This is the story of the Universe and Life . . . of origins and history . . . arranged in Three Testaments to honour the supreme achievements of the talented men and women who have been unravelling the mysteries of the cosmos and evolution.The book has the essence of a new bible-not a Holy Bible, not a sacred text, but a scientific one presenting facts without fables, and history without distortion. These Testaments bear witness to truths gained by observation, instrumentation, insight, intelligence, reason, and the application of physical laws and the formulation of harmonious, logical models. In defining the latest wisdom, they spell out the fundamentals of the physics of the wonders of the Universe-all the while acquiring ever-better perfection in scientific detail. It is testimony and eulogy, in praise of high scholarship and logic-the ultimate Enlightenment.The Third Testament is the story of humanity as it proceeds to the present-day-humans enriched with high intelligence and a genetically promising future. And yet, despite all the successes here narrated, the volume draws to a close by sadly asking (Epilogue page 305) "e;How did it come about that Homo sapiens in the course of its 160,000 years of progress got itself into the current mess"e;-referring to the amalgam of authoritarian religions, undemocratic governments, reckless overpopulation, and irresponsible worldwide waste on land and ocean?AUTHORSThe authors are many. They number millions-scientists probing the mysteries of the Universe and the origins of Life, unprejudiced archaeologists evaluating the evidence of prehistory, and the best-informed historians and accomplished writers poring over the records of past millennia-between them reporting the triumphs, events and disasters of humankind. The assembler of these truths is a retired physics professor and active archaeologist-his alma mater Oxford University. The resulting book is a compendium of knowledge annotated with honourable intentions for the common good.Socrates: "e;There is only one good, Knowledge, and only one evil, Ignorance."e;