Customer Reviews

Louis Pasteur: Founder of Modern Medicine (Sowers.)

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2 star:		(1)
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My son loves these books! He is 9 years old, I try to make sure I read what he is reading. I love his taste! Wonderful character building book! Highlights the achievements and character of a man following his dream and God's will. We have now read most of this series and enjoy them a great deal.

I enjoyed this book very much. It kept my attention throughout it. There were so many things that I didn't know about Pasteur. This book covered it all. I am interested in people who discover the cure for diseases. Pasteur found a lot of cures. Too bad we don't have him around now. He could use his help.

This is a great book for every age.
It tells a story that most of us have
forgot, a very important story. It's
easy reading, interesting and relevant.

This was the book that I wanted and received. I want to thank you for just having this book. Again I knew what I was getting.

Last evening, I finished reading John Tiner's fascinating book, Louis Pasteur--Founder of Modern Medicine, and have had for some time interest in learning more about this man. For example, while serving as an Advanced Placement Coordinator for The Haverford School on Philadelphia's Main Line, I received from the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) various Advanced Placement Course Description(s). Biology was included, so I looked through Neil A. Campbell's textbook, Biology, 2nd ed., the one used at the school the previous year. It was listed by CEEB as acceptable.

Campbell's book purported to be scientific but stepped over scientific boundaries into metaphysics. It labeled as "myth" the notion "that organic molecules are products of supernatural vital forces" (p.17) and affirmed the notion "that life developed on Earth from nonliving materials" (p.513). It said, "The history of life is not a story of immutable species individually created on a conservative planet" (p.9).

These statements, however, could not and cannot be supported by science. No human scientist was present in the beginning, and no modern scientist can replicate anything that comes near to the creation of life from inorganic materials.

The textbook was also inconsistent. It listed as one of the properties of life the "axiom known as biogenesis" ("Life comes only from life," p.4). If life comes only from life, how can the author of that textbook say that "life developed...from nonliving materials" and imply that "supernatural vital forces" should be excluded?

On top of this, I was appalled that one of the greatest scientific names of all time, Louis Pasteur, was excluded from the twenty-four paged index of Campbell's text. Pasteur established the Law of Biogenesis and was a major contributor to the developments of vaccination and immunization. He contributed more to world health than perhaps any other modern scientist.

Since Campbell's textbook worshipped the notion of evolution ("the one biological theme that unifies all others: evolution," p.117), one wonders if Pasteur was excluded from the index (downplaying his contribution) because he demolished the prevalent and naive evolutionary notion of spontaneous generation.

Then, recently, I looked on the Internet for reviews of Tiner's book. One person was "horrified" that the author wrote these words: "This conclusion directly contradicted the theory of evolution. Instead, it supported the biblical account of Creation." These words of Tiner are found on page 173, but the critic should not have been "horrified."

On page 145, Tiner wrote that Pasteur spoke certain words to a veterinarian named Biot, who had been very skeptical of Pasteur's germ theory. Tiner reported Pasteur as saying: "Well, allow me to remind you of the words of the Gospel: Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance." How many modern evolutionists are there today who would find these words offensive? I found them refreshing.

But was Tiner making things up? Apparently not! René Vallery-Rado, son-in-law of Pasteur and perhaps the first to write a biography of Pasteur, reported these words about Pasteur in his biography. Notice that Tiner was making an exact quotation. These words are found in René Vallery-Rado's biography of Pasteur: "I then said to one of the veterinary surgeons who were present, 'Did I not read in a newspaper, signed by you, a propos of the virulant little organism of saliva, "There! one more microbe...."?' `It is true,' he immediately answered, honestly. 'But I am a converted and repentant sinner. `Well,' I answered, `allow me to remind you of the words of the Gospel: Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.'"

There are many today who scorn the notion that science can be in harmony with Christianity, but Roman Catholic Louis Pasteur apparently was glad to be able to encourage his former critic with words from Creator Christ Himself.

In summary, Pasteur did not believe life comes from non-life (an evolutionary construct) but did affirm words of Life's Originator (cf. Luke 15:7). Tiner's book is excellent; I highly recommend it--perhaps even more-so for adults.

Beware, this seems like a regular informational book about Louis Pasteur, and is written in a way that makes it appropriate for school kids grades 4-8. However, this book contains quotes like, "This conclusion directly contradicted the theory of evolution. Instead, it supported the biblical account of Creation." The back cover of the book is marked as follows, "CHRISTIAN CHARACTER... A Most Precious Gift."

I was absolutely horrified that a seemingly neutral and factual book about so famous a scientist could contain this kind of subjective interpretation. So Buyer Beware!

If this kind of material had been excluded, I could have given this book 5 stars, but had to give it 2 instead.