The Cell's Design: How Chemistry Reveals the Creator's Artistry (Paperback)

by Fazale Rana (Author)
Key Phrases: divine artist, essential gene set, intelligent design analogy, The Cell's Design, Clean Machine, The Artist's Handwriting (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Armed with cutting-edge techniques, biochemists have unwittingly uncovered startling molecular features inside the cell that compel only one possible conclusion--a supernatural agent must be responsible for life. Destined to be a landmark apologetic work, The Cell's Design explores the full scientific and theological impact of these discoveries. Instead of focusing on the inability of natural processes to generate life's chemical systems (as nearly all apologetics works do), Fazale Rana makes a positive case for life's supernatural basis by highlighting the many biochemical features that reflect the Creator's hallmark signature.

This breakthrough work extends the case for design beyond irreducible complexity. These never-before-discussed evidences for design will evoke awe and amazement at God's creative majesty in the remarkable elegance of the cell's chemistry.

From the Back Cover
The scientific evidence of design just got stronger. Armed with cutting-edge techniques, today's biochemists have uncovered startling molecular features inside the cell that can compel only one reasonable conclusion--a supernatural agent must be responsible for life. Destined to be a landmark apologetic work, The Cell's Design explores the scientific and theological impact of these discoveries. Instead of focusing on the inability of natural processes to generate life's chemical systems (as nearly all apologetics works do), Fazale Rana makes a positive case for life's supernatural origin by highlighting the many biochemical features that reflect the Creator's signature. This breakthrough book extends the case for design beyond irreducible complexity. These never-before-discussed evidences will evoke awe and amazement at God's creative majesty in the remarkable elegance of the cell's chemistry. "In Darwin's day, a living cell was thought to be quite simply--for all practical purposes--little more than a microscopic blob of gelatin. Rana lays out what contemporary science has learned about the cell's design, and he poignantly and provocatively shows that it is the handiwork of not only an Intelligent Designer but specifically the God revealed in Scripture."--Hank Hanegraaff, president, Christian Research Institute; host, Bible Answer Man broadcast "Fazale Rana's welcome sequel to Origins of Life makes a significant contribution to the growing scientific literature pointing to intelligent design."--Kenneth Boa, president, Reflections Ministries Fazale Rana is vice president of research and apologetics at Reasons To Believe. He is the coauthor, with Hugh Ross, of Origins of Life and Who Was Adam?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801068274
• ISBN-13: 978-0801068270
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,904 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive examination of how cells work, June 1, 2008

By	Richard L. Deem "Rich Deem" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Dr. Fuz Rana attempts to show that cellular biochemistry points to the existence of the Creator who designed it. Whereas most intelligent design books attempt to show the existence of design by demonstrating the existence of irreducible complexity, Dr. Rana examines the cell's biochemistry with broad strokes of how everything works together with such marvelous fidelity. So, even if a single piece or line of evidence might be dismissed as a statistical outlier, the weight of evidence makes a powerful case for design by a Creator. Each chapter begins with an analogy from the art world that relates to the topic at hand. Apparently, Dr. Rana is quite an art enthusiast.

One of my favorite sections was the discussion of how proteins are made within a cell. A large amount of the cell's molecular systems are involved in the process by which DNA is transcribed into RNA then translated into proteins. The process is like a beautifully choreographed symphony in which all the instruments come together to produce a sound that seems to be more than just the addition of the individual pieces. The protein manufacturing process is amazing in its own right. However, the quality control systems that operate at each step of the process ensure that the fidelity of the copies remain high without slowing down the process. Even so, just manufacturing proteins is not the end of the process. Many of these proteins undergo post-translational modifications, such as formation of disulfide bonds (one aspect of the protein folding process), folding of proteins into specific three-dimensional structures, addition of carbohydrate moieties, cleavage of the protein chain, and assembly into protein complexes. For most proteins, the linear structure of the protein does not define its three dimensional structure sufficiently so that it will fold properly on its own. Accessory molecules are required to ensure that the protein folds properly so that it will function as designed. How these systems co-evolved along with the proteins themselves is quite a mystery for evolutionists.

Until the last century, we humans were blissfully unaware of amazing processes operating within each cell of our bodies. Even now, recent research continues to reveal such things as epigenetic control of transcription that goes beyond the mere genetic sequences upon which it operates. With such refinements "identical" cells operate differentially within discrete microenvironments. This not a discussion of your father's biochemistry, but an up-to-date examination of the latest evidence pointing toward the design hypothesis operating within our cells. Get the book, and be awe-struck with the incredible systems operating within your body.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, the details in this Book!, July 1, 2008

By	Mike Warrior - See all my reviews

I read the whole book in five days, and it was just a wonder to behold, the detail, and the machinery (which resembles human machinery) of a living cell is amazing. I was looking for a book like this for awhile and was glad this one came along. The approach is using an art comparison rather than just using irreducible complexity. It builds a foundation of many functions in a cell and it's reasoning on why it would considered intelligent design. It also covers new discoveries which indeed have made intelligent design even stronger. Even junk DNA was found to have an important function where years past it was considered a crutch for the creationist, or believer in intelligent design. I wish it spend a little more time in this area of some of these arguments, but understand the author's focus and massive detail on the living cell and it's design.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Incredible!!, August 31, 2008

By	Baron of Locksley "Truth Champion" (Aldie, VA USA) - See all my reviews

One of the most amazing books I have ever read! This is the kind of stuff you will NEVER see in the mainstream media. Dr. Rana provides SOLID biochemical evidence that absolutely invalidates ANY attempt to explain the origin of life in random, undirected, materialistic terms. Employing extensive empirical data, Dr. Rana neither speculates nor hypothesizes in dismantling naturalistic explanations for the incredibly complex biomolecular machinery that we find at the subcellular level. I strongly recommend this book as a companion to Dr. Michael Behe's "Darwin's Black Box" for any reader who is objective and intellectually honest enough to approach this topic with an open mind. - John Donahue, BA, History and Philosophy of Science, Princeton University