The Jesuit and the Skull: Teilhard de Chardin, Evolution, and the Search for Peking Man

By Amir D. Aczel

Book Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of Fermat's Last Theorem , ?an extraordinary story?( Philadelphia Inquirer ) of discovery, evolution, science, and faith. In 1929, French Jesuit priest... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594489564
• ISBN13: 9781594489563
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

An Inspiring and Interesting Tale

I found this book to be fascinating. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was an intelligent, complex man. I admire his hard work as a scientist, his devotion to the Jesuits and his god, and his tenacity in trying to get the church to accept new ideas. The book covered many interesting topics: cave art, the evolution of man, fosils, Peking man, and the other scientists who dug with Teilard. I used the audio version. It was great!

An Incredibly Absorbing Page-Turner

I can't praise this book enough. I have read a number of books by Amir Aczel over the years, but this is clearly one of his very best! In my view, it's definitely six-star material. This is an absolutely gripping account of anthropology and the theory of evolution as these subjects were being developed over the last century and a half or so, with the life and work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin as the main focus. Because he was a Jesuit priest as well as a world class scientist, Teilhard's contemporary views about evolution caused him serious problems with the church - an issue also superbly covered in this book. Sprinkled with mini-biographies of various key individuals, this wonderful work has everything from high adventure and thrilling scientific discovery to tragic drama and even an unexpected love story. As is the norm for this author, the writing style is clear, friendly, absorbing, very accessible and incredibly engaging; I could not put the book down. This is a masterpiece that should appeal to absolutely anyone.

A good historical account of a most interesting Jesuit

Like other reviewers, I found this book to be a most interesting read, and an engaging one too, from beginning to end. Aczel recounts the "East-side Story" in the early days of the 20th century paleoanthropology and centers it around Teilhard de Chardin. Numerous historical figures are present in this story, including Davidson Black, Pei WenZhong, Franz Weidenreich, Lucile Swan, Johan Andersson, and even nobility from Europe to Mongolia, just to name a few. And as an added bonus, Aczel presents a summary chapter at the end of the book, titled "What Really Happened to Peking Man?". This I found most absorbing yet at the same time also most inconclusive. But this is a mystery after all, and it will likely remain one for some foreseeable years. Highly recommend!

Master Author

Aczel is a master craftsman and author who describes things in prose as if you might be there. I have read each of his books and recommend them all. 'The Jesuit & The Skull cogently and saliently prvides well documented discourse of how the FOOLS Across The Tiber(Vatican's Curia) operate to this very day, and is 100% correct. This latest offering Aczel is a MUST READ!

Informative and thought provoking

I bought this book for my husband after we heard an interview with the author on NPR. He (my husband) loved it. Well written, intelligent.