Atoms and Eden Conversations on religion and science

Public discourse on science and religion can sometimes yield more heat than light, but radio journalist Paulson (executive producer, To the Best of Our Knowledge, Wisconsin Public Radio) brings his informed layperson's curiosity to these radio conversations he had with significant voices in the scientific and religious communities. While the "new atheists" are on display, contrary voices are here as well: religious scholars Karen Armstrong and Elaine Pagels and theologian John Haught, as well as scientists with religious convictions such as Francis Collins and Simon Conway Morris. But Paulson's interviews take readers beyond the usual cast of characters to include Islamic, Buddhist, and philosophical voices, as well as perspectives from various academic disciplines: history, sociobiology, and brain science. Questions about the nature of religious experience and the adequacy of science to explain reality recur in many interviews. Krista Tippett's Einstein's God: Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit is another new book on this topic. VERDICT These transcripts capture the excitement of the radio series from which they are drawn. They stimulate the imagination, broaden the knowledge of all but the most widely informed readers, and clarify key issues and perspectives in the tensions between science and religion. Recommended.-Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.