In the Beginning: Science Faces God in the Book of Genesis [Paperback]

Isaac Asimov (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1981

Creation. The beginning of time. The origin of life. In our Western civilization, there are two influential accounts of beginnings. One is the Biblical account, compiled more than two thousand years ago by Judean writers who based much of their thinking on the Babylonian astronomical lore of the day. The other is the account of modern science, which, in the last century, has slowly built up a coherent picture of how it all began. Both represent the best thinking of their times, and in this line-by-line annotation of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, Isaac Asimov carefully and even-handedly compares the two accounts, pointing out where they are similar and where they are different. "There is no version of primeval history, preceding the discoveries of modern science, that is as rational and as inspiriting as that of the Book of Genesis," Asimov says. However, human knowledge does increase, and if the Biblical writers, "had written those early chapters of Genesis knowing what we know today, we can be certain that they would have written it completely differently." Isaac Asimov brings to this fascinating subject his wide-ranging knowledge of science and history-and his award-winning ability to explain the complex with accuracy, clarity, and wit.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: New English Library Ltd (July 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0450048675
• ISBN-13: 978-0450048678
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,443,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Presentation. Oversimplification, March 16, 2001

By 

Samuel Lorentz - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the beginning (Paperback)

Asimov states well the historical probabilities of Genesis, but simplifies it beyond the area of possability.

The J and P documents are well stated there, but if that were the whole story between Genesis 1 and 2 creation stories, then why did one of the accounts become apocraphal (much like the Keys of Enoch.)?

Other than that, Asimov did a superb job in laying out Genesis as it was, a beautiful myth.

7 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science and God ,history and reallty..., August 19, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Obninsk,Russia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Beginning ... (Hardcover)

It is two theroris,by science and by Bible of the creation of the world.You must read to understand