How did it all start? What was there in the beginning? The brilliant stars, distant galaxies, the sun, the moon, and our planet Earth. What is the future? This book gives a simplified understanding to our readers of the Big Bang theory. Take a look at the beginning and evolution of life. How, where, and when did the humans first arrive on the scene? What was the journey of humans out of Africa and peopling of the rest of the world like?
Storytelling was important in most ancient cultures. The universal theme of how our world was created was explored by our ancestors over millennia. Our inquisitive readers are given a glimpse of our ancient cultures through 48 fascinating stories of indigenous people from all six continents. These stories reflect a deeper understanding of the culture it arose from and its place in the larger human narrative.
The final part explores Antarctica, the seventh continent. Apart from stating its importance in geology and our climate, the book tells exciting stories of semi-permanent human settlement in this remote continent. It then takes young readers on a journey through the continent's wonders, such as singing ice, blood falls, and many others.
How did it all start? What was there in the beginning? The brilliant stars, distant galaxies, the sun, the moon, and our planet Earth. What is the future? This book gives a simplified understanding to our readers of the Big Bang theory. Take a look at the beginning and evolution of life. How, where, and when did the humans first arrive on the scene? What was the journey of humans out of Africa and peopling of the rest of the world like?
Storytelling was important in most ancient cultures. The universal theme of how our world was created was explored by our ancestors over millennia. Our inquisitive readers are given a glimpse of our ancient cultures through 48 fascinating stories of indigenous people from all six continents. These stories reflect a deeper understanding of the culture it arose from and its place in the larger human narrative.
The final part explores Antarctica, the seventh continent. Apart from stating its importance in geology and our climate, the book tells exciting stories of semi-permanent human settlement in this remote continent. It then takes young readers on a journey through the continent's wonders, such as singing ice, blood falls, and many others.
How did it all start? Where did we come from? Is a conglomeration of facts and stories by a man of science. The book briefly traces the origins of the universe and the evolution of the human species with scientific and anthropological descriptions. After inculcating scientific curiosity, the author shifts to a subject that has always fascinated me - mythological tales.
Biku Ghosh brings together his research and narrates stories of origin and creation from global cultures. Reference material, such as external links to Wikipedia, encourages the reader to research and learn more. The tales open up a world of imagination and allow comparing how the world perceived nature and our origins on this planet. This is a good book for young readers and adults alike to see how the ancients tried to make sense of great cosmic mysteries and created beautiful stories.
Many tales are about the first man and woman and how the Supreme Power warned them against doing something. When they did not heed, the humans lost their connection and communicative abilities with nature. Many stories talk about the turtle, the ocean, the sun - as significant players in the origin of life. The ancients filled their stories with marvel, magic, and caution to follow prescribed social and cultural rules.
The book offers trivia, for example, how did the term “Hindu” evolve; who coined the term Aurora Borealis; which country has the most languages in the world; which ancient culture does not have any story of creation, and so on. Stories range from large civilizations to small tribes, such as in India. There are photos and sketches as well.
While I appreciate the book's value for general awareness, it is not a literary effort. It is a reference book and bland in its approach. It had much scope to be made into exciting reading. The stories could have been livelier, with a touch of fine prose and even poetry. An illustrator could have embellished the book with fine art. It could have evolved into an attractive coffee-table book or a wonderful gift for young readers. I hope the writer can bring forth a more engrossing edition.