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. Here is her November 2002 review.
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 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.
For more information on Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, contact your local Christian or secular bookstore with ISBN number 0-89051-371, or log-on to www.creationresource.org, or phone toll free (866) 225-5229.
To Return To TCCSA Debate Page, Click HERE.