Category Archives: Books

Book Review: The Quran: Epic and Apocalypse by Todd Lawson

Posted on Aug 24, 2019 by

What is an epic and what is an apocalypse? After reading this book, it seems that Todd Lawson, an Emeritus Professor of Islamic Thought at Toronto university in Canada, is arguing that an epic provides a narrative about human origins, … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker

Posted on Dec 24, 2018 by

Steven Pinker’s new book, Enlightenment Now, comes with an impressive recommendation from no less a figure than the principal founder of Microsoft and noted philanthropist, Bill Gates, who describes it as “my new favourite book of all time.” For my … Continue reading →

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The 40th Anniversary of Attenborough’s Life On Earth

Posted on Oct 4, 2018 by

Today sees the publication of an updated 40th anniversary edition of David Attenborough’s classic book which accompanied his major BBC TV series, Life on Earth (though I think the publication of this anniversary edition has been brought forward a couple … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Fight (Ali vs Foreman) by Norman Mailer

Posted on Oct 3, 2018 by

For years I had been meaning to get round to reading Norman Mailer’s The Fight but somehow other books kept diverting me away. Finally, a couple of months ago I bought it to read on my Kindle on my commute … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Legacy of Spies by John Le Carré

Posted on Aug 27, 2018 by

I recall first hearing about George Smiley back when I was in Primary school. Alec Guinness was portraying him at the time in the now classic BBC TV adaptation of John Le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. George Smiley, the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Human Instinct by Kenneth R. Miller

Posted on May 28, 2018 by

I have written previously on several occasions (see here for an example) about the influence that Professor Kenneth R. Miller’s splendid book “Finding Darwin’s God” had on me. Miller, a believing Catholic, very persuasively tackled a series of common objections … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Qur’an – A Historical-Critical Introduction by Nicolai Sinai

Posted on Apr 15, 2018 by

I first read the Qur’an in English translation at the age of 18 during the summer break following my ‘A’ level exams and the start of university. Up until then I had largely only read the Qur’an in Arabic – … Continue reading →

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