Now, let’s be honest – at some time or another, we’ve probably all felt we had this weird thing called life all figured out, only to be slapped down and reminded what specks of nothingness we really are in this great cosmos. Well, Brett Ashcroft Harrison not only thinks he knows the meaning of life and indeed the origins of life, he’s gone and written it all down in a book – Humans : From Nothing to Now. Harrison doesn’t hold back anything; this truly is the Every man's definitive guide to the Theory of Everything. The author takes us from the tiny dot that contains everything and nothing that was the beginning of our universe all the way through to why we are here, what our role is in the cosmos, and what the future may hold for us. The point to note here is that Harrison has no pretensions to being a theoretical physicist, or a Stephen Hawking – he is actually a design engineer and yet he has created this amazing Theory of Everything, that if nothing else, is worth reading just for the sheer balls of the author to challenge the existing scientific status quo.
I admit, physics was never my forte at school and I found myself totally at sea with some of Brett Ashcroft Harrison’s explanations as to how the universe was formed. I know he tried hard to put things in layman’s terms, but much of that still went straight over this reader’s head (It’s okay – I don’t understand the Big Bang Theory, either). I found the second half of the book to be more engaging on a personal level than the first. The author’s description of the purpose of humanity and the individual’s role within that purpose drew on some concepts I was familiar with and agreed with, but other aspects really challenged my thinking and made me look deeper at my own motivations, which I’m sure was the general purpose. Humans: From Nothing to Now is well worth the effort of reading. We should always be looking for other, plausible theories on life and this is an interesting view on Everything by one man.
For readers hungering for a mind-expanding dip into new philosophical explorations, Humans: From Nothing to Now by Brett Ashcroft Harrison is an ideal read.Delving into some of the most complex and stymying questions known to us, this book is not for the faint of heart, but it is also written in terms that anyone can understand. Rather than taking a scientific or religious approach, Harrison tries to explain profound truths through a new avenue – the perspective of human achievement and discovery.From quantum mechanics and primal brain development to humanity’s penchant for artistic expression and the spark of life itself, this book will challenge what you already know, and shine a light into corners you might not have even considered.Most impressively, the book is written in easy-to-understand terms, with clearly laid out arguments that are easy to follow, yet doesn’t talk down to the reader. The two main parts of the book are brilliantly juxtaposed, with each informing and supporting the other.To create a new manual for humanity’s understanding of itself is an incredibly tall task, and while there are certain holes in Harrison’s overarching theory, the book overall is eye-opening and persuasive. Importantly, while the writing is informative, and seems to suggest answers, it doesn’t veer into proselytizing or preaching, which could have easily undermined the book’s credibility.Overall, Humans: From Nothing to Now delivers an honest and unbiased opinion on the nature of existence, resulting in an exceptionally rewarding read.