DarwinPlus!

Readers’ Comments as of December 2011

STOP PRESS!!!

 ‘ I thought this would be good news to you. A friend of mine who read D+, wants to start a club on campus. The club will focus on discussing the ideas in D+ and how its message can be availed to other people, or how we could get other people to join and share views.’
Libertas, Namibia

I found DarwinPlus a most enjoyable and thought-provoking read. A formidable amount of research into science, religion, philosophy and parapsychology has been made easily accessible even to one like me who is fairly ignorant of at least three of those subjects. The book is a real page-turner.
Guy Lyon Playfair, UK

I’m about 1/3 of the way through… “and it’s fascinating! ”

I must say I enjoyed the book and I’m not just saying that to be polite. I can’t believe how much information you’ve managed to gather together. The result is excellent. I liked being able to click on the hyperlinks and look at further information on the internet.The whole idea of D+ seems entirely logical to me. The whole concept of D+ simplifies many things and provides a lot more answers than materialism. I see the book as a resource that has started me on my own personal journey of discovery. The next thing I’m going to do is read it again, before branching off into some of the books in the bibliography.
My reason for reading this book was to see somebody else’s viewpoint as science and religion didn’t provide an answer for me. I didn’t start out to believe or disbelieve the theory. However, the overwhelming feeling I had throughout reading the book was that it just ‘felt’ right. 
The historical aspects were very insightful and gave me a better understanding of how/why science and religion are where they are.
Many thanks for writing the book.  I’m going to start reading it again tonight.
Kevin, UK.

Compelling stuff and a compelling read.
Nevil, UK

It reads very well and is quite gripping – I read 8 of the early chapters straight off. It needs thinking about and re and re thinking about.
Tricia, UK

Brilliant! I think this is an important work that could potentially help a lot of people of intelligent curiosity find explanations that make sense. It is not only brilliant from a ‘technical’ scientific perspective, it is wonderfully written. Witty & a very good (not to mention easy) read.
As you so adeptly point out, the dogmatic pronouncements of ‘Science’ & ‘Religion’ leave our intelligence insulted if we try to buy into the ‘orthodox’ view put forth by either side…
It is an important book that uncovers some very hidden things & should be read (& promoted) by as many people as possible.
It really is a wonderful book.
Mark, USA

You can certainly write! I find the book attention-grabbing, lively and interesting. You make complex ideas easy to understand and are a powerful communicator. The personal journey style is definitely more gripping than abstract argument for a general reader and non-philosopher. Personal is readable.
The book is stimulating, brimful of mental energy, nicely balanced by glimpses of life on the smallholding and coping with the ME. I think it could be inspirational for many people at several levels: a plain man’s quest for meaning, and mind over matter …  You range broadly and achieve the feat of making serious thought entertaining.  It’s chatty, lively, persuasive, well-informed, extremely well-read, strong … combines thought and feeling in a heady mix. I think you may be pioneering a new style in writing about thinking. I can imagine that undergraduates would certainly find this approach a lot easier to cope with than A.J. Ayer, and more enjoyable. 
The book is full of information  – history of science, philosophy, belief, the church …  It’s an exploration into the unknown and belief that would appeal  to any serious-minded or thinking person who has asked him/herself why we’re here, what’s the meaning  of life.
A voyage of discovery, taking the reader along as a welcome passenger. John Bunyan but not a pilgrim’s progress.  A man in search of truth. Using his mind to challenge bigotry and firmly held “establishment” beliefs.   
Ruth, UK

First of all, congratulations! I think you have written an important book. Totally fascinating! I’m hooked. I can’t wait to find out where you are going with all this. Chapter on religion a real page turner. Please may I have some more?
Em, Australia

I’m finding it entertaining as well as informative, and appreciating the thorough analysis and research that’s gone into it. Long live free thought!
Lynda, UK

Just finished Darwin plus and must say that my only regret is that I don’t have a hard copy to pass on to my daughter when she’s old enough to understand the wisdom within. Also I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to write this book and especially for making me feel like a kid again when you described the mind boggling complexity of the human cell……WOW!
Russ, UK 

Bearing in mind that I do not usually read philosophy books for fun, you should qualify anything I say as the comments of a complete amateur on that speciality. However, like most people I like to think of myself as logical and reasonable, so that appeal in your argument was a strong one. I liked the blokey tone, belying the constant mixing of the complex philosophy with snatches of autobiography, scientific references, media savvy and much else. Starting from personal experience made it more immediate and helped give me a handle on the more difficult philosophy.
In short, I enjoyed it.
It’s a lively and good read, and it made me smile a lot. I think I mentioned before that in addition to the format you have written in, I think it would go down well in a broken down version of articles in e.g the review sections of The Grauniad and similar. Have you tried approaching them?
Gwynneth, UK

I think it’s interesting and original. What you propose is articulate, intelligent and well-written.
It’s good, too, to make this a personal account, to bring in your own experience, your own intellectual evolution. I don’t read much science so I don’t really know but I would’ve thought this was a unique, or at least a highly unusual approach.
It’s a massive undertaking, underpinned by much reading and thought.
Nick, UK

I read the Free Sample on my phone and it instilled a thirst for the whole book!(And later…) Amazing!! D+ is an excellent read. And, of course, it’s attention grabbing. What stands out about D+ is this; it does not force the reader to adopt what it says but it engages the reader into thinking.
Too bad Materialists would say you are against Science, but any rational thinker can see that you are against Bad Science.
(And later…) Finally done with D+. The humour in it made it an enjoyable read. Not only enjoyable, it engaged me to think, analyse, and re-think. I now see Materialism for what it is -non logical.
(And later still…) You opened a whole new world for me with D+. Some of the questions I couldn’t get answers to, you answered them with D+.
Libertas, Namibia.

Am only five chapters in and I’m fucking loving your book! Laughing my head off, posting bits on my wall and thanking Jesus h Christ Almighty that someone with a clear mind, good heart and a sense of humour can see through the Emperors New Clothes that is Materialism, Science (with a capital S), and Dawkins. (And later…) Its the personal story that humanises it and allows you to be so funny (you remind me of Terry Pratchett…) and makes it very readable. I love the way you use logic to get there..
Rodney, UK