Book Review: Purposeful Design

The Earth’s creation is probably the most miraculous event ever known.  It is unfathomable to really wrap your brain around.  Life is a miracle all on it’s own yet it is something we don’t think of very much.  The perfect balance created for us to live and thrive…. how was it all done?  Where can we look to some answers?  I had the opportunity to review an amazing resource to help me teach my children all about God’s creation. Purposeful Design sent me Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation, a hardback book by Jay Schabacker,a  former aerospace engineer.

What Is The Book Like?

There is one word to describe this book… GORGEOUS!  The photography, the thick sturdy pages, the background images, the graphics.  Wow!  It is just a beautiful book.  Artistic as well as informative.  It takes a special book to showcase and teach you about God’s creation and this is certainly a special book.

The book is broken down into short chapters. Seven chapters to be exact.  One for each day of creation. Each chapter usually took just a short time to read.  The book is just over 90 pages long.  I read one chapter per day to my 4, 7, and 9 year old children.  I think this book is suitable for just about any age… preschool through adult I do have to say that it help the attention of my older two children the best.  My 4 year old was totally mesmerized by the pictures.  She tended to pick up the book at odd times and ask me 101 questions about everything she saw.  That provided me with the opportunity to share with her as well.

Within the book the author quotes the biblical account in Genesis and provides lots of scientific detail.  He thoroughly dissects the details that make life on this planet possible.   Complex subjects are broken down into very understable explanations. The overall message of the book is that God is not only an intelligent designer but a purposeful one as well.

Curriculum 

Purposeful Design also has a great resource for older elementary students called the Young Explorers club.   It contains a Kid’s Workbook, Teacher’s Set, and a Certificate of Completion.  You can obtain this for FREE from their website.  The workbook pages consist of scripture and fill-in-the black responses that are associated with each chapter of the book.  This is followed by more scripture verses and questions that help the child dig a little deeper and reflect on what God is saying in His word.  Then you’ll find a place for your child to draw a picture related to what they have learned.

Our Thoughts

Honestly we loved it.  We used it as a nice break from our usual science studies.  There is plenty here with the curriculum for this to be your sole source for science for a couple of weeks.  I could also see it as being a catalyst for a much deeper science study on each of the days.  For example a study of the sea or birds etc…  I might use this one book for an entire year or more revisiting it each time we begin a new study of another part of God’s creation.

Purchase

You can purchase the book HERE for $18.95 which is 25% off the retail price.

 

 

Social Media

Blog: www.Jayschabacker.blogspot.com

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