Between Eternities: Ideas on Life and the Cosmos

‘It is through man’s involvement that the universe becomes “conscious” of itself. The universe created life and, in an astounding feat of circularity, it is life—principally the human being—that then brings the universe into “existence” and a Creator into possibility.’

Is it more rational to believe in a universe that was created in a fortuitous accident; or to believe in one that was designed by a Creator who is self-sufficient, yet decides to make a universe? Alternatively, is the universe only an illusion, an aberration of ‘nothingness’? Science, philosophy, religion and mysticism all offer different propositions.

Ashvin Desaiinterweaves the different streams of reasoning to produce a meticulously researched, closely argued and thought-provoking work. The book, tracing the history of the universe, delves into such cosmic questions of existence as: How did the universe arise? What does science have to say about this cosmic phenomenon and how definite are its findings? Is there a place for philosophy in all of this, and if so, how does it argue its propositions in the context of worldly evidence? What does religion have to say? And is religion reliable in its authority? How does one use the knowledge passed on from the mystics? And so to the crucial point --- is there a meaning that can be found for life at all?

Between Eternities is a composite work of findings from different schools of thought, with an ultimate attempt to resolve the fundamental issues about the universe and life. It is an astonishing blend of the scientific and the social; the philosophical and the physical; the mystical and the material.

Reviews

‘This is a book about life in various dimensions, considering the questions from the scientific (physical and biological) to the religious to the philosophical to the mystical to the literary and artistic viewpoints. There is immense erudition, but it is worn lightly . . . This is definitely an exceptional work.’
—Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

‘Well written, full of information, compendious in its sketch of the world from the viewpoint of the sciences, and successful in its endeavour to make complex material accessible and comprehensible to the general reader.’
—Professor A.C. Grayling, University of London

‘Highly impressed with the author’s grasp of scientific and philosophical theories . . . mastery of such an array of complex subjects almost awe-inspiring at times . . . issues are more than merely thought-provoking; they are both challenging and far-reaching.’
—Marie Evans, Macmillan, London