In my constant search for new titles, I recently came across Richard Swenson’s “More than Meets the Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God’s Power and Design.” Of course, I ordered it, and I was excited to find that it is a great matchup for our 20-21 School Year Pack! Swenson focuses heavily on the complexities of our bodies, but he also digs into some chemistry with a discussion about atoms (and even quarks!), and finishes out with a look at the origins of the galaxies (hello, did he write this book just for us?!).
The author is a medical doctor, and he writes a bit high-mindedly, digging into some serious weeds with how the body works. I would not use this book as a straight read aloud – it would be too much for the kids, and me! However, it is sectioned in very neat subcategories, making it easy to pull off the shelf to read a paragraph, as a way to supplement other discussion.
For much of the book, Swenson focuses heavily on the magnitude of our bodies creation, writing extensively sentences like this one:
“The human body is composed of ten thousand trillion trillion atoms – a number greater than the stars in the universe. In each person, more than a trillion of these atoms are replaced every one-millionth of a second.”
With these mind-boggling pieces of data, Swenson aims to show us the power of God, as he says, “The kind of God who stuns physicists with symmetry, the mathematicians with precision, the engineers with design, the politicians with power, and the poets with beauty.”
While we are focusing on learning the basics of the human body, I love to introduce snippets of these deep scientific discoveries as just one more way to encourage that sense of wonder and awe at God’s creation.
Nicole Paitsel is the creator and co-founder of Learning with Friends. She is a a former classroom teacher and current homeschooling mom of two. If you can’t find her, look in the local used book store where she is probably hunting for treasures.
*Affiliate links contained in article, but reviews and recommendations are my own.
