Review by Booklist Review
Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project and more recently of the National Institutes of Health, offers a map of the road to wisdom in this important book. Its goal is to turn the focus away from hyperpartisan politics and bring it back to the most important sources of wisdom: truth, science, faith, and trust. Accordingly, he devotes a chapter to each of these sources, the one on faith evidencing his own Christian beliefs and a discussion of the sometimes-fraught relationship between science and religious faith. Not surprisingly, the chapter on science gives considerable attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, which he calls a unique and devastating event which "provides a stark example of how truth, science, faith, and trust collided in the face of growing societal divisions," due, in part, to social media and politics. Collins writes well, making his thought-provoking material readily accessible to the general reader. His is an important subject, and he proves to be a reliable, insightful, and agreeable guide to the road to wisdom.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Former National Institute of Health director Collins (The Language of Life) interweaves sociopolitical commentary, popular science, and theology in this smart study. Citing how distrust of Covid vaccines cost an estimated 230,000 American lives even as the scientific community celebrated "one of the greatest medical achievements in human history," Collins describes an America so deeply fractured by hyperpartisan politics that it can be repaired only by returning to the "solid ground" of truth, science, faith, and trust. Unpacking each value, he writes that faith is vital to bridging "division and animosity" and offers truths beyond science's reach, while the scientific community must learn from its stumbles in communicating with the public during the pandemic to address such pressing social issues as climate change. Suggestions include repairing seemingly "irreconcilable" differences through a focus on shared values--family, freedom, love--rather than statistics. Despite some wearying truisms (people should respect each other, because there is "nothing more un-American than hating fellow Americans"), the author's expertise and lucid writing impress. This has plenty to offer. (Sept.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Prescriptions for change. Collins, a physician, evangelical Christian, and former director of the National Institutes of Health, seeks a remedy for the divisiveness and anger that beset our nation. Healing, he asserts, depends on four sources of clarity and wisdom: truth, science, faith, and trust. The Covid-19 crisis, especially, darkened his "usual optimistic view of society," making him realize "how much we have lost track of the sources of wisdom--how we have let politics on both the right and the left become our touchstone." He examines controversies that emerged about protocols for managing the virus (masking, business and school closures, social distancing), the cause of the pandemic, and the effectiveness of vaccines; he also discusses other incendiary topics, including climate change and the results of the 2020 presidential election. People's opinions on these issues have been swayed, Collins asserts, by six kinds of untruth: ignorance, falsehood, lies or "intentional distortion of the truth," delusion, bullshit, and propaganda. Those who use social media as their main source of information about the world can be "unwittingly manipulated" by these forms of untruth. Collins asserts that identifying falsehoods boils down to trust in the integrity and competence of the person or institution conveying information, and he cautions against believing only those whose values align with one's own. Drawing on examples from his personal and professional experiences, he reveals times when his trust has been honored and times when it has been broken. As a scientist who finds belief in a Christian God "entirely consistent" with his faith in evidence-based truths and scientific methods, he recounts his journey from atheism to Christianity. Overall, Collins urges each reader to create a renewed sense of community through "reanchoring your worldview"; engaging with family, friends, and community; and carefully distinguishing facts from fakes. Thoughtful guidance in tumultuous times. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
