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The Ant and the Ferrari
Is there life after death? Can we prove the big bang theory? In his engrossing and accessible style, Dr Kerry Spackman uses everyday examples to answer these questions and other diverse issues.
the Ant and the Ferrari is a magical tour-de-force that takes on the big questions in life and answers them in Dr Kerry Spackman's easily accessible writing style. this is one of those rare books that will change your beliefs - and in doing so will change your life. tHE ANt AND tHE FERRARI offers readers a clear, navigable path through the big questions that confront us all today. What is the meaning of life? Can we be ethical beings in today's world? Can we know if there is life after death? Is there such a thing as Absolute truth? What caused the Big Bang and why should you care?
the Ant and the Ferrari is a magical tour-de-force that takes on the big questions in life and answers them in Dr Kerry Spackman's easily accessible writing style. this is one of those rare books that will change your beliefs - and in doing so will change your life. tHE ANt AND tHE FERRARI offers readers a clear, navigable path through the big questions that confront us all today. What is the meaning of life? Can we be ethical beings in today's world? Can we know if there is life after death? Is there such a thing as Absolute truth? What caused the Big Bang and why should you care?
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 18, 2012
This book is one that I find very difficult to review or rate. I've prevaricated over whether to award 3 or 4 stars for quite some time, arguing back and forth with myself. In the end, I've chosen to rate it with 4 stars with a number of disclaimers.
First, let me say that this book was very well written, easy to read and understand (despite some of the difficult subject matter), and in many ways does live up to its goal of changing beliefs -- or, at the very least, making me think about my beliefs in a different way.
I sat and read this book in one sitting, barely stopping for a cup of tea at the halfway point. And that alone says something about the quality of the writing.
However, I can also say that I was disappointed with the book.
I went into reading it with a number of preconceptions. Let's face it, we all have preconceptions and expectations when we pick up a book. In this case, I believed I was picking up a book written by a neuroscientist, who would talk about philosophical questions like the meaning of life, ethics, truth, and life after death. I expected to find some of what he had to say confronting, and probably to disagree with some of it.
What I didn't expect was for the majority of the book to be a treatise on why religion (any religion) is false, and believing in a God or Gods is a sign of faulty reasoning (at best) or base stupidity (at worst).
Now, when I say "the majority of the book", here's what I mean:
This book has 21 chapters. The first is an introduction which explains the name of the book and lists the topics to be covered. The last is a half page exhortation to "stand up for Truth". Of the 19 other chapters, 17 of them directly deal with proving the non-existence of any kind of deific figure/s through mathematics and pure logic.
Now, the logic process was interesting. The writing was crisp and clear. The arguments were persuasive. It's just not what I was expecting when I picked up the book, and so I can't say that I really enjoyed it. To be honest, if I'd known that was the focus of the book, I wouldn't have picked it up in the first place.
I did very much enjoy the chapter on Quantum Mechanics (no, seriously!) and after reading it, felt a little bit smarter and more knowledgeable. I also loved the last two chapters (the non-religion-bashing ones) about Ethics and Society and those are the chapters that really got me thinking about the world and my place in it.
Overall, I'd have to say that I recommend this book to anyone interested in a scientific approach to understanding Truth, Belief and the world. I absolutely don't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't want to hear a scientific refutation of religious beliefs.
First, let me say that this book was very well written, easy to read and understand (despite some of the difficult subject matter), and in many ways does live up to its goal of changing beliefs -- or, at the very least, making me think about my beliefs in a different way.
I sat and read this book in one sitting, barely stopping for a cup of tea at the halfway point. And that alone says something about the quality of the writing.
However, I can also say that I was disappointed with the book.
I went into reading it with a number of preconceptions. Let's face it, we all have preconceptions and expectations when we pick up a book. In this case, I believed I was picking up a book written by a neuroscientist, who would talk about philosophical questions like the meaning of life, ethics, truth, and life after death. I expected to find some of what he had to say confronting, and probably to disagree with some of it.
What I didn't expect was for the majority of the book to be a treatise on why religion (any religion) is false, and believing in a God or Gods is a sign of faulty reasoning (at best) or base stupidity (at worst).
Now, when I say "the majority of the book", here's what I mean:
This book has 21 chapters. The first is an introduction which explains the name of the book and lists the topics to be covered. The last is a half page exhortation to "stand up for Truth". Of the 19 other chapters, 17 of them directly deal with proving the non-existence of any kind of deific figure/s through mathematics and pure logic.
Now, the logic process was interesting. The writing was crisp and clear. The arguments were persuasive. It's just not what I was expecting when I picked up the book, and so I can't say that I really enjoyed it. To be honest, if I'd known that was the focus of the book, I wouldn't have picked it up in the first place.
I did very much enjoy the chapter on Quantum Mechanics (no, seriously!) and after reading it, felt a little bit smarter and more knowledgeable. I also loved the last two chapters (the non-religion-bashing ones) about Ethics and Society and those are the chapters that really got me thinking about the world and my place in it.
Overall, I'd have to say that I recommend this book to anyone interested in a scientific approach to understanding Truth, Belief and the world. I absolutely don't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't want to hear a scientific refutation of religious beliefs.
April 19, 2013
Interesting start soon turns into creation vs evolution rant...
I picked this book up having been seduced by the title and cover first, and the bold claims on the back second. I always enjoy a challenging read and was hoping for some great insights into the bigger questions that plague the majority of us. It starts with some interesting analogies and valid questions - and I like the way the book is formatted and punctuated with great illustrations ... but it soon grew tiresome.
In the end, it become yet another man's personal vendetta against religion - particularly Christianity, along the likes of Maher, Dawkins esque. The problem I have with these guys - the 'new atheists' - is that they've ended up just as 'fundamentalist' in their outlook and agenda, as the religious 'fundies' they're trying to discredit! His arguments, while dazzling in brain-melting big numbers and scientific jargon (although, it's not as bad as some I've read!), end up, I think, being obfuscating.
The reality, aside from a few interesting sections, is that Spackman can't explain (even though he suggests he can!) any of what he claims he is explaining. Why? Because he's delving into the realm that Einstein (someone who he quotes extensively) says "To sense that behind anything that can be experienced, there is a something that our mind cannot grasp and this beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly and as a feeble reflection..." As Spackman himself says, there is a "hidden unknown world" out there - but then suggests that he's figured it out.
His views, in this reviewers opinion, become very dogmatic - and his arguments about what is 'truth' and what isn't, at times are flawed. He finishes with the challenge to "speak out whenever Truth is violated or false beliefs are allowed to fester unchallenged." Whose Truth, Dr Spackman? Yours, Dawkins and co? Or someone elses?
A disappointing read.
I picked this book up having been seduced by the title and cover first, and the bold claims on the back second. I always enjoy a challenging read and was hoping for some great insights into the bigger questions that plague the majority of us. It starts with some interesting analogies and valid questions - and I like the way the book is formatted and punctuated with great illustrations ... but it soon grew tiresome.
In the end, it become yet another man's personal vendetta against religion - particularly Christianity, along the likes of Maher, Dawkins esque. The problem I have with these guys - the 'new atheists' - is that they've ended up just as 'fundamentalist' in their outlook and agenda, as the religious 'fundies' they're trying to discredit! His arguments, while dazzling in brain-melting big numbers and scientific jargon (although, it's not as bad as some I've read!), end up, I think, being obfuscating.
The reality, aside from a few interesting sections, is that Spackman can't explain (even though he suggests he can!) any of what he claims he is explaining. Why? Because he's delving into the realm that Einstein (someone who he quotes extensively) says "To sense that behind anything that can be experienced, there is a something that our mind cannot grasp and this beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly and as a feeble reflection..." As Spackman himself says, there is a "hidden unknown world" out there - but then suggests that he's figured it out.
His views, in this reviewers opinion, become very dogmatic - and his arguments about what is 'truth' and what isn't, at times are flawed. He finishes with the challenge to "speak out whenever Truth is violated or false beliefs are allowed to fester unchallenged." Whose Truth, Dr Spackman? Yours, Dawkins and co? Or someone elses?
A disappointing read.
January 28, 2013
I found this an incredibly easy to read and thought provoking book. See my published review below:
http://booksellersnz.wordpress.com/20...
http://booksellersnz.wordpress.com/20...
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March 20, 2021We all need Iron to survive and where did the iron come from? Well the scientists say:
"Iron is made inside stars, specifically red super-giants. The elements form together inside a star during fusion. When the supernova occurs, the iron fragments are blasted into the space. This is how Iron came to Earth millions of years ago."
So if this 'accident' of "landing of Iron on earth" has not happened, there wont be any life on earth.
Its funny to say that life is an accident by the landing of iron.
Now another accident due to which there is life on earth. The earth position has a tilt and due to this tilte,there is weather change all over the earth.If there was no tilt there would be only summer on the equator and winter in north and south...and not even a single grass blade would grow. And these atheists say that a meteor hit the earth and thats why there is a tilt in the earth's position.
Again they say its an accident and there is life on earth because of this accident.
I can come up with countless signs which shows that all this system around us in NOT AN ACCIDENT. someone is doing this and that someone is God or Allah...whatever you call him .Who is one and unique and we will meet him soon.This short life is a test for us to believe in Him without seeing Him. We will see Him after this test of life is over...but once the time of test is finished,there is no use in believing Him because it will be too late.The time of test is finished...I hope the writer get some wisdom and stop misleading people
"Iron is made inside stars, specifically red super-giants. The elements form together inside a star during fusion. When the supernova occurs, the iron fragments are blasted into the space. This is how Iron came to Earth millions of years ago."
So if this 'accident' of "landing of Iron on earth" has not happened, there wont be any life on earth.
Its funny to say that life is an accident by the landing of iron.
Now another accident due to which there is life on earth. The earth position has a tilt and due to this tilte,there is weather change all over the earth.If there was no tilt there would be only summer on the equator and winter in north and south...and not even a single grass blade would grow. And these atheists say that a meteor hit the earth and thats why there is a tilt in the earth's position.
Again they say its an accident and there is life on earth because of this accident.
I can come up with countless signs which shows that all this system around us in NOT AN ACCIDENT. someone is doing this and that someone is God or Allah...whatever you call him .Who is one and unique and we will meet him soon.This short life is a test for us to believe in Him without seeing Him. We will see Him after this test of life is over...but once the time of test is finished,there is no use in believing Him because it will be too late.The time of test is finished...I hope the writer get some wisdom and stop misleading people
September 28, 2017
This is the kind of book where you either love it or hate it because it simply reinforce your thinking.
October 18, 2022
A great book about perspective, the universe, society, even offering interesting perspectives about the function of stock trading
April 10, 2025
DNF. Tried, but quit 125 pages in for the same reason as the other 1-2 star reviews.
January 31, 2015
In a nutshell, this book is a really long anti-religion/ anti-God rant. I am not a religious person, however I do believe in a higher power (if that makes sense). I feel that if I read a well researched/extremely convincing book about the non- existence of God/higher power, I might become an atheist. Unfortunately, The Ant and the Ferrari was not that book. As much as he tried to, the author was unsuccessful in convincing me to abandon my beliefs and become an atheist. He did make me think about my beliefs in a different way and somehow I ended up strengthening those beliefs. I felt annoyed with his writing style, because he came across as being too pushy. He did not allow me to think for myself, but rather kept forcing me to think that I should believe in everything that he had to say.
Some people will love this book; others would dismiss it entirely by calling in utter rubbish. There were certain chapters that stimulated my interest in the scientific explanations of our existence and the universe. Of course I am not an ignorant. I do understand and agree with Kerry’s explanations of the process of evolution and the science of big bang theory. I enjoyed reading the chapter about life after death and the chapter about purpose and meaning. I thought these two chapters will answer all the big questions for me. While reading the chapter about purpose and meaning, I started thinking that I did not have to believe in a higher power to have a meaningful life. Then I suddenly remembered Chapter 11 (Something spooky is going on) and realized that there are many phenomena and happenings that science can not explain. I mean Kerry himself failed to give an explanation about the female Kerry’s visions. For me, whatever he said in rest of the book was not as memorable as Chapter 11. His story about female Kerry just reinforced the belief that there are bigger forces than us that are playing a part in our existence.
Lastly, many people will be fooled into reading this book simply by looking at the front and the back cover. Despite the big claim on the back cover that this book will change my beliefs and my life, my beliefs and life remain unchanged. May be I am just not ready to live my life believing that everything happens by random chance.
Some people will love this book; others would dismiss it entirely by calling in utter rubbish. There were certain chapters that stimulated my interest in the scientific explanations of our existence and the universe. Of course I am not an ignorant. I do understand and agree with Kerry’s explanations of the process of evolution and the science of big bang theory. I enjoyed reading the chapter about life after death and the chapter about purpose and meaning. I thought these two chapters will answer all the big questions for me. While reading the chapter about purpose and meaning, I started thinking that I did not have to believe in a higher power to have a meaningful life. Then I suddenly remembered Chapter 11 (Something spooky is going on) and realized that there are many phenomena and happenings that science can not explain. I mean Kerry himself failed to give an explanation about the female Kerry’s visions. For me, whatever he said in rest of the book was not as memorable as Chapter 11. His story about female Kerry just reinforced the belief that there are bigger forces than us that are playing a part in our existence.
Lastly, many people will be fooled into reading this book simply by looking at the front and the back cover. Despite the big claim on the back cover that this book will change my beliefs and my life, my beliefs and life remain unchanged. May be I am just not ready to live my life believing that everything happens by random chance.
April 21, 2014
I am a huge fan of Spackman's The Winner's Bible and so bought this book with great interest in how he would approach 'the philosophy of life.'
Though this book has a very promising start, it soon becomes apparent that this book does not deliver on its promises as it descends into a 15-chapter proof that there is no god. As a decided atheist I hate being tricked into reading an anti-religion crusade. I also find the author's arrogance to be alienating as a reader and I would be surprised if any believers were to renounce their faith after reading his string of logical deductions (although would love to know about such cases).
It only gets downhill as his chapter on ethics lacks any of his previous rigour (because logic is only required when arguing against religion) and makes many large unsupported claims.
Overall, the writing style is great and it's written in such a way that it's easy to understand. However, the book has almost no discussion of what it actually promises to provide insights over and instead boils down to 15 or so chapters of attempting to disprove religion and then a few chapter where the author makes a lofty attempt at grandiousity and suggests a model of the world supported only by sensationalism.
Though this book has a very promising start, it soon becomes apparent that this book does not deliver on its promises as it descends into a 15-chapter proof that there is no god. As a decided atheist I hate being tricked into reading an anti-religion crusade. I also find the author's arrogance to be alienating as a reader and I would be surprised if any believers were to renounce their faith after reading his string of logical deductions (although would love to know about such cases).
It only gets downhill as his chapter on ethics lacks any of his previous rigour (because logic is only required when arguing against religion) and makes many large unsupported claims.
Overall, the writing style is great and it's written in such a way that it's easy to understand. However, the book has almost no discussion of what it actually promises to provide insights over and instead boils down to 15 or so chapters of attempting to disprove religion and then a few chapter where the author makes a lofty attempt at grandiousity and suggests a model of the world supported only by sensationalism.
February 23, 2015
Great book for agnostics and athiests wanting a deeper understanding behind their beliefs as well as looking for reasoning behind how purpose and morals can and do exist beyond religion. Is extremely simple to read so is suitable for teenagers as well as adults. Some extremely interesting points on economy and the need for ethics in society. I enjoyed his points about ethics being taught in schools as a "preventative measure" and how it could save billions in crime costs.I felt he did go a little too in depth with the explanation of the science behind how the big bang occurred etc, but still very interesting.
August 2, 2012
Hmmm interesting...sensed a strong "scientific" bias despite trying to "seem" even handed on the Big Bang theory vs divine creation debate. Very "selective" use of christian references (and not necessarily taken in the context intended) but interesting perspective all the same.
December 23, 2012
Great use of analogies to address questions relating to The Meaning of Life.
I love this book, and would like to be able to explain complex concepts clearly as Kerry does.
I just wish there was more clear guidance about what an ordinary person can do to help the world be a better place.
I love this book, and would like to be able to explain complex concepts clearly as Kerry does.
I just wish there was more clear guidance about what an ordinary person can do to help the world be a better place.
July 10, 2017
An interesting read! Though not everyone would like it, I recommmend you give it a try! It was very easy to read. I particularly enjoyed his analogies about quantum mechanics, however I almost completely DO NOT CARE about the creationism debate (although those statistics certainly scared me).
September 12, 2012
An interesting read, and certainly got me thinking about a number of issues, but I was quite disappointed overall. I found the last 3 chapters a bit of a ramble. Lacks a good summary/conclusions.
January 27, 2013
Some parts exceedingly good, some wonderfully written explanations for many things, I enjoyed most of the book, last part of book not as good as the first 3/4 IMO .
June 23, 2013
An account of humanity without spirituality. Non threathening read and the title makes it easy to pick up.
July 29, 2012
Kiwi writer. Some accessible writing on evolution, big bang theory and no God.......
February 17, 2019
The first half of this book demonstrated an interesting method for thinking about tough questions and unpicking thorny issues. The second half of the book was full of unsupported statements of ‘fact’ and gross or out-dated generalizations. By the end I was counting how many more pages I had to go and arguing out loud with the text.
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March 10, 2019Pretty good book, great points about the wrong things going on in the world. It changes your perspective on the world and introduces philosophies that really help with understanding why things really hapen and how you can find if something is really true.
I would recommend this mainly to people in a religious society, if you read the whole book, you may have changed your mind about what you really believe in.
I would recommend this mainly to people in a religious society, if you read the whole book, you may have changed your mind about what you really believe in.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews