Ever feel insignificant in a vast universe? Are you awestruck by the fact that dinosaurs have been around 1000 times longer than humans? Do you lie awake questioning the meaning of life? If so, DOWN-TO-EARTH: A Way of Being should be added to your reading list.
A geologist and geoscientist, Brian Gregory compresses evolution and its implications into 183 interesting and insightful pages. He is not only an experienced geoscientist; he also survived a lung transplant and triple-bypass surgery after being diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. He writes with the passion of someone who has confronted mortality and returned with a deeper perspective on what it means to be alive: “I began to see and feel how so many things are so mysteriously connected.”
In Part 1, Gregory covers the journey of evolution (including dense topics like space and matter). While he strives to make them accessible, the average reader may find themselves having to reread sections. This is not a criticism of Gregory’s writing, which is lighthearted; he likens evolutionary timescales to a “super large Petri dish…where we could watch the whole evolutionary process unfold in a span of 24 hours (while drinking beer in the shade, of course!).” Rather, it reflects that his material is so mind-boggling that one struggles to fathom it. But by balancing scientific concepts with whimsy, Gregory reminds us that “the evolution of life should leave us with a sense of wonder and awe…and profound respect for the planet."
Part 2 turns philosophical. Through an evolutionary lens, the author explores three questions: How should we adapt our relationship with nature? How do we understand human nature through evolution? What is the meaning of our existence? He discusses religions, God, and purpose, never landing on an answer but rather embracing uncertainty. Ultimately Gregory encourages readers to embrace the inherent mystery of life with playfulness, rather than anxiety: “We could wish for an entirely predictable universe…but what fun would that be?”
At one point Gregory says that if he could have dinner with anyone, it would be Albert Einstein—who once said “the most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.” Fans of that quote should pick up a copy of DOWN-TO-EARTH.
Written by Brian Gregory, DOWN-TO-EARTH: A Way of Being is at once intellectually driven and big-hearted—inviting readers to broaden their perspectives on history and see themselves as a perfectly imperfect piece in a magnificent cosmic narrative.
~ Tess McCumstie for IndieReader