David Rubenstein's Reviews > Cosmosapiens: Human Evolution from the Origin of the Universe

Cosmosapiens by John Hands
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This is an amazingly ambitious book. It covers such a wide range of topics--I have never seen such a comprehensive non-fiction book. It starts out with a detailed description of theories of the origins of the universe. Here, John Hands is at his best, as he sorts out the various theories. He reasons why some of the theories are still in the running, while others are not borne out by the available evidence.

John Hands continues to discuss the origins of life. He describes the prevalent theories, and gives his opinions about which theories are most realistic. He describes evolution from the earliest microbes to the present-day complex organisms. He considers the evolution of humans and the origins of consciousness. He points out the ways in which humans differ from all other animals.

Then, the book goes into a history of the human race. The development of science, technology, and philosophy are covered in some detail. He points out that many so-called "world-wide" philosophy books skip almost completely the philosophies of the East, and concentrate almost entirely on those of the West. While John Hands does devote attention to Eastern philosophies, he also spends much more time on Western ones.

This is not an entertaining book. There is not a trace of humor, and there is no effort taken to make it easy on the reader. However, the sheer scope of the book, and the intelligent unbiased descriptions of the science, history, and philosophy, make this a book deserving of one's attention. I recommend the book for people who are truly curious, and want an unbiased view of our understanding of human evolution.
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Reading Progress

Started Reading
December 20, 2016 – Finished Reading
December 25, 2016 – Shelved

Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)

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message 1: by Ovidiu (new)

Ovidiu Neatu Another book that covers a huge number of topics and I highly recommend is Xenology: http://www.xenology.info/ . One of the best books I've ever read.


message 2: by Jose (new) - added it

Jose Moa Good review,and seem that gives new perspectives on the universe and us ,a must to read book


message 3: by Elizabeth (new) - added it

Elizabeth Theiss Smith Thanks for a helpful and, as usual, erudite review, David. A small group of friends proposed reading this book together and our public library obliged by rounding up copies for us. It sounds like just the book for our small but intrepid reading circle.


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