Overview

Did you know that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all the world's beaches? Did you know that there are more atoms in a single grain of sand than there are grains of sand and almost as many as the number of stars? Did you know that almost every one of our 37 trillion cells contains three feet of DNA, or enough in total that, if laid end to end, would form a DNA string stretching to Pluto? Did you know that there was no first Homo sapiens? Did you know that a grizzly bear can smell a carcass from 18 miles away? Did you know that the mantis shrimp can see a rainbow of colors unimaginable to us, with its 16 color receptors to our three? Did you know we humans have fewer genes in our cells than a water flea? In More Stars Than Grains of Sand: Wonders, Wonderment-and Religion, Al Forsyth presents a broad range of such surprising wonders of the natural and physical world, with color photos of many, to stretch our conception of the world and where humans stand in it. Are we in the middle of spectrums of size, abilities, and other traits, or are we at one extreme or the other? Because so many of the wonders stretch our understanding of the very large and very small, an introductory section of the book helps the reader understand very large and very small numbers, using familiar analogies. The book presents 52 groups of wonders, one for each week of the year. The author strongly urges reading the book slowly, letting the new knowledge presented percolate and deeply affect our thinking about ourselves and the world. As the subtitle of the book suggests, the author makes a strong argument that wonders can promote wonderment, and that wonderment embraces a sense of awe that is basic to religions. In fact, the case is made that appreciation of wonder and the resulting wonderment, combined with adherence to the Golden Rule, are sufficient dimensions of a religion, a new religion based in science that avoids many of the pitfalls of traditional religions. More Stars Than Grains of Sand will open your eyes, expand your mind and help you place yourself in the world - wonders leading to wonderment - and permit you to contemplate, if you like, a new religion based on science.

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You can randomly open to any page and be amazed. I particularly enjoy sharing these wonders with my kids. I expect this book will spark a love of science and exploration of the natural world in its readers. --- C.C., physician, Bellevue, WA Wonderment and a sense of awe come naturally as you contemplate this material. . . . Every minute spent reading this book and thinking about what you have read is time well spent. --- A.D.L., attorney, Los Angeles, CA This is a charming little book. It is filled with new perspectives on the world, and of the universe, that really do instill a sense of wonder. This is a book that deserves to be sipped and savored. It is hard to think about 'More Stars' without smiling. --- H.B.L., educator, Portland, OR . . . this book has made me curious to learn more about subjects I haven't given much thought to up to this point. . . . I'm a huge trivia nerd, so this book is right up my alley. --- B.J.L., clinical psychologist, VT This is an excellent, thought-provoking book! The title alone is staggering to ponder! . . . As outgrowths of related philosophical inquiry, it is appropriate that both science and religion should ultimately meet, as they do in this book. --- R.W., retired Theology and Music educator, and D.J.W., retired Art educator, Akron, OH Dr. Forsyth's little book is a delight. . . . Our grandchildren have fascinated by many of the strange-yet-wonderous facts about our world, indeed about our universe, found in More Stars Than Grains of Sand. It is a small gem. --- C.C., retired physician, and B.C., retired elementary teacher, Logan, UT Fascinating and surprising insights into the natural world, from the very smallest to the very largest, the closest to the most remote. This book gives the reader much to ponder, as the author takes us on a journey that enlightens and moves us to wonder. --- S.V.S., retired English professor, Northampton, MA Great book to instill awe in all of us. --- R.C.

Author Information

Al Forsyth is a retired professor of Teacher Education (Weber State University, Ogden, UT). Born in commuter-belt New York, he attended Brown University (B.A., French Literature, 1967), Columbia University (M.A., Geography, 1972) and Utah State University (Ed.D., Educational Technology, 1987). Before his career in higher education, he worked at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH, as an educational writer, and at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC, as an educational materials designer.Al and his wife are empty nesters , living in Logan, UT, and snow-birding in Tucson, AZ. They have two married children and three grandchildren who are just starting to experience the wonders of the world. Al enjoys hiking, golfing (required by his Scottish ancestry) and playing the cello. He is currently between dogs.His favorite saying is Moderation in all things, including moderation.

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