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Designed to the Core

by Hugh Ross
RTB Press, © 2022,
290 pages, $21.95 (paperback), ISBN-13: 978-1-956112-01-6

We have often said that the universe’s fine-tuning is evidence of design, and that design requires a Designer. In this book, Hugh Ross shows that this fine-tuning extends far beyond the physical laws and a limited set of precisely adjusted parameters that allow human life to exist. Ross shows fine-tuning evidence in large-scale cosmic structures, down to the cores of Earth and the Moon.

He begins by examining the anthropic principle, which suggests that the presence of intelligent observers (humans) requires certain characteristics of the universe to fall within narrow ranges that allow our existence. The fact that we can observe the universe means it was designed for us to be here. The 17 chapters of this book take you on a journey from the universe's outer features to the details of our galaxy, solar system, and home planet, showing that we were meant to be here.

Ross provides a helpful short summary at the beginning of each chapter, briefly explaining what it covers. Even the appendix includes a summary paragraph. There are 51 pages of notes and an index.

I found the chapters on the interior design of the Earth and Moon particularly fascinating. I had not realized how many features of the Moon's design enable life on Earth. The hidden features of Earth's core and mantle reveal that our planet is unlike any other known planet and truly designed for us to exist. Additionally, other planets in our solar system each support the anthropic principle, helping to make Earth a suitable home for advanced life.

We recommend this book to anyone genuinely interested in understanding the depth of design, from the cosmos to Earth’s core.

— Reviewed by Roland Earnst