Heavens on Earth by Michael Shermer

I’ve seen Shermer in a clip on youtube, it was at a presentation he gave at Oxford University a few years ago. I looked online and saw that he recently published a book called Heavens on Earth by Michael Shermer – The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia. Luckily it was stocked at the library and I borrowed it. After reading this book, I will gladly read more books by him.

The subject of the book sounded intriguing and so I was keen to read the book. I have to say that in the book, Shermer talked about things I didn’t expect, like psychics and New Age “gurus”. I wouldn’t have thought they should be mentioned in a book like this, but, well, some people do believe in this sort of thing, so they should be talked about maybe just as much as religion.
He also discussed theories such as cryogenics. As I didn’t know a lot on this subject, I found that part of the book fascinating. It was, as the name said, a scientific search into all kinds of afterlife, from religious to non-teistic.

A quote from the book that I liked:
“Embrace the mystery. What we do not need to do is fill in the explanatory gaps with gods or any such preternatural forces. We can’t explain everything, and it’s always okay to say “I don’t know” and leave it at that until a natural explanation presents itself. Until then, revel in the mystery and drink in the unknown. It is where science and wonder meet.”

Heavens on Earth by Michael Shermer

Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars.
Would I recommend it: Yes
Published by: Robinson
Year it was published: 2018
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Science
Pages: 320

About the author:
Dr. Michael Shermer took his BA in Psychology from Pepperdine University, his M.A. in Experimental Psychology from California State University, and his Ph.D. in the History of Science from Claremont Graduate University.
Dr. Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101.
He wrote books like: Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc.

Besides, Shermer contributes with editorials, essays, and reviews to publications like the Wall Street Journal. He appeared on TV shows including Oprah and gave interviews in documentaries aired on Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel. Dr. Shermer has two TED talks, seen by millions, that were voted in the top 100.
Website & Social Media Links: michaelshermer.com