at the least--a superficial understanding of Jewish history, culture, and the Bible. Some Jewish terms or ideas are described in the text, but most are not and the history that is explained is very brief, leaving the unfamiliar reader with a lot of holes to fill in. Thus, this book would be most enjoyed by those who have an interest in both science and religion and have a decent background in Judaism.

This book is an excellent discussion on the coexistence of science and religion. It incorporates valid theories that confirm the relationship and offers potential solutions to theories and observations that contradict it. The vision presented in this book is intriguing, original, and persuasive. If not for the organizational and technical issues, it would be an excellent work. It is for this reason that I give The Biblical Clock a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

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The Biblical Clock
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Nichole Kurns
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Post by Nichole Kurns »

Thanks for the review. I am interested in the link between science and religion. I find the topic fascinating.I appreciate there are different theories presented in the book.
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engarl
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Post by engarl »

Thanks for your comment! I do think you would enjoy this book, and it's a pretty short read, so it wouldn't take you too much time to get through it!
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Sushan Ekanayake
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Post by Sushan Ekanayake »

A nice and a well balanced review for a book with a great potential. I enjoyed your review. Thank you 👍👍
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engarl
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Post by engarl »

Sushan wrote: 22 Sep 2020, 12:25 A nice and a well balanced review for a book with a great potential. I enjoyed your review. Thank you 👍👍
Thanks for taking the time to read it! I appreciate the feedback and look forward to reading more of your reviews!
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Post by rahilshajahan »

Skipping between the chapter and the glossary can be a real pain, especially when you are so engrossed in the book. This book reminded me of Dan Brown's Origin. The moral importance of religion plays a huge role in maintaining a society even if science makes huge breakthroughs.
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Post by Justine Ocsebio »

Using both science and religion to explain the creation and the possible end of the universe is an interesting topic to explore. Thanks for the insightful review.
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engarl
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Post by engarl »

rahilshajahan wrote: 25 Sep 2020, 14:57 The moral importance of religion plays a huge role in maintaining a society even if science makes huge breakthroughs.
I love that! I absolutely love science (especially physics and astronomy), but I can't deny the inherent importance that religion and spirituality has in my life. One of my favorite metaphors is that science and religion are like the views from your two eyes. You get a slightly different view with just one or the other, but with both, you have 3D vision. I think the author uses a similar metaphor, but with two horses pulling a carriage.
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engarl
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Post by engarl »

lavenderbooks20 wrote: 26 Sep 2020, 00:03 Using both science and religion to explain the creation and the possible end of the universe is an interesting topic to explore. Thanks for the insightful review.
I absolutely agree! And thank you for stopping by!
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Post by SamaylaM »

The premise sounds very intriguing, deep and knowledgable! It's true though that skipping back and forth to glossary during reading can be very distracting. Thank you for putting up such a detailed review!
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engarl
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Post by engarl »

SamaylaM wrote: 28 Sep 2020, 00:44 The premise sounds very intriguing, deep and knowledgable! It's true though that skipping back and forth to glossary during reading can be very distracting. Thank you for putting up such a detailed review!
It definitely had some new information that I hadn't explored before! Thanks for checking out the review! :D
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