A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of an Eternal Truth [Hardcover]

Stephen L. Gibson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2007

This is the story of two high-school pals from the Midwest for whom a personal tragedy sets in motion a journey of inquiry that spans a lifetime of cruel and glorious twists, and culminates in an astonishing discovery. Ian wants answers his faith can't provide, so he abandons traditional religion and its magic, mysticism, and supernaturalism, turning instead to science and reason. Bill's path has become that of a devoted Christian who sees the bountiful harvest that can be achieved through spirituality and faith. When profound revelations lead each friend to uncover shocking historical "secrets" in support of his own worldview, their odyssey plays out on a global stage, with tragic consequences. Only by embracing the inherent mystery and pain of their quest do Ian and Bill make the discovery that really matters--a genuine secret of the universe. As emotional and hopeful as it is hard-hitting and brutally honest, Gibson's dramatic allegory is fundamentally about beliefs. It's about how we come to form "knowledge" about the big questions in life: God, sexual ethics, morals, political ideology--even which medical treatments we will choose to fight our cancers. More importantly, it's about how those beliefs affect our actions, our lives, and the world around us! Told through two friends' struggle to make sense of life's triumphs and tragedies--which they interpret through very different religious filters--A Secret of the Universe is both a mirror through which each of us can view our human fallibility, and an illuminating path out of the dogmatism and violence that ail us.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lifelong friends Ian and Bill begin life down the path of Midwestern middle class marriage, family, jobs, and neighborhoods. Then, tragic events push Bill deep into the comfort zone of his family and Christian fundamentalism, while Ian takes off on a quest for truth, examining all beliefs through the lens of reason. A rift in the friendship grows into a chasm as Ian delves into an endeavor that may detonate the foundation of Christianity.

Through his employer, Ian meets a group of scholars who open a door to knowledge that both stuns and captivates. This path of inquiry is hidden in plain sight, known by some historians and biblical scholars, yet concealed from the public by academic reluctance to spotlight such a provocative theory without comprehensive proof. It is Ian who spearheads the task of bringing together scientists and theologians to assemble proof for the theory that one character describes as "revealing a secret of the universe."

Ian's questions, however, lead him to reveal just how out of step he is with his Midwestern community. "At some point, I just need to stop letting people believe I'm still the guy they've always known," he says. Though the cost of Ian's quest is apparent to others ("These guys must have a death wish") he is not self-reflective, driving himself to see the project through to the end. The bonds of friendship and community draw the two friends together again when the shadow side of faith sends the world into chaos, and an even deeper secret emerges.

Author Gibson takes the hard questions head-on and weaves multiple points of view, including the omniscient storyteller, allowing the reader enough distance to step out of the story and dig into the references in the back of the book. In fact, several characters are actual researchers and theologians, set in fiction. Fans of Gibson's nonfiction release, Truth-Driven Thinking, will recognize the author's dedication to the quest for truth, and many readers who delight in a well-researched cautionary tale might find themselves dog-earing pages and taking notes as they enjoy the story. (August)--Carol Lynn Stewart

With very little of the world's headlines making sense to those millions who read or watch them, this novel or story form of addressing the glue that holds people's perceptions together is a healthy start toward healing. ... [The book] is thoughtful, challenging, and provides some good scholarship as practiced today as a bait for the author's very worthwhile truth-driven thinking. It will doubtless cause debate: it will hopefully provoke some thoughtful changes. --Grady Harp, one of Amazon's elite Top 10 Reviewers!

It is a story about ... the most important secret the world could discover. ... The writing is tight and brilliantly executed. ... I dare readers to pick up this book and read it with an open mind. You won't be sorry. I wholeheartedly recommend A Secret of the Universe. --Heather Froeschl, author, editor, and book reviewer, Bookideas.com

About the Author

Stephen L. Gibson has been a successful entrepreneur, corporate pilot, consultant, elected school official, and community volunteer. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, however, his nascent fascination with the origins of human belief and knowledge --epistemology-- grew into a journey of introspection and inquiry that has been both invigorating and painful. Thousands of people have come to share Steve's journey of discovery through his candid writings, DVDs, and netcasts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Truth-Driven Strategies, LLC (October 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979388007
• ISBN-13: 978-0979388002
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,257,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

On paper, I have been a successful entrepreneur, corporate pilot, consultant, elected school official, and community volunteer. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, however, my nascent fascination with the origins of human belief and knowledge --epistemology-- grew into a journey of introspection and inquiry that has been both invigorating and painful. (Hear my regular podcast at www.truthdriventhinking.com.) Is there a higher virtue than truth? It's a haunting question in some respects. Perhaps hope, faith? My answer, however, has been "no." While difficult in ways, my "religion" of truth has been liberating and envigorating. I invite you to follow me in my effort to put ego aside and ask the tough questions, of myself (ourselves) and others, in pursuit of truth. I invite you to join me in being all that we can be, opening our minds, and hopefully leaving the world just a little better off than we found it, in the process.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Epistemology and How to Encourage It, October 24, 2007

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of an Eternal Truth (Hardcover)

With very little of the world's headlines making sense to those millions who read or watch them, this novel or story form of addressing the glue that holds people's perceptions together is a healthy start toward healing. Author Stephen L. Gibson (' Truth-Driven Thinking: An Examination of Human Emotion and Its Impact on Everyday Life') is a young campaigner for epistemology - the science of studying the origins of human belief and knowledge as examined through basing all thought on truth. Instead of electing to create what could have been a dry discourse on science and religion and how the two intertwine, Gibson has demonstrated his own personal journey through a story involving the friendship of two boys/men, one (Bill) is a devoted literalistic, evangelical Christian while the other (Ian) seeks to explain the holes in the blind faith religion of his upbringing, choosing instead to question every aspect of every form of 'religions', looking for the proof or truth of each and how these religions have so profoundly influenced human behavior.

The characters created to enact the drama of this philosophical exercise are interesting enough to propel the reader through the far too long (576 pages) book. Spanning a time frame from 1985 to 2010 the story is essentially one of coming of age of two boys from Michigan (the author's home) and how they respond to love, death, tragedy, marriage, children, personal losses and personal triumphs, terrorism, and individual soul searching. If the polarity between these two lads strays a bit at times, the reasons are to explain the author's plan for revealing the bifurcated facets between blind faith religion and re-examined religion: Conservative Bill (who believes that such things as premarital sex and homosexuality are sick and are abominations to God) while inquisitive Ian joins forces to form a group of intellects called The Desoterica, a conclave committed to re-examining the Bible and the Koran and other religious writings to see how 'truth' reveals how much of what the world has accepted as fact is actually a mixture of myth, copy discrepancies about events that have been altered by influences and human needs to make the universe understandable. For example, the Desoterica goes to the Old and New Testament to trace the expectations of the Jews for a Messiah and how those expectations resulted in a splinter group who created a man - Jesus of Nazareth - described by four different men (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) - in disparate ways, demonstrating that time has pasted pieces together and created a myth out of need, a myth that cannot be based on truth from the very source from which it is taken: there are significant variations in the concept of the Virgin Birth, the resurrection, the human form son of God who is the only path to heaven, etc.

Gibson has done his research (and shares it in the appendices of this tome) and has successfully created a book that will challenge the reader no matter the end of the spectrum from which each reader begins this journey, a positive effect during this time Gibson calls 'this very difficult period of history...a tribal retreat'. A SECRET OF THE UNIVERSE is a wise title: the operative word is 'A' secret not 'the' secret. And while that 'secret' as revealed at book's end is a bit precious and less adventuresome that the bulk of the novel, it at least provides a leveling ground for the philosophy discussed. Many people will be polarized by this book, but isn't that a healthy beginning to opening wide discussions about the very sources of thinking that have lead us to where we are in 2007?

Though few would describe this as a Great Novel (the writing, while often interesting, is too often caught up in sidebar excursions that somehow too frequently end up in conversations in the cockpit of an airplane!), for this reader it is worth the time required to read it through, despite the tedious passages. It is thoughtful, challenging, and provides some good scholarship as practiced today as a bait for the author's very worthwhile truth-driven thinking. It will doubtless cause debate: it will hopefully provoke some thoughtful changes. Grady Harp, October 07

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I dare readers to pick up this book and read it with an open mind., August 2, 2007

By 

Heather Froeschl (Callaway, Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of an Eternal Truth (Hardcover)

How do we develop our fundamental beliefs? Why do we hold tight to wishes, prayers, karma, holiday traditions, shooting stars, mythologies and faith? Is it because our parents told us to or because we've researched for ourselves, because Wikipedia has an article about it or some great scholar has written a book? In Stephen L. Gibson's novel, "A Secret of the Universe," readers are welcome to come to understand some of the reasons we have faith, and our ever changing beliefs, hopefully discovering the secret along the way.

Two friends, Ian and Bill, who went to high school together, have their own views of the universe. Their worlds co-exist, mingle throughout life, and affect the others' in ways only true friends can comprehend. There is intense joy and pain in each character's life, and such is reflected on the other. Through tragedy, each is brought to a pivotal point where what they believe leads them to the next step on their life's path; and, their next step in life effectively leads their beliefs. Into each life a little religion, sex and politics must fall, and these two friends address each topic openly. Their discussions and inner revelations surely reflect those of millions of people who will see themselves in black and white. Bill finds great comfort and support in his faith in God and his Christianity. Ian seeks answers through science and reason. Each of the men finds solid "proof" that reaffirms their views. This is no slight undertaking and the revealed secrets will shock the world as one of the men's beliefs inspires a seven year, intense, study that becomes very public. On the personal front, each of the friends has complex home situations. Emotional and poignant, questionable and tragic, the events in their love lives are often a catalyst for further inspection of their beliefs and the reasons why they hold those beliefs.

What is most interesting is the meticulous amount of research that was done in the writing of this book. Stephen Gibson offers pages of footnotes for readers to further explore his points and this gives each point of view a strong backbone. Did Jesus Christ, the man, truly exist? Or do we just need him to have? At the very least, this book will inspire readers to examine why they believe the things that they do. It condemns none, but rather embraces the positives of various viewpoints and encourages readers to do the same, no matter what your faith.

The writing is tight and brilliantly executed. The characters are downright human with their thought processes and flaws exposed for all to see. The plot reflects extensive planning and encompasses the warmth of home, and the cold reality of terrorism, all at the same time. It is a story about love, life, religion, science, research, goals, death, terrorists, culture, politics, morals, our fundamental beliefs, and the most important secret the world could discover. It is a book about why we believe the things we believe in, why mythology exists, why we need it to, and its very fundamental purpose. I dare readers to pick up this book and read it with an open mind. You won't be sorry. I wholeheartedly recommend "A Secret of the Universe."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent resource, November 12, 2007

By 

S. Carlson (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Secret of the Universe: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Discovery of an Eternal Truth (Hardcover)

My, oh my. What a unique and enthralling book. As many of you know, over recent years there have been a spate of "apocalyptic" fiction novels by Tim Lehay and Jerry Jenkins, once serious writers. These novels pretend that a certain end of times will come and play out various adventures against this backdrop.
This book by Stephen L. Gibson is perhaps a much more thoughtful and honest addition to the genre. In this case, the story is not according to a fanciful script designed to appeal to true believers that already buy the "case" outlined in the backdrop. Instead, Gibson presents a novel whose two primary characters, close friends, begin from the same spiritual place, shift to divergent views, and then through the unfolding of the story come to a place of mutual acceptance and respect for each other's beliefs. Beyond that perhaps, they come to somewhat of a unification of those beliefs, though each from a differing perspective.

I suppose this is the Holy Grail of much of the spiritual community. Can their be a unified theory of religion that transcends tribal fundamentalism, and thereby makes our world a more peaceful and safer place? The book opens the door a crack to that possibility with its promise of opening a portal to free discussion and debate.

In the course of the novel, Gibson takes the reader through a primer of current thoughts by both christians and atheists. (Atheist is a challenging word to use because it conjures up certain images which do not adequately describe it. An atheist can be spiritual and very comfortable in Eastern and New Age philosophy which have fabulous and generous value systems). In the novel, he provides sufficient detail to build a general understanding of the differing stances and provides enough names and reference materials to give the reader a road-map for further exploration. The "story" of the novel is sufficiently interesting to keep the reader engaged.

Cameo appearances by such luminaries as Bishop John Shelby Spong provide opportunity for dialog in which inquiring minds have access to many answers in keeping with these thinker's philosophies. These passages can be somewhat lengthly but it is here that the nuggets are found. Gibson also injects many passages of Christian scripture with some textual scholarship, pointing out error or matters of uncertainty or alternative interpretation.

The truth is that there is a Secret of the Universe. No one knows what it is, all we can be certain of is that it is beyond our experience and therefore our limited ability to comprehend. Gibson provides some thoughts on what it might be.

While the conclusion leaves many questions unanswered, perhaps that is the point. It attempts to draw a cozy ending where love is what matters most and the parties to the story come together in that spirit of love around the death of one protagonist. While this could certainly happen in real life, it does not resolve anything. Yes, peace is at hand for the few in that room, but war still rages for the millions out here.

I recommend this book not for it's poetry or prose, nor for it's throat grabbing suspense, but for it's honest and thorough addressing of contemporary issues in the context of "story". The world could not help but be a better place if we and our children read more books like this and fewer trivial, materialistic, megalomaniacal, or meaningless fantasies.