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Fire-Maker: How Humans Were Designed to Harness Fire and Transform Our Planet
From computers to airplanes to life-giving medicines, the technological marvels of our world were made possible by the human use of fire. But the use of fire itself was made possible by an array of features built into the human body and the planet. In Fire-Maker, biologist Michael Denton explores the special features of nature that equipped human beings to harness the powers of fire and remake their world.
76 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2016
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85 people want to read
About the author
Michael Denton
30 books63 followersMichael Denton holds an M.D. from Bristol University, as well as a Ph.D. in biochemistry from King’s College in London. A Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, Denton has had a critical impact on the debate over Darwinian evolution.
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July 30, 2017
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/review/R2QWLJL...
The universe is a set-up job.
Michael Denton is the author of [[ASIN:091756152X Evolution: A Theory In Crisis]], which is an extended critique of what Denton considers to be the paradigm failure of the theory of evolution by natural selection ("TENS"). In that book, Denton did not offer a positive theory for what should replace TENS.
This book doesn't offer an explanation for a replacement of TENS either, although it does sotto voce gesture at design and fine tuning or a run of luck that beggars the imagination. The word "God" never makes its way into the text, but by the end of the book, the reader is left with the feeling that the universe is an incredible "put-up job."
Denton goes into incredible detail to point out the string of coincidences that have to occur to give humanity the ability to work with fire. Beyond having a hand with opposable thumbs, humans are within the height and weight range that gives us the ability to obtain enough fuel and be able to work close enough but far enough from fire to get the fire hot enough to work metal. If mankind had not been able to use fire to work metal, then human technology would never have arisen. And then there is the amazing fact that the "seven ancient metals" are scattered around enough and available for humans to find and exploit.
And then there is the amazing fact that the terrestrial atmosphere during the human era is just right to permit the use of fire. There have been times when the atmosphere has had too much oxygen and times when it has had too much carbon dioxide. Too much oxygen will lead to fires that run out of control; too much carbon dioxide will make fires ineffective. The human-era atmosphere is blessed with oxygen in the right range but with enough air pressure furnished by inert gases to make fire possible. Then there is this obscure bit of fortune:
"It is another element of fortuity in nature that the properties of the transitional metals atoms, such as iron and copper, have just the right atomic characteristics to “gently” activate oxygen for chemical reactions. In fact, all the oxygen-handling enzymes in the body, even those not specifically involved in oxygen activation such as hemoglobin (which is involved in oxygen transport), make use of transitional metal atoms. So the inertness of oxygen at ambient temperatures is rescued in the body by the unique properties of the transitional metal atoms that activate it for energy generation in air-breathing organisms like ourselves, whose high metabolic rates and active lifestyles depend critically on the energy of oxidations.17 If not for our unique oxygen-handling capacities, we as carbon-based life forms dependent on oxidations for our metabolic energy would certainly not be here.
In short, the inertness of dioxygen is clearly fit in several ways for air-breathing organisms obtaining their oxygen in gaseous form supplied from an atmosphere: It enables the energy of oxidations to be utilized in the body; it prevents us from spontaneously combusting; and it allows for the controlled utilization of fire. It is worth noting that the inertness of oxygen at ambient temperatures is a fitness in nature particularly relevant for terrestrial, air-breathing organisms like ourselves, preventing spontaneous combustion and at the same time allowing for the mastery of fire.
It does not apply to aquatic organisms that extract their supply of oxygen from water and are incapable of ever lighting a fire. And of course these characteristics are completely irrelevant to anaerobic bacteria and those extremophiles entombed in the crustal rocks, far removed from the concerns of life with oxygen."
The put up job extends even to the humble metal copper:
"Indeed, the whole electric age is in a very real sense a gift of the material properties of metals and of one metal in particular: copper.
The fitness of metals because of the conjunction of their ductility and electrical properties is certainly an arresting fact. And it is not just their strength and hardness that are maximally useful in the ambient temperature range. Curiously, several metals—especially copper, the conductor par excellence—are far better conductors at ambient temperatures than at higher temperatures.
Copper, for example which is still indispensable for dynamos and electric motors, conducts electricity ten times more efficiently (that is, its resistivity is ten times less) at 100° C than 600° C.25 If the conductivity of copper were ten times less, wires would have to be ten times the cross-sectional area to provide the same conductivity, ruling out many applications and making the construction of motors and dynamos far more difficult.
Copper does indeed have ideal fitness for its applications in electrical devices: The inherent strength, hardness, and flexibility of copper building wire make it very easy to work with. Copper wiring can be installed simply and easily with no special tools, washers, pigtails, or joint compounds. Its flexibility makes it easy to join, while its hardness helps keep connections securely in place. It has good strength for pulling wire through tight places (“pull-through”), including conduits. It can be bent or twisted easily without breaking. It can be stripped and terminated during installation or service with far less danger of nicks or breaks. And it can be connected without the use of special lugs and fittings. The combination of all of these factors makes it easy for electricians to install copper wire.26 Copper also resists corrosion more than aluminum or iron. In an article on copper posted on the web the author waxes lyrical about its utility: Copper’s unique properties make it an invaluable component of our future. Copper is so good at managing heat and electricity, it is practically irreplaceable for use in sustainable energy—from solar panels to wind turbines. Copper can be 100% recycled—making it a perfectly green material. Just shy of 1 trillion pounds of copper have been mined since the dawn of human history—and most of it is still in circulation thanks to copper’s recycling rate (which is higher than that of any other engineering metal)… The entire industry of copper mining and copper alloys is dependent upon the economic recycling of any surplus products. Not only can copper be recycled from post-consumer equipment like old plumbing pipes or discarded electrical cable, but the scrap pieces of copper from factory floors can be recycled into new grade A copper. About half of all copper that is recycled is post-consumer scrap copper and copper alloys have been recycled for thousands of years. In fact, one of the wonders of the old world, the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue spanning the entrance to Rhodes Harbour in ancient Greece, was said to have been made of copper. No trace of it remains since it was recycled to make other items."
Fascinating.
Some of this stuff may after the fact reasoning; if it wasn't copper, it would have been some other metal. On the other hand, if you add them all together, you get the sense of teleology - a final cause. The universe was looking for Aristotle's "one who wanted to know" and went to a lot of effort to make it happen.
In addition, if you think about Denton's chain of lucky coincidences in terms of our search for extraterrestrial intelligence, then the "great silence" makes sense. It takes a lot to build a fire. Maybe we beat the billions to one odds against us.
The universe is a set-up job.
Michael Denton is the author of [[ASIN:091756152X Evolution: A Theory In Crisis]], which is an extended critique of what Denton considers to be the paradigm failure of the theory of evolution by natural selection ("TENS"). In that book, Denton did not offer a positive theory for what should replace TENS.
This book doesn't offer an explanation for a replacement of TENS either, although it does sotto voce gesture at design and fine tuning or a run of luck that beggars the imagination. The word "God" never makes its way into the text, but by the end of the book, the reader is left with the feeling that the universe is an incredible "put-up job."
Denton goes into incredible detail to point out the string of coincidences that have to occur to give humanity the ability to work with fire. Beyond having a hand with opposable thumbs, humans are within the height and weight range that gives us the ability to obtain enough fuel and be able to work close enough but far enough from fire to get the fire hot enough to work metal. If mankind had not been able to use fire to work metal, then human technology would never have arisen. And then there is the amazing fact that the "seven ancient metals" are scattered around enough and available for humans to find and exploit.
And then there is the amazing fact that the terrestrial atmosphere during the human era is just right to permit the use of fire. There have been times when the atmosphere has had too much oxygen and times when it has had too much carbon dioxide. Too much oxygen will lead to fires that run out of control; too much carbon dioxide will make fires ineffective. The human-era atmosphere is blessed with oxygen in the right range but with enough air pressure furnished by inert gases to make fire possible. Then there is this obscure bit of fortune:
"It is another element of fortuity in nature that the properties of the transitional metals atoms, such as iron and copper, have just the right atomic characteristics to “gently” activate oxygen for chemical reactions. In fact, all the oxygen-handling enzymes in the body, even those not specifically involved in oxygen activation such as hemoglobin (which is involved in oxygen transport), make use of transitional metal atoms. So the inertness of oxygen at ambient temperatures is rescued in the body by the unique properties of the transitional metal atoms that activate it for energy generation in air-breathing organisms like ourselves, whose high metabolic rates and active lifestyles depend critically on the energy of oxidations.17 If not for our unique oxygen-handling capacities, we as carbon-based life forms dependent on oxidations for our metabolic energy would certainly not be here.
In short, the inertness of dioxygen is clearly fit in several ways for air-breathing organisms obtaining their oxygen in gaseous form supplied from an atmosphere: It enables the energy of oxidations to be utilized in the body; it prevents us from spontaneously combusting; and it allows for the controlled utilization of fire. It is worth noting that the inertness of oxygen at ambient temperatures is a fitness in nature particularly relevant for terrestrial, air-breathing organisms like ourselves, preventing spontaneous combustion and at the same time allowing for the mastery of fire.
It does not apply to aquatic organisms that extract their supply of oxygen from water and are incapable of ever lighting a fire. And of course these characteristics are completely irrelevant to anaerobic bacteria and those extremophiles entombed in the crustal rocks, far removed from the concerns of life with oxygen."
The put up job extends even to the humble metal copper:
"Indeed, the whole electric age is in a very real sense a gift of the material properties of metals and of one metal in particular: copper.
The fitness of metals because of the conjunction of their ductility and electrical properties is certainly an arresting fact. And it is not just their strength and hardness that are maximally useful in the ambient temperature range. Curiously, several metals—especially copper, the conductor par excellence—are far better conductors at ambient temperatures than at higher temperatures.
Copper, for example which is still indispensable for dynamos and electric motors, conducts electricity ten times more efficiently (that is, its resistivity is ten times less) at 100° C than 600° C.25 If the conductivity of copper were ten times less, wires would have to be ten times the cross-sectional area to provide the same conductivity, ruling out many applications and making the construction of motors and dynamos far more difficult.
Copper does indeed have ideal fitness for its applications in electrical devices: The inherent strength, hardness, and flexibility of copper building wire make it very easy to work with. Copper wiring can be installed simply and easily with no special tools, washers, pigtails, or joint compounds. Its flexibility makes it easy to join, while its hardness helps keep connections securely in place. It has good strength for pulling wire through tight places (“pull-through”), including conduits. It can be bent or twisted easily without breaking. It can be stripped and terminated during installation or service with far less danger of nicks or breaks. And it can be connected without the use of special lugs and fittings. The combination of all of these factors makes it easy for electricians to install copper wire.26 Copper also resists corrosion more than aluminum or iron. In an article on copper posted on the web the author waxes lyrical about its utility: Copper’s unique properties make it an invaluable component of our future. Copper is so good at managing heat and electricity, it is practically irreplaceable for use in sustainable energy—from solar panels to wind turbines. Copper can be 100% recycled—making it a perfectly green material. Just shy of 1 trillion pounds of copper have been mined since the dawn of human history—and most of it is still in circulation thanks to copper’s recycling rate (which is higher than that of any other engineering metal)… The entire industry of copper mining and copper alloys is dependent upon the economic recycling of any surplus products. Not only can copper be recycled from post-consumer equipment like old plumbing pipes or discarded electrical cable, but the scrap pieces of copper from factory floors can be recycled into new grade A copper. About half of all copper that is recycled is post-consumer scrap copper and copper alloys have been recycled for thousands of years. In fact, one of the wonders of the old world, the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue spanning the entrance to Rhodes Harbour in ancient Greece, was said to have been made of copper. No trace of it remains since it was recycled to make other items."
Fascinating.
Some of this stuff may after the fact reasoning; if it wasn't copper, it would have been some other metal. On the other hand, if you add them all together, you get the sense of teleology - a final cause. The universe was looking for Aristotle's "one who wanted to know" and went to a lot of effort to make it happen.
In addition, if you think about Denton's chain of lucky coincidences in terms of our search for extraterrestrial intelligence, then the "great silence" makes sense. It takes a lot to build a fire. Maybe we beat the billions to one odds against us.
February 27, 2018
صانع النار...
هو كتاب للدكتور " مايكل دنتون " العضو بمؤسسة ديسكفري للابحاث و العلوم و المهتمة بنقد ادلة التطور و تبيان ادلة التصميم الذكي...
في هذا الكتاب يتحدث الدكتور دنتون عن الحدث الفاصل في تاريخ البشرية نحو التطور التكنولوجي و هو صنع النار، ذلك العامل الذي ساهم في انتقال الانسان من العصر الحجري الى عصر تقنيات النانو مرورا بعصور السيراميك و البرونز و الحديد، و يشرح ادلة و براهين التصميم الذكي في اهم ثلاث عناصر كونت هذا الاكتشاف و هي الكوكب المناسب و الوقود المناسب و صانع النار ( الانسان ) ليخرج بخلاصة اننا لسنا صدفة كونية او نتاج الفرصة و طول الزمن و ان الكون كان يعرف اننا قادمون
هو كتاب للدكتور " مايكل دنتون " العضو بمؤسسة ديسكفري للابحاث و العلوم و المهتمة بنقد ادلة التطور و تبيان ادلة التصميم الذكي...
في هذا الكتاب يتحدث الدكتور دنتون عن الحدث الفاصل في تاريخ البشرية نحو التطور التكنولوجي و هو صنع النار، ذلك العامل الذي ساهم في انتقال الانسان من العصر الحجري الى عصر تقنيات النانو مرورا بعصور السيراميك و البرونز و الحديد، و يشرح ادلة و براهين التصميم الذكي في اهم ثلاث عناصر كونت هذا الاكتشاف و هي الكوكب المناسب و الوقود المناسب و صانع النار ( الانسان ) ليخرج بخلاصة اننا لسنا صدفة كونية او نتاج الفرصة و طول الزمن و ان الكون كان يعرف اننا قادمون
October 7, 2020
This was a short but enjoyable book to read. The main point of the book is how amazing it is that we are able to use fire – at all. The author highlights all of the various physical issues that must come together for us to be able to use and harness fire. This includes the size of a human, the atmosphere we live in, and availability of easily access fuel. The book was written for a very general audience, but I am still happy to endorse.
February 9, 2025
AN ARGUMENT THAT WE, ON OUR PLANET, ARE UNIQUELY ABLE TO USE FIRE, ETC.
Michael John Denton (born 1943) is a British-Australian author and biochemist, who is a current Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture; he has also written books like 'Evolution: A Theory In Crisis.'
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2016 book, “Of all the discoveries made in the course of mankind’s long march to civilization, there was one primal discovery that made the realization of all this possible. It’s a discovery that we use every day and take completely for granted. But this discovery changed everything. Humankind discovered how to make and tame fire. Darwin rightly saw it as ‘Probably the greatest [discovery], excepting language, ever made by man.’” (Pg. 10)
Later, he adds, “The mastery of fire and subsequent development of metallurgy and our ability to make and shape complex metal artifacts prepared the stage for the coming of the industrial revolution and the invention over the past five centuries of all manner of complex artifacts and machines… Inventions followed thick and fast: dynamos and electric motors (ushering in the modern electric age), the internal combustion engine, and the development of the electronic computer during World War II.” (Pg. 13)
He observes, “The development of metallurgy depended on other ‘lucky’ elements of fitness as well. The existence of plentiful and common metal ore-bearing strata requires a variety of tectonic processes being ‘just right,’ including magnetic, hydrothermal, and metamorphic processes. Yet another element of fitness in nature crucial to the development of metallurgy is the existence of woody plants, which provide the fuel for the fire and the raw material for the manufacture of charcoal. All these elements of fitness in nature crucial to the development of technology, which were crucial to mankind’s rise to civilization, long preceded man’s arrival on Earth.” (Pg. 16)
He asserts, “only biological beings similar to modern humans, possessed of our android design and conscious creative energy on a planet similar to the Earth could ever have exploited the wonderful fitness of nature for fire and for metallurgy. And this suggests that if there are extraterrestrial civilizations possessed of an advanced technology, they will have followed the same route, resemble closely beings of our biology, and inhabit a world similar to the Earth.” (Pg. 17)
He states, “In sum, the current atmosphere is fit---but for different reasons---both for sustaining fire and for supporting human oxidative metabolism. On the one hand, the overall atmosphere pressure … cannot be much increased or the work of breathing would be significantly increased, as would the risk of fire. On the other hand, it cannot be radically less or the oceans would have long ago evaporated, although recent work suggests that at times in the distant past it may have been less than half its current level.” (Pg. 24)
He explains, “If a planet is to possess the necessary stable hydrosphere and atmosphere fit for life discussed above, it must be of approximately the size and mass and possess a gravitational field very close to that of the Earth, and undergo a similar geophysical evolution… But here is something even more remarkable: A ‘Goldilocks’ planet like ours that is ‘just right’ in size and gravity to provide an atmosphere supportive of fire and human respiration is ALSO ‘just right’ for the existence of carbon-based organisms of our size and design possessing an upright bipedal posture, i.e., organisms… of the right size and design to exploit the phenomenon of fire… So planets of the Earth’s size and mass and coincidentally fit both for the design of a bipedal animal of the dimensions of a man capable of exploiting fire and for providing the right atmosphere to support combustion and respiration.” (Pg. 26-28)
He argues, “Only an organism of approximately our dimensions and android design… can readily handle fire. An asteroid organism the size of an ant would be far too small because the heat would kill it long before it was even several body-lengths from the flames… Although the recently-discovered species of diminutive humans ‘Homo floresiensis’ did use fire, it seems likely that a species any smaller…would have difficulty in maintaining a sufficiently hot fire and building the types of kiln necessary for metallurgy.” (Pg. 48-49)
He summarizes, “In short, there are compelling physical reasons why we must be approximately the size we are, to use fire and to possess sufficient strength to mine for ores, and hew wood, develop metallurgy, construct metal tools, develop a sophisticated technology, have a knowledge of chemistry and electricity, and explore the world. It would appear that Man…. Can only accomplish an understanding and exploration of our particular world … in an android body of approximately the dimensions of a modern human.” (Pg. 52)
This book will interest those sympathetic to Intelligent Design, and similar ‘teleological’ concepts.
Michael John Denton (born 1943) is a British-Australian author and biochemist, who is a current Senior Fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture; he has also written books like 'Evolution: A Theory In Crisis.'
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2016 book, “Of all the discoveries made in the course of mankind’s long march to civilization, there was one primal discovery that made the realization of all this possible. It’s a discovery that we use every day and take completely for granted. But this discovery changed everything. Humankind discovered how to make and tame fire. Darwin rightly saw it as ‘Probably the greatest [discovery], excepting language, ever made by man.’” (Pg. 10)
Later, he adds, “The mastery of fire and subsequent development of metallurgy and our ability to make and shape complex metal artifacts prepared the stage for the coming of the industrial revolution and the invention over the past five centuries of all manner of complex artifacts and machines… Inventions followed thick and fast: dynamos and electric motors (ushering in the modern electric age), the internal combustion engine, and the development of the electronic computer during World War II.” (Pg. 13)
He observes, “The development of metallurgy depended on other ‘lucky’ elements of fitness as well. The existence of plentiful and common metal ore-bearing strata requires a variety of tectonic processes being ‘just right,’ including magnetic, hydrothermal, and metamorphic processes. Yet another element of fitness in nature crucial to the development of metallurgy is the existence of woody plants, which provide the fuel for the fire and the raw material for the manufacture of charcoal. All these elements of fitness in nature crucial to the development of technology, which were crucial to mankind’s rise to civilization, long preceded man’s arrival on Earth.” (Pg. 16)
He asserts, “only biological beings similar to modern humans, possessed of our android design and conscious creative energy on a planet similar to the Earth could ever have exploited the wonderful fitness of nature for fire and for metallurgy. And this suggests that if there are extraterrestrial civilizations possessed of an advanced technology, they will have followed the same route, resemble closely beings of our biology, and inhabit a world similar to the Earth.” (Pg. 17)
He states, “In sum, the current atmosphere is fit---but for different reasons---both for sustaining fire and for supporting human oxidative metabolism. On the one hand, the overall atmosphere pressure … cannot be much increased or the work of breathing would be significantly increased, as would the risk of fire. On the other hand, it cannot be radically less or the oceans would have long ago evaporated, although recent work suggests that at times in the distant past it may have been less than half its current level.” (Pg. 24)
He explains, “If a planet is to possess the necessary stable hydrosphere and atmosphere fit for life discussed above, it must be of approximately the size and mass and possess a gravitational field very close to that of the Earth, and undergo a similar geophysical evolution… But here is something even more remarkable: A ‘Goldilocks’ planet like ours that is ‘just right’ in size and gravity to provide an atmosphere supportive of fire and human respiration is ALSO ‘just right’ for the existence of carbon-based organisms of our size and design possessing an upright bipedal posture, i.e., organisms… of the right size and design to exploit the phenomenon of fire… So planets of the Earth’s size and mass and coincidentally fit both for the design of a bipedal animal of the dimensions of a man capable of exploiting fire and for providing the right atmosphere to support combustion and respiration.” (Pg. 26-28)
He argues, “Only an organism of approximately our dimensions and android design… can readily handle fire. An asteroid organism the size of an ant would be far too small because the heat would kill it long before it was even several body-lengths from the flames… Although the recently-discovered species of diminutive humans ‘Homo floresiensis’ did use fire, it seems likely that a species any smaller…would have difficulty in maintaining a sufficiently hot fire and building the types of kiln necessary for metallurgy.” (Pg. 48-49)
He summarizes, “In short, there are compelling physical reasons why we must be approximately the size we are, to use fire and to possess sufficient strength to mine for ores, and hew wood, develop metallurgy, construct metal tools, develop a sophisticated technology, have a knowledge of chemistry and electricity, and explore the world. It would appear that Man…. Can only accomplish an understanding and exploration of our particular world … in an android body of approximately the dimensions of a modern human.” (Pg. 52)
This book will interest those sympathetic to Intelligent Design, and similar ‘teleological’ concepts.
September 26, 2018
إذا لم تدمع عيناك وأنت تقرأ هذا الكتاب ، فعلى الأرجح أنك لم تفهمهه!!!!
برغم أنه مختصر.. وأقرب آلى المقال منه إلى الكتاب..
والطبعة الرديئة.. والأخطاء اللغوية الكثيرة.. والترجمة الثقيلة.. إلا أن الكتاب جيد... ويُقرأ في جلسة واحدة...
برغم أنه مختصر.. وأقرب آلى المقال منه إلى الكتاب..
والطبعة الرديئة.. والأخطاء اللغوية الكثيرة.. والترجمة الثقيلة.. إلا أن الكتاب جيد... ويُقرأ في جلسة واحدة...
October 18, 2020
Shows how so many seemingly unrelated facts are interrelated in a way that makes man's history possible. Well documented. Any more technical depth might scare off some readers but the level at which it is written should be accessible to anyone with a good high school education.
August 18, 2025
Good but slow
The best part of this book is the last chapter, and while the rest are good, they can certainly drag. This little book is certainly a good Anthropic principle reference with specific examples, but it doesn't get too detailed on any one specific subject.
The best part of this book is the last chapter, and while the rest are good, they can certainly drag. This little book is certainly a good Anthropic principle reference with specific examples, but it doesn't get too detailed on any one specific subject.
December 6, 2020
Good read
Fire is not something extraneous to life to which organisms must adapt, it is something that has emerged out of the nature of life on Earth.
Fire is not something extraneous to life to which organisms must adapt, it is something that has emerged out of the nature of life on Earth.
February 2, 2023
تقييم الكتاب:
كفكرة وتناول: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
كترجمة وتنسيق: بين ⭐⭐ و ⭐⭐⭐
إجمالاً: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
الكتاب رائع وممتاز وذو تناول فريد لموضوع استعراض مواطن الإعجاز في خلق الإنسان وتهيئة جميع الظروف لكي يقيم الحضارة و"يعمر الأرض" بالصورة التي هي عليها الآن.
ومع ذلك، ولأنني قد قرأت النسخة المترجمة باللغة العربية، فإنني لن أخفي انزعاجي من مشاكل الترجمة التي ظهرت في الكتاب عموماً في صورة اختيار ألفاظ غير علمية لترجمة مصطلحات علمية مثلاً، ما يدل على كون المترجم من غير المتخصصين في الترجمة العلمية (كان ينبغي ترك المقابل الإنجليزي بجوار الترجمة العربية لكل مصطلح ليسهل على المتخصصين فهم مقصود المترجم) أو إغفال ترجمة بعضها من الأساس (مثال: ص٩٣) ، وتجلّت بصورة فجةٍ في الفصل الرابع (الأهم في الكتاب) بحيث جعلت فهم المقصود شبه مستحيل في كثير من المواطن، وبجانب مشكلة الترجمة ظهرت أيضاً مشاكل في التنسيق في صورة العديد من الأخطاء الإملائية، وإغفال إدراج الرسم في ص ٩٢، كما وكنت أفضل أن يضيف المترجم شروحات للمفاهيم العلمية التي افترض الكاتب إلمام القارئ بها كون كتابه موجه للقارئ ذو الخلفية العلمية، بينما يستهدف الكتاب المترجم قارئاً قد يكون ذا خلفية أبسط.
عموماً الكتاب خفيف وسيلتهمه القارئ التهاماً وسيحمد الله أن أوقع هذا الكتاب بين يديه.
وأوصي الجميع بقراءة هذا الكتاب.
كفكرة وتناول: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
كترجمة وتنسيق: بين ⭐⭐ و ⭐⭐⭐
إجمالاً: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
الكتاب رائع وممتاز وذو تناول فريد لموضوع استعراض مواطن الإعجاز في خلق الإنسان وتهيئة جميع الظروف لكي يقيم الحضارة و"يعمر الأرض" بالصورة التي هي عليها الآن.
ومع ذلك، ولأنني قد قرأت النسخة المترجمة باللغة العربية، فإنني لن أخفي انزعاجي من مشاكل الترجمة التي ظهرت في الكتاب عموماً في صورة اختيار ألفاظ غير علمية لترجمة مصطلحات علمية مثلاً، ما يدل على كون المترجم من غير المتخصصين في الترجمة العلمية (كان ينبغي ترك المقابل الإنجليزي بجوار الترجمة العربية لكل مصطلح ليسهل على المتخصصين فهم مقصود المترجم) أو إغفال ترجمة بعضها من الأساس (مثال: ص٩٣) ، وتجلّت بصورة فجةٍ في الفصل الرابع (الأهم في الكتاب) بحيث جعلت فهم المقصود شبه مستحيل في كثير من المواطن، وبجانب مشكلة الترجمة ظهرت أيضاً مشاكل في التنسيق في صورة العديد من الأخطاء الإملائية، وإغفال إدراج الرسم في ص ٩٢، كما وكنت أفضل أن يضيف المترجم شروحات للمفاهيم العلمية التي افترض الكاتب إلمام القارئ بها كون كتابه موجه للقارئ ذو الخلفية العلمية، بينما يستهدف الكتاب المترجم قارئاً قد يكون ذا خلفية أبسط.
عموماً الكتاب خفيف وسيلتهمه القارئ التهاماً وسيحمد الله أن أوقع هذا الكتاب بين يديه.
وأوصي الجميع بقراءة هذا الكتاب.
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