The Return

Review: Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology Johnjoe Mc Fadden and Jim Al-Khalili Crown Publishers 2014 Quantum biology?   I had never seen those two words together before, so I had to read this book.   And now I have and liked many parts of it.   The authors try to explain quantum biology to the lay person, like me, and after reading this I understand at least some of it.   Repeated warnings appear throughout the text that the subject is not really as simple as some of their examples, so there’s much more out there than they included in this book.   Early portions of the book include a history of the development of quantum theory and many notable people related to that.  How do robins know where to go when it’s time to migrate?   What does that have to do with quantum mechanics?   And what has any of that to do with biology?   It’s quite a task for the reader to keep up with all the dots that must be con...

Review: If I Had Lunch with C.S. Lewis: Exploring the Ideas of C.S. Lewis on the Meaning of Life Alister McGrath Tyndale House Publishers 2014 What a treat this book was for me!   Why? Because it is a relaxed conversation about some of the work of C.S. Lewis.   He authored more than Narnia and lots to say that is still very relevant today.   What I did not know when I requested this book is that McGrath is a bit of an expert on Lewis’ life and works.   So a double treat for me.    McGrath explores several of the important themes found within the writing of Lewis, starting with the meaning of life and ending with Lewis’ thoughts on hope and heaven.   The range is broad and presented in a sort of format that keeps things interesting---imaginary luncheon conversations with Lewis.   Well, almost luncheons, anyway.   I was hoping for more from Lewis, but McGrath digs into various writings and presents what he believes Lewis woul...