Andrew Parker is a distinguished young biologist who is also an effective science writer/science popularizer. In The Genesis Enigma he sets out to demonstrate the scientific accuracy of the creation story in Genesis. In order to do that he goes into considerable depth concerning the evolutionary process as currently understood, from the big bang forward. This entails long discussions, e.g., of such issues as the nature of energy, the complex processes involved in the evolution of the eye (and its far-reaching results) and the expansion of life during the Cambrian period as well as the reasons behind that phenomenon.This is dense science but it is presented lucidly. As part of the fleshing out of the picture, Parker explores the languages of the bible, the evolution of the biblical texts, over time, as they were translated into local vernaculars and the identity of the authors of the Pentateuch and their ‘redactor’. This involves the understanding and transmission of the results of a great deal of scholarship and Parker is a very able and gifted guide in taking us through this material.The conclusion, Parker argues, is inevitable. The scientific backdrop of the creation and its later evolution has not been ‘understood’ until very recently. The author of Genesis, like his contemporary colleagues, could not possibly have understood what the totality of modern science now sees. He would have believed in a flat earth, after all, and as a desert dweller he would have had little feel for the dimensions and diversity of the animal kingdom. This leads us to two possible conclusions: a) he was very, very lucky and made very, very good guesses; or b) he was inspired by God and somehow directed by God to tell a story which, we now see, squares with modern science.Given the fact that Parker is dealing with very complex materials and exploring an extremely important subject, most readers will wish he had studied one issue or another in a different way. Given its dimensions this could not be a perfect book. On the other hand, it is a fascinating and even riveting book, one that will be accessible to all thoughtful readers.Highly recommended.