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Endorsements and Reviews |
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Book
Review “Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation: the Explorer’s Guide to the Awesome Works of God” Dennis Petersen This could be the one! This could be the book to break through with the message of God’s Creation to both average Christians across the U.S. (not to mention overseas!) and even soften the hearts of the general public to the message of creation science as well.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation
is not filled with difficult technical terms though it could serve as a
catalyst for those who want to first get an overall view of creation
theory today and then to study particular areas of interest in detail
later.
This
fine volume should be on coffee tables and in classrooms everywhere!
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Ian
Taylor,
author of the 1986 widely distributed creationism classic book, In
the Minds of Men, wrote this brief preliminary impression after
receiving Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation (2002 color version) in
October, 2002.
“It
has been said that we all come into this world pre-programmed with four
questions: Where did I come from? Who am I? Why am I here?
And Where am I going?
Clearly, if we don’t get the right answer to the first question
there is little likelihood of getting the right answers to the second
and third. Petersen’s
long-awaited new book, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, is one
of those turning-point books that future Christians will look back to
and say, “That was the book that answered so many of my questions when
I was seeking to know my purpose in life.”
People of all ages ask those same questions and, whether they are
nine or ninety, they will find, faithful to its title, these 240 pages
of easy-to-read text provide sensible
answers in line with God’s Word.
Whether
explaining the origin of whales or of mankind, every page of this
large-format, hard-back book is filled with color and pictures.
It’s one of those
few books that immediately rivets the reader’s attention, drawing him
away from the banal offerings of the TV.
I
suggest that Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation may well be,
more than any other, the one book that will prepare the inquiring minds
of the next generation of Christians. Ian Taylor
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| Jim Perloff is the author of the best selling 1999
defense of creation and critique of evolution, Tornado in a Junkyard. I have now finished reading the new "Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation." It is certainly the most beautiful book ever published on creation, and is very possibly the best book on the whole subject, period. It is only fitting that a book meant to convey God's majestic design be itself so well-designed. It holds your attention throughout--never a dull moment. I learned plenty from reading the book. The woodpecker argument, for example, is one that stands out in my mind as an argument against evolution. Those zillions of woodpeckers smashing their beaks and getting concussions until finally, one day, one of them got a mutation that made the beak a little harder! I liked the adaptation of Bill Morgan's argument from thermodynamics and cause & effect. I did not underscore thermodynamics in my own book, because I thought it hard for most people to easily grasp; but the passage in "Unlocking" is the most persuasive presentation of the Thermodynamics argument I have seen. There was plenty of information I hadn't seen before--for example, dragon/dinosaur sightings not mentioned in Cooper or other creationist writings I had read on the subject. "Unlocking" also makes the best case I've seen for the superiority of our ancestors. Unfortunately, the speculative nature of some parts of that, along with the mention of Paluxy, will probably rule this book out for AIG. But Dennis, I did think you did a marvelous job of explicating exactly what the story is on the Paluxy footprints. Congratulations on an outstanding book! Best wishes, Jim Perloff
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Dr.
David Stewart is a veteran university geophysics teacher, natural health
specialist, traveling therapist and seminar speaker, and author of the
2002 book, “The Healing Oils of the Bible.”
He wrote in October 2002 about the new book… Dear
Dennis God
has led me to your book as a resource for my own. Some of your ideas,
including the idea that the laws of nature as we know them today, are
not necessarily the laws that applied during creation. In fact, I have a
little publication I wrote some 30 years ago entitled, God's
Existence: Can Science Prove
it? that proves that the same laws of physics we know today could not have
been in effect at that
time. Your
book is having a profound effect on my thinking
and will surely make a difference in the final outcome of the book I am
working on now. I want to thank you for that and will communicate to you
more when I have completed your book, which I am doing slowly and
thoroughly so I can digest the great wisdom contained there. I don't
want to miss any of it. You
probably don't know my background, but my Ph.D.
is in geophysics. I taught geology,
hydrology, geophysics (mostly earthquake seismology) and evolutionary
science for 12 years in two universities.
(U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: 1971-78, and SE Missouri
State University in Cape Girardeau: 1988-93). I
have not taught in a university setting since 1993, but teach in
seminars throughout the country. However, I have not taught
matters of evolutionary science since 1993. Your
book is radically changing my thinking on this matter. I
will be back in touch as I continue in the enlightening adventure of
exploring your wonderful book. Experiencing your
book is like an exciting voyage into realms unknown to traditional
scientists, like myself, and seeing for the first time the Word of God
in places I never knew it could be found. I
would love to meet you face to face and spend an extended time talking
and discussing with you. Sincerely,
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Dennis, If
there is anyone at all who might be intimidated or bullied by
evolutionist/atheist reasoning THIS colorful book will arm them to be
better equipped with intelligent, simplified and reasonable answers that
most college educated professors haven't even heard!
Dennis, you have made a
monumental contribution to mankind in compiling a wealth of
clear, concise and convincing information on the world and human origins
in your excellent resource - Mysteries of Creation!
I highly
recommend it to every student of truth!
I want to do all I can to get this great book into as many hands
as possible!
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Challenge:
Present a creation science 'mini-encyclopedia' that reveals, in 300
pages, the widest possible variety of evolution-refuting, scientific
information and does it in such a way that the reader is not only
educated, but fascinated. Answer:
Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation: The Explorer's Guide to the Awesome
Works of God, by Dennis R. Petersen Our
family discovered the original Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation in
the early 90's. That book was good, but it was nothing compared to this
brand new edition. Visually, this volume
absolutely demands your attention, from the intriguing cover with
its artwork and rich, leather binding through every artistically
designed page straight to the info/order cards in the back (check these
cards out; they make great offers). Its intellectual content demands
your attention as well; with each section presenting one more
carefully-aimed bullet that shoots a hole in the theory of evolution.
I
cannot, in one review, give a true glimpse of the scope of this work. It
offers for your consideration, in one place, a condensation of
information that fills hundreds (thousands?) of books. It will whet your
appetite, sending you running to the reference shelves for deeper study,
as it shares information you have probably never heard before. (Okay,
that sounds a little 'uppity', but it's a fact. I have done some studies
on evolution and knew a bit of what fills these pages, but I have now
been exposed to things that are definitely new to me.) I
can tell you that Petersen presents the information in four sections... Unlocking
the Mysteries of the Early Earth Unlocking
the Mysteries of Evolution Unlocking
the Mysteries of Original Man Unlocking
the Mysteries of Ancient Civilizations I
can tell you that each of these sections consists of several multi-page
spreads such as.... What do processes in nature tell us about Earth's age? Thermodynamics
and the Bible Evolution's
New Realms of Reason Marvels
from the Deep Blue Sea Reality
Stranger than Fiction Where
are the missing links? Is
there evidence of humans buried by the great flood? Footprints
Frozen in Stone Can
ancient reports of real dragons be taken seriously? Is
technology a modern innovation? The
Real Meaning of the Zodiac Do
artifacts of pre-Flood technology exist? China's
Forgotten Connection to Genesis These
two lists only help so much, but they do make a few things clear. First,
this book is organized in such a way that you could literally use it as
a textbook. You would begin with a study of why it is vitally important
to have an understanding of the truths of creation and the fallacies of
evolution. You would then learn more about how evolutionists support
their foundational beliefs (while you see those beliefs shot full of
holes). Finally, you'd discover a vast array of fascinating things that
would delight you even if they weren't included in a creation science
unit. Your
second option is to use this book like an encyclopedia, turning to the
pages that intrigue you, letting the information spark an interest to
learn more. This is the course I'm taking with my own students and we've
been having a great time learning about the supposedly missing links,
human footprints that intermingle with dinosaur footprints (a thing
evolutionists say isn't possible) and more. I've already got plans to
explore "The Real Meaning of the Zodiac" and "China's
Forgotten Connection to Genesis" the next time we pull the book
out; those chapters are absolutely fascinating and I expect my students
will be astounded by their content. This
is one book that ought to be on every Christian homeschooler's
bookshelf. No.scratch that…It ought to be lying out on the coffee
table, where passersby can wander through it at will. ----- Tammy Cardwell - Tammy Cardwell is the editor of the EHO Product Reviews Department and the author of Front Porch History, a guide to researching and sharing your family's heritage. Find her on the 'net at www.frontporchhistory.com.
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DAVID BRADSHAW, creator of MyIdeaFactory.net, radio announcer, and investment research analyst wrote in his newsletter reaching 25,000 subscribers in October 2002 about the new book… SUMMARY:
UNLOCKING THE MYSTERIES OF CREATION
You
are about to experience an
awesome journey of discovery.
This treasury of historic and scientific knowledge puts life-changing
keys in your hands to understand our world, and its amazing past. Page
after fascinating page colorfully unfolds before your eyes as you tour
creation with the insight of the Bible as your guide. Expose and
dismantle evolutionary deceptions that have distorted our generation’s
view of the seen world. The skepticism and unbelief, sown by those who
disregard the divine authorship of the Bible, are refreshingly
overturned through this God-honoring “mini-encyclopedia” of the
Creator’s insight. By
“considering the work of His hands,” parents and children encounter
a vast wealth of evidences that confirm a confident faith in the Genesis
account of creation. Every
student in every school will be challenged to "THINK!" as he
is guided by these insightful and lavishly illustrated chapters to
“reason together” with God’s Word. Evolutionary
myths are exposed and a rich Biblical foundation is laid as you explore
mountains, planets, fossils, strange animals, dinosaurs, and the
astonishing world of ancient civilizations. This volume is designed
to be used as basic curriculum of Christian home-school families.
If
you know anyone who might be intimidated or bullied by
evolutionist/atheist reasoning this colorful book will arm them to be
better equipped with intelligent, simplified and reasonable answers that
most college educated professors haven't even heard. Unlocking
the Mysteries of Creation will help you: This
book is a gift from above for every earnest truth seeker. The author has
done the human race a great service in combining excellent content with
spectacular imagery. This
work is sure
to become a classic for parents, grandparents, home schoolers, public
schoolers ... in short -- everyone!
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Tom Ish, editor of Creation Illustrated Magazine, published the following review in the Nov. 2002 issue about the new book… After three years of hard work researching, writing, designing, and calling upon the expertise of others, the expanded third edition of Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation : The Explorer¹s Guide to the Awesome Works of God by Dennis R. Petersen, is finally off the press and ready to be a Bible-based world-view centerpiece in every home and library. The 240-page, hardcover volume is a condensed encyclopedia on Creation that will spark minds, both young and old, to become more awestruck than ever before by the wondrous works of God. Readers have often called Creation Illustrated "The Christian answer to National Geographic," and now Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation can be crowned "The Christian answer to National Geographic books." With every page stunning the reader with full color backgrounds and sharp, informative photos, graphics, and charts, the book will stand up to any award-winning nature/science volume. The thought of making claims that the book is a homeschooler¹s dream come true, a disciple’s outreach tool like none other, or a Bible student's/teacher¹s priceless resource might seem presumptuous, but one look at the artistically packed wealth of information will dissolve any doubts of such claims. In fact at first glance, the amount of information and the powerfully designed graphics could startle a reader into a state of overwhelm, but a more careful examination will reveal a well orchestrated format divided into four sections. They include: 1) Unlocking the Mysteries of the Early Earth, which covers a foundational presentation of the Creation account found in Genesis; 2) Unlocking the Mysteries of Evolution, which uncovers many of the shaky foundation upon which evolutionary thinking is based; 3) Unlocking the Mysteries of Original Man, which delves into some amazing fossil evidence pointing to God¹s original design and the "missing link" of evolutionary theory; and 4) Unlocking the Mysteries of Ancient Civilizations, which can boggle the mind when pondering archeological discoveries of technology, architecture, astronomy, transportation, and energy. Petersen did not cower at the daunting task of presenting these vital, controversial, and complex areas of knowledge and debate. He develops each one with a balance of supportive evidence in both science and Scripture with detailed references. With a background and Masters degree in Museum Science and 30 years of Bible teaching and pastoral work, Petersen claims no scientific or theological superiority in Creationism, but rather points to a providential series of events that led to piecing this unique presentation together. It relies on the expertise of others, especially the guiding hand of God. "My dream is to touch millions of lives by sharing information so others can be impacted the way I was impacted: to see God in an awesomely more profound way,” Petersen says about his journey in discovering all these truths about the Creator. "This book came together not because I am especially capable. It is the result of the Lord working uniquely in my life," the author adds with humble yet firm convictions that all the glory MUST go to God. Recognizing today’s "media bite" information generation, Petersen’s careful selection of topics are as minute as the single cell or as vast as the worldwide flood and beyond to the far reaches of the universe. Yet what makes this volume so unique is its design. Far-reaching concepts are synergistically connected into an understandable collection of information that guides the reader to arrive at a sensible worldview. "Readers will be able to partake of many profound discoveries that might otherwise take several years to find and assimilate," says Petersen. But the author does not pretend to have all the answers. He leads the reader to THINK! In fact, there are many boxes or highlighted questions that inspire the reader to go beyond being fed information. The "unlocking the mysteries" theme that runs throughout the book encourages inductive reasoning rather than succumbing to the preaching of a certain position. This approach prepares the reader to "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). It prepares the reader for further inductive approaches to other Biblical subjects and social hot buttons (as the Creation/evolution debate and other issues are thrust to the forefront of evening newscasts and on the covers of news magazines). The inductive approach does not preclude faith, however. Rather it links logical information to boost faith to yet a higher realm. Not surprising, for a single volume on worldviews, the story does not end on the last page. The book closes with an overview of "what next?" How can the average person use this material to reach others with the amazing truths about creation? Various resources (web sites, references, indexes, CDs, and other tools for creation evangelism/discipleship) inspire the reader to carry the torch as an everlasting light of truth into a dark world where beliefs on origins have been convoluted beyond recognition. The invitation (heralded for 25 years by Petersen through his Creation seminar ministry, Creation Resource Foundation) is clear and compelling, "Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the children of men" (Psalm 66:5). For a cover price of $32.99 you can't afford not to answer the call. More than 250,000 copies of the first edition (black and white hard bound) sold over a 16-year period. We believe this edition could far surpass that number in its first year or so. So brace yourself. This is not just a "good" book that will be used by a few students or perused by the casual reader and later discarded for pennies at a garage sale. It will become a mainstay and hold a prominent position on the living room table or bookshelf in any home that takes God’s word seriously concerning the evidence for a Bible-based worldview. Its quality of presentation makes for a gift that will be cherished for many years to come by any reader (regardless of their faith) and will have a lasting impact on their life--perhaps even an eternal impact. For more information on Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, contact your local Christian or secular bookstore with ISBN number 0-89051-371, log-on to www.masterbooks.net or www.creationresource.org, or phone toll free (800) 999-3777 or (866) 225-5229.
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Dennis, Unlocking
the Mysteries of Creation is an
awesome book.
Not only is the content
exactly what each family needs to know,
the full color glossy displays on each and every page of the book make
it a
marvel to look at and read.
This
book will be a treasure for years to come and should
be a part of every Christian home and every school and church library. Christian
Leadership University is thrilled to have it as the core text of our
course on Creationism. May
this book play a key role in restoring the foundations of our nation. I
pray you have great success with this book. Blessings,
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Mike
Kiley is the Senior Pastor of the Home Church, a vitally active and
growing congregation that he has led since its beginning in the early
1980s in the Silicon Valley of California.
Here is comment after reading the book in November of 2002.
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Unlocking
the Mysteries of Creation by
Dennis R. Petersen ---- reviewed
by Ruth Beechick You could set this book on your coffee table for a guest to read a short topic at any page where he happens to open. But the trouble is, he would turn that page and read the next… and the next. Both the text and the pictures would compel him on. And the marvelous colorful layout… In layman’s language, this book explains many creation-science topics as well as eye-opening ancient history topics. In science, you can learn what to really think about the ozone scare, about chemical dating methods, about the shrinking sun and diminishing magnetic field, and other topics, and what each can tell us scientifically about the earth we live on. Are some dinosaur survivors still alive in our modern world? Petersen shows actual pictures and tells of sightings, which couldn’t possibly have happened if dinosaurs lived millions of years before man and are now extinct. In Utah in 1971, a quarry bulldozer uncovered a couple of human skeletons in a rock formation said to be 100 million-year-old sandstone that contained dinosaur bones not far away. Humans and dinosaurs living together? Evolutionists couldn’t allow this. The university never analyzed the bones and never released a report to the press. Several such incidents related in this book show how an evolution bias manages to sweep such information out of sight. What really happened to the dinosaurs, and when? Those questions are answered satisfactorily here for any family member who loves dinosaurs. As for ancient history, do our textbooks have it wrong too? Was ancient man really “primitive” and simple? Or did he know as much or more than us in many areas? Could we make buildings that last as long as the pyramids of Egypt or the more numerous pyramids of Central America? Modern technology could not cut blocks to razor edge perfection and move their hundred-ton weight over long distances as the ancients did. We may just be beginning to rediscover an ancient method of lifting by sound waves. The simply engineered air conditioning system in an ancient Mayan building still works after 1000 years. Ancient low-tech irrigation systems are superior to ours in several ways. In Israel’s Negev desert, farmers are reviving these long forgotten methods. In ancient sea travel, music, metallurgy, and numerous areas we are uncovering the fact that “there is nothing new under the sun.” This one-book exploration of Biblical creationist
thinking will serve you well if you have time to read only one
creationist book. Homeschool families, or any family, can profit from
studying these topics one at a time and using the “thinking”
questions that accompany many of them. And the coffee table use can draw
your family and guests into many memorable conversations.
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Carla
Outhous is a home schooling mom actively involved in writing workbooks
for students studying creation and science.
She wrote two responses. First is her first impression.
The second is her response after a more thorough reading. #1. When I first received the latest version of Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation my heart rejoiced as I perused through the pages. The layout is beautiful and the content truly inviting. I cannot wait to feast on the text and chew on this wonderful information before me that will nourish my mind and heart. I think this book has the potential to significantly change the face of science and profoundly enhance my understanding of creation. #2.
Upon reading Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation I can
confidently conclude that it will make a significant impact on anyone
who reads it. It will be instrumental in destroying many scientific
deceptions that have suppressed Biblical truth over the past several
generations. It will transform inquiring minds as they examine the
evidence of the Master Designer from the atom to the ends of the universe.
This book will equip the average person with a confident understanding of both creation and evolution which has previously been privy information to the highly educated. It provides clear answers to intimidating scientific questions that even a young person could grasp. If every science teacher would incorporate the truths written in this book it would radically change the way science is taught today. Ultimately, this book is a vehicle that will be used in the lives of every reader to observe God's awesome creation and be impelled to praise and worship the only true living God. I am so thankful for Mr. Peterson's obedience to God in writing this revolutionary book. Carla
Outhous
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This
book has the size and feel of a large “Time-Life” type book. At 240
pages, it is finely bound and full-color throughout.
But
– as if all of this wasn’t enough – the best part is the
companion CD.