Astronomer David Bradstreet does a wonderful job of laying out the universe in clear language. But although his aim is true and straight - to reconcile science with religion - his book "Star Struck" is more of a very basic history and explanation of the "wonders of creation" than a specified list of ways those wonders line up with the Bible. That's not a bad thing. It's all fascinating information. But very little of it will actually help me defend my faith.

A bit disorganized in its chapter order, "Star Struck" covers:

- Ancient cosmology,
- The "goldilocks" location of Earth and its place in the universe,
- An overview of the planets of our galaxy, with a chapter focusing on the Sun and the Moon, and another chapter on Mars (and Martians),
- A history of the Telescope revolution, Galileo and the Catholic church,
- The age of earth (Bradstreet believes in an old-earth),
- Asteroids, stars, and dark stuff,
- Aliens and life on other planets,
- The future of space travel,
- How galaxies are formed and how far they are from the Earth,
- The Big Bang Theory,
- And end of the world scenarios.

The few Faith applications include:

- Scientists like Galileo and a Catholic priest, who discovered the orbit of the earth around the Sun and the expansion of the Universe from a Big Bang,
- A brief consideration of Atheism and Deism,
- A few chapters on God as creator and sustainer,
- The encouragement to separate Biblical prophecy from Astronomy, with a mention of a few possible real-world scenarios that could fit end-time prophecies,
- A chapter on God's calling for Christians to consider both science and religion,
- The theory that the dust mentioned in Genesis (which man is mad from) could be star stuff,
- And binary star systems as another example of how God uses community and complementarity.

Overall, "Star Struck" will give Christian readers a greater appreciation for God as creator. The book is a quick and easy read, which features multiple photos and illustrations, including some color inserts.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.