Hardcover: 216 pages
Publisher: Emerald Book Company
(January 13, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937110710
ISBN-13: 978-1937110710
$18.95
$8.99
From the publisher:
2015 Next Generation Indie Book
Award Winner
From Newton, Einstein to GOD is
a poetic memoir that follows the amazing life of Leong Ying, beginning with his
birth into poverty in 1961 in the former British colony of Singapore. After a
short time, his family is able to make their way to England. There, as a child
with prophetic abilities and a penchant for daydreaming, Ying turns away from
his spirituality and toward the logic of science, ultimately earning a graduate
degree in nuclear physics. Shortly thereafter, Ying immigrates to the United
States and, for a time, chases what he sees as the declining American dream.
In this new land, the duality of
Ying's life comes into focus, and he uses science--which he'd formerly applied
to deny the existence of God--to reveal the ''ultimate godly secrets.'' In
doing so, he discovers the Twin Universe, a grand cosmic cycle that will lead
us into a new phase, one that will have a dramatic influence on the existence
and evolution of humankind and our humanity to come.
Through his unique writing style,
Ying's philosophy and ideas come vividly to life. Interspersed with photographs
from his youth and adulthood, each page is a unique dance between words and
images that will inspire and enlighten.
My review:
Dr. Ying’s varied experiences and education
lead him on a journey to explore the universe and all the knowable that dwells
in it, but also the ultimate question of how and why it came into being. The
book is a biographical memoir written in a wrenched poetical scheme that leaves
some gaps and lapses into narrative sentences upon occasion, disrupting the rhythm
until it finds the flow again.
Filled with an interesting picture of an
immigrant family leaving China and finding a new life in Great Britain, the
dynamics of working parents and distance, a young man forced to find a way to
fit into an alien society and grow up to make his own way in life, Newton, Einstein to God is an
interesting story. Readers must read behind the lines to get a fuller picture
of the emotion, or as admitted by the author, lack of emotion and only belated
ability to really connect to others, particularly his parents. Dr. Ying’s
courage to venture into education, reason about his culture and delve into
matters of faith is admirable. An English class, he says, led him to attempt
this type of story-telling for his book. There are memorable nuances, an
interesting reference to appearing in a Star Trek movie, which had me reviewing
my copy to find his performance. I may have caught him in two very brief spots,
though I’m not sure and there are no credits for him in my version.
Regarding the proof of God segment, Dr. Ying
comes up with his theory, though it’s a little hazy to me how he actually
decided there is a God and changes his life because of this inspiration. He writes
a series of commandments he calls edicts: cherish life, earn your own values,
defy oppression, and so forth. He mentions more than once belief in a great
power, or a primary supercomputer, that permeates the universe, but a lack of
emphasis on Christ makes me think the faith described is not Christian but
deity-central. “Try to divide or multiple GOD and you still get total unity.”
Those who are poets might find the scheme a bit
difficult, but there are moments of lyricism: “Universal Laws of Thermodynamics
was to be the crowning culmination. On the last fourth page I wrote the
conclusion as the Proof of GOD. Determine to garner a Noble Prize in Physics
against mighty odds.” The lack of consistent tense and some punctuation which
would not affect the syllable count in the attempted couplets was problematic.
Those readers who enjoy a quirky style would find this book an interesting
read. I enjoyed this little venture into the life of an intriguing personality.
About the Author:
Leong Ying is a nuclear
physicist, science fiction author, stage director, and poet. His spiritual
journey and scientific research helped him discover the Twin Universe theory,
with the goal of proving God's existence from a scientific perspective. He's
releasing a documentary this fall.
