Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation
Author: Jay Schabacker
Picture Book: 94 pages
Language: English
ISBN 13: 978-0-9896190-0-4
List price: $24.95
Reviewed By: Janice D. Green
Rating: 
Jay Schabacker has collected and shared a wealth of fascinating facts and beautiful photographs that support the concept of purposeful and intelligent design – which also complement the Genesis account of creation. The material is arranged according to the days of creation.
Purposeful Design would be highly appropriate as a coffee table book. It would be a great discussion starter with friends and neighbors. Although the language might be over the heads of younger children, the pictures will capture their attention and parents who have already read the material can discuss the pictures with their children bringing it down to their level and helping them to see God’s hand at work in the world around them. I could also see this book as a useful supplement to a Sunday school teacher or Bible study leader who is teaching about creation.
What do I like most about this book? The great wealth of information and the beautiful pictures.
What do I like least about this book? There is only one place where I feel the book may depart from the Scriptures. Many Bible scholars insist that it did not rain before the flood of Noah’s time. This author treats the concept of separating the waters as if it were a matter of creating clouds to rain on the earth. I have no hard and fast opinion on this either way, I simply state the way it has been presented in the book. There are so many other wonderful pages that offset this minor issue.
I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5. Purposeful Design can be ordered on Amazon.com or on the author’s website.
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Janice, your comment on the rain is an interesting one. Actually, much to my chagrin, I have found a few places in the book where I should have done differently. I wanted to get the “rain cycle” into the book, and to put it in the Second Day was not a good choice. If I did it again I would put it in Day Three, possibly with some explanation.
I am now preparing a reader’s workbook or guide to go along with each chapter. I think that will be a “plus” for children. Thanks for the review. Jay Schabacker http://www.Jayschabacker.com.
You might want to put the rain cycle into an addendum showing that God continues to be involved in creation today. If the interpretation of the Bible saying the first rain was in the time of Noah’s flood, then the rain cycle wouldn’t fit into any of the first seven days.