Customer Reviews

Anita's Legacy

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Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Was the 'Big Bang' theory just a big hoax or did the world come about after a violent explosion?

Questions, questions, questions.

And few satisfying answers. "Why is there something instead of nothing?" ponders Gurpur M Prabhu, the author of Anita's Legacy - An inquiry into first cause and goes on to provide new insights into matters using physics, metaphysics, philosophy and spirituality.

And the result is a novel that marks a clean departure from a whole genre of fiction. For those who have had their fill of romantic capers and adventure sagas, Anita's Legacy... offers a welcome break.

At the centre of the story is Anita, an inquisitive teenager with a probing mind that questions the established tenets of religion and physics and seeks answers. Her mentor who endeavours to come up with answers to her queries is a retired Major Norman Kay, an agnostic at heart. Then there are the girl's parents Alan, a research scholar, and Meg, and Anita's romantic interest Chris.

With these characters Prabhu has woven a tale that takes the reader on a quest for first cause and it is to his credit that he has been able to sustain interest right through, making optimal use of science and religion, the Bible, the Gita and the works of Omar Khayyam, to elucidate his theories and substantiate his arguments.

A mixture of fact and fiction blended with care, the book ends with the death of Anita and Major Kay, both dying with many of their questions unanswered and their theories un-corroborated. And perhaps for the first time a book has a surfeit of blurbs, credits from lay readers and established writers that sing praises and highlight the book's intrinsic values.

The author's simple, lucid style carries appeal, scientific jargon notwithstanding. A certain degree of poignancy and a tinge of sadness also enhance the book's value considerably.

-- C. V. Aravind, Deccan Herald Newspaper, Bangalore, India, Sunday, May 27, 2001

I was raised Catholic and had many beliefs that were difficult to reconcile as I grew older. Anita's Legacy helped me sift through my former tenets and "see" more clearly God's plan. I am indebted to the author.

In Prof. Prabhu's book there is something more than just a story about an ancient martyr. Restoring to us the times in which the discrepancy between science and mysticism was unknown, he encourages us to direct our efforts to both these objectives simultaneously and to derive therefrom the paradigm for scientists who today are confused about the mystery of God. And although I resent some of Prabhu's remarks about Christianity, I find the purpose of his novel admirable. -- Professor Maria Dzielska, Poland

I finished the book in a pretty short time. The middle parts gave me a chill and excitement much like a mystery novel. Major Kay and Anita were very likeable characters and I simply loved them both. The book made me think a lot about the unbearable heaviness of nonexistence. It is a very thought provoking book and I enjoyed reading it a lot. --Okan Zabunoglu, Ankara, Turkey

This book not only provoked deep questions about science, religion, and God, but also touched upon the lighter side of human life. I found the dialogues between the children and adults fascinating. The author's portrayal of characters is superb. Scenes from the life of graduate students and professors are so real that one feels to be a part of this book.

I was moved to tears reading the book. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Since Snow Crash (Stephenson) this book is the only one I have found that mixed science, fiction, and religion (metaphysics) in such a powerful way. It is a book everyone must have.

The German philosopher Martin Heidegger once described the "big" question of why there is something rather than nothing as "the darkest subject of all." In this book, Prabhu endeavors to shed some light on the dark topic. The matter used to (and perhaps still does) exist within the domain of Aristotle's "First Cause" argument for the existence of God. In recent times, the concept's most popular vehicle has been the scientific theory of the Big Bang, based on Einstein's theory of relativity and Hubble's discovery of the redshift of (apparently) receding galaxies. This equal-opportunity theory has been utilized by both atheists and theologians alike to justify their own views.

Enter Prabhu. This is the story of a young girl who has quite a precocious array of talents and interests in physics, astronomy and cosmology. Through her, Prabhu voices some fascinating ideas on how some of the basic precepts of 20th century cosmology might be interepreted differently than they normally are. The book attempts to discern a nexus between implications of science and traditional religions (certainly Prahbu is not the first person to attempt thus). Whether Prabhu is right or wrong, I do not know. All I can say that his notions are worth pondering.

On the downside, Prabhu is not the most elegant writer in the world. He uses myriad short, choppy sentences and invokes cliches a bit often. His diction also gets a bit "preachy" at times in which a more subtle approach would have been more effective.

However, while nobody will mistake Prabhu for Hemingway, this book is still well worth the read; I do not want to under-emphasize that point. A modest familiarity with Hinduism and 20th century science is recommended, but not essential. Some companion books which might be prudent to read alongside the present text are: "The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn, "Atheism, Theism And Big Bang Cosmology" by William Craig Lane and Quentin Smith and "Times Arrow And Archimedes Point" by Huw Price (although I would advocate the latter only to those who possess more than a passing interest in the subject matter of Prabhu's novel).

I read the book very quickly, in two days, just engrossed by the cosmology described in it. Having been raised in Southern Illinois, I am amazed that an Indian author's lead character could resemble my grandfather so closely. I am sure I will enjoy reading this book again.--Kathy Hanson, Ames, IA

I have read your book more than once and enjoyed it very much. I've highlighted many passages where your power of expression has been fantastic. So impressed was I by your writing that I have included your book in the bibliography of my book on science and spirituality.--Prof V. Krishnamurthy, Chennai, India

A book that I will treasure for its insights into the most fundamental question of first cause. I prefer biographical novels to straight biographies, and especially enjoyed this allegorical unification of philosophy, science, and religion. It's a book that I can come back to with interest and enthusiasm. --Prof. Art Gittleman