Product Description
Is Earth merely an insignificant speck in a vast and meaningless universe? On the contrary: The Privileged Planet shows that this cherished assumption of materialism is dead wrong. In this provocative book, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards present a staggering array of evidence that exposes the hollowness of this modern dogma. They demonstrate that our planet is exquisitely fit not only to support life, but also to give us the best view of the universe, as if Earth were designed both for life and for scientific discovery. Readers are taken on a scientific odyssey from a history of tectonic plates, to the wonders of water and solar eclipses, to our location in the Milky Way, to the laws that govern the universe, and to the beginning of cosmic time. The Privileged Planet contains astounding findings that should lead any individual to reevaluate and even to reconsider our very purpose on what so many have dismissed as nothing more than an accident of cosmic evolution.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 71 reviews)

Some science, some philosophy by Wüstenfuchs (Illinois)

4 Stars
November 16, 2009
The two halves of this book are markedly different. In the first half, the authors recount many facts and figures from the sciences, mostly astronomy. This half is readable, but the details require close attention. Some reviewers have complained that the book contains factual errors but have not said what they are. Considering the huge amount of material covered, it would be surprising if there were not a few errors. Not being an expert, I can only assume that most of the facts are correctly stated. The second half is philosophical, treating things like the "Copernican principle" and the implications of the scientific findings. Naturally, this half is not restricted to hard data, but includes the authors' views of what the data imply. Many philosophically illiterate writers stumble on this ground, but G&R show considerable savvy. Many outspoken scientists say that scientific findings imply that God does not exist, or that human beings are merely the last freakish product of the hurrying of matter; these authors disagree. If your mind is made up that only the former philosophy is legitimate, there is no use reading this book. If you would like to read a well-informed and reasonable defense of the latter position, this book is a good start.

The Privileged Planet by Paul Stecoza (Bucharest, Romania)

5 Stars
November 15, 2009
A very well-documented and reliable information source regarding the development of crucial aspects of our planet. Benefitting from a broad perspective and highly knowledgeable approach, it manages to provide an eloquent hypothesis to a wide range of global issues explored for the past centuries. A collection of high-quality scientific data, this book provides an excellent challenge for the experimented, passionate scientist. Also, I was pleased by the quality of the shipping procedure - the book arrived in half the time predicted. However, in the case of some products, the shipping costs tend to be too high if related to the product's actual cost. The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery

A Classic Against Naturalistic Fundamentalism by ancientexplorer (USA)

5 Stars
October 10, 2009
Privileged Planet has become a classic in the argument for design in the universe. It focuses on an unique argument: Not only is the universe designed, but it is purposefully designed so we can learn about the universe, ourselves and that there is a designer. The book also dispenses with the revisionism of naturalist fundamentalists who claim that the "Earth is insignificant" belief started with Copernicus and shows how they have used this belief to try to make science support their personal philosophies. Similar books: Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe and The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Latest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God.

Be Prepared to be Amazed by Hallie Kemper

5 Stars
June 21, 2009
This is one of the best movies ever made about the amazing planet on which we live. You cannot watch it without being amazed at all the factors and finely-tuned laws which work together to allow a planet capable of sustaining complex life like ourselves. This is another striking example of Intelligent Design which cannot be explained away by any random events. Though they present some of the arguments, they then deftly refute them. The numbers assigned for the finely-tuned factors of our planet, gravity, and the Cosmological Constant blow all the claims of chance out of the "water" (you'll understand the pun when you see the segment about liquid water). Tremendous visuals and interviews by experts. We HIGHLY recommend it!

Cathy by Catherine M. Savage (Atlanta, GA)

4 Stars
January 21, 2009
Great perspective on how wonderfully special we are in this Universe and it gives us a really good idea of just how loved we are by God

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