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Improbable Planet

by Hugh Ross, Baker Books, © 2017,
288 pages, $16.99 (paperback), ISBN-13: 978-0801075438

This is another outstanding book by Hugh Ross. The subtitle of the book is “How Earth Became Humanity's Home.” Ross examines the processes God used to prepare this planet for human life. Although the book is somewhat technical, it is very readable since Ross explains things in a very understandable way.

The book deals with perplexing questions such as, “Why are there so many species on Earth?” and “Why such a huge universe?” Ross also explains why we are in this location in a spiral galaxy and why that galaxy is in the right location in the universe. Everything presented is thoroughly documented with many footnotes for those who want to study further into any of the topics.

The extreme fine-tuning of the entire cosmos right down to our planet is explained in a way that leaves the reader in awe. Not only are we in the right location in the cosmos for advanced life to exist and thrive, but we are also in the “best imaginable site for a view of the wonders of the universe.” As physicist Freeman Dyson wrote, “The more I examine the universe and study the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe in some sense must have known we were coming.”

Speaking of architecture, this book takes the approach of constructing a building. When we set out to build a home, there are things we must keep in mind. We need the right construction materials and the right neighborhood. Then we must make preparations and construct the proper foundation. Along with the main construction, we must plan for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. Then we add the finishing touches to make it ready for occupancy. That is the approach Hugh Ross takes to explain the steps God took to prepare this planet we call home. That approach makes this technical book easy to comprehend. We highly recommend this book for anyone interested in scientific apologetics.

— Reviewed by Roland Earnst