4 out of 4 stars
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How much of one’s life is predetermined? Is there such a thing as fate? Why would a loving God allow bad things to happen? In The Double Helix, Dr. Ahamed Kutty discusses predestination, fate, religion, and genetics. According to him, “human beings function physically and mentally through the action of DNA and genetics.” Consequently, “fate or predetermination can be explained based on the information that we carry in each cell in our body.”
The author puts God in a central place as he examines these subjects. According to Kutty, God has predetermined everything about each human being long before birth. In other words, fate got established in each genome by God. Hence, He has intrinsic control and knowledge of all that has happened and will happen, although He does not micromanage each ramification. These assertions sure seem plausible to me.
I enjoyed this book very much. In my opinion, its best aspect is how the author manages to combine modern science with traditional religious beliefs. This combination is not an easy one, but the author accomplishes it beautifully. Kutty not only reveled in the conciliation of science and religion, but he also explained fate cleverly and clearly. I appreciated the thoughtful analogies and metaphors, such as the book of life and the angel of death.
Above all, I liked the illuminating perspective on the Muslim faith. I felt this was a noteworthy positive point. As a Christian woman, I don’t get to know or talk to many Muslims, if any, so this title was a welcome opportunity to learn a little bit about the pillars of Islam. I was pleasantly surprised to discover several commonalities between the Bible and the Quran, both of which get cited throughout the book. I valued the all-embracing and generous spirit that permeated The Double Helix.
I also thought that the scientific aspects were well woven. The explorations of Darwinian evolution, mutations, and epigenetics – the activation of genes by external influences – were instructive. I particularly liked the insightful examples of how epigenetics can be related to Hindu and Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions and beliefs. I thought that the author’s conviction was heart-warming; he referred to epigenetics as an “endorsement of the sayings of the Prophet.”
In closing, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It had no noteworthy negative points and seemed professionally edited (with just a few minor errors). I believe it bears a positive, peaceful, and heartening message. To me, it was almost a feel-good book. I highly recommend it to those who are interested in an open-minded conciliation of science and religion. If you are a pronounced skeptic, you should probably skip this one.
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The double Helix
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