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Reviews
“In less than three months, José Rodrigues dos Santos turned The God Formula into the best-selling book of the year, beating authors like José Saramago, Dan Brown, Isabel Allende and Paulo Coelho, who also launched new books onto the Portuguese market in 2006.” Jornal de Notícias, Portugal
“The seemingly Herculean task of reading these 574 pages takes place exactly like one of the theories the novels portrays, a sort of hungry literary big bang. Could this be the kind of book literature needs? Umberto Eco did the same with Foucault’s Pendulum… The author seduces us on this universal journey, he excels with the first chapter’s originality and not even so much science gets you tired.” Diário de Notícias, Portugal
“The God Formula talks about the world, that unique place that science is uncovering, and it talks about the beginning and the end of the world. (…) The story’s plot, in spite of being filled with science, grabs the reader from page one up to the very end. Like Carl Sagan’s Contact, The God Formula has a strong visual sense and it may very well be that it will become a movie. What is the plot all about? I’m not going to take from the reader the pleasure of discovering for himself. Suffice to say that, once you begin reading it, you will not stop.” O Primeiro de Janeiro, Portugal
“The author manages to explain, with great skill and perfect metaphors, the laws of Physics, the mathematic formulas and the scientific theories he presents. (…) The essence of the book excels in quality.” Os Meus Livros, Portugal
“Comparing this novel with Dan Brown’s is inevitable. Both are about mysteries, both are filled with mysticism, both have encrypted codes, both carry the taste that makes it impossible for readers to stop reading. Rodrigues dos Santos goes one step further by spicing up these ingredients with other spices, adding a romantic story, international current affairs, irony and even a certain amount of poetry, especially when describing locations or building up moments of passion. (…) The adventure’s rhythm is established at the outset, addicting the readers to the plot.” Magazine Artes, Portugal “This is a work overflowing with ideas, a novel mysterious and attractive enough to become a bestseller.” Il Messagero di Roma, Italy
“Would you like to write an interesting book? Talk about God. Ask yourself about His existence, His goodness, and above all His malice. Would you like to write a bestseller? Add theological dilemmas and fascinating mathematical mysteries, and do not forget true historical facts. As final touches, include hot current affairs issues, such as Islamic fundamentalism, and, obviously, love with capital L: the impossible kind of love. That’s what José Rodrigues dos Santos expertly did with The God Formula.” Grazia, Italy
“We find here ciphered messages, historical facts mixed with imaginary events, great historical personalities involved in fundamental quests, religious issues entangled with esoteric mysteries. Rodrigues dos Santos, however, added other ingredients as well: the unavoidable love story, Islamic fundamentalism, the Iranian atomic bomb, and, above all, an ample exploration into state of the art physics and cosmology. It’s a commendable intention, as we truly needed to join the two cultural areas, science and humanities, in what Prigogine called «a new alliance». (…) Even the part in which fundamental concepts of relativity or quantum physics are dealt with, or in the one where we learn about the Big Bang and the Big Crunch, or still in the other in which concepts of physics are related to religious concepts, the writing is fascinating and with fluid reading.” Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy
“With clear and fluid writing, the novel manages to keep the reader glued to the story. It’s remarkable the ability to explain, using paradoxes and metaphors, in a simple and entertaining way, the most up-to-date scientific theories in the fields of physics and mathematics, and the fundamentals of western philosophy and eastern mysticism. Universal issues are dealt with in this book: the meaning of life and humankind’s existence, the destiny of the universe, the values of science and religion. «Knowledge is like a clean and fresh lagoon, you can access it from any side», the bodhisattva, a Tibetan wiseman, explains to Thomas. The Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist texts, the Bible and the Kabbalah, all express deep and profound truths, impossible to be known at the time when they were written, but being confirmed now by science. However, is it possible to prove God’s existence? «If one asks an engineer what a computer is, he will explain that it’s a machine made up of chips and electric connections. But a computer is much more than its hardware. Physicists and mathematicians look at the universe in the same way: they only observe atoms, energies and the laws that rule all things. However, what is this gigantic computer’s programme? The universe is much more than its hardware, it’s an enormous software programme. Likewise, if we find a watch and we study it, we will immediately realize that it was created by an intelligent being with a specific purpose. Now, if this is true for something as simple as a watch, why couldn’t it be true for something so immensely more intelligent and complex as the universe?»”. Corriere della Sera, Italy
"Adventure, mysteries, science, romance and exotic locations intertwine in a story bound to be a success in Spain." La Opinión de Málaga, Spain
“Is it possible to find the scientific proof of God’s existence? José Rodrigues dos Santos’ literary max mix contains investigation, cosmology, thriller, romance, spirituality… that is, a formula to attract all kinds of readers.” El Mundo, Spain
“The universe is intelligent and has a purpose. This is what José Rodrigues dos Santos tells us in The God Formula, a novel where he sets out to prove, based on science, the existence of a Supreme Being, though not the Bible’s old man with a beard.” EFE, Spain
“As an Indiana Jones of sorts fed by scientific curiosity, the main character, in a complex game of chance, becomes involved in a plot somewhere between an adventurous novel, a scientific treaty, a philosophical digression and a theological construction of the universe. Not bad for a piece of fiction. The author takes us, or rather makes us accomplices, in a journey as deceptive as a game of matrioskas. (…) The God Formula is structured like a puzzle: the reader fits the pieces together and at the end will see the answer. Or, at least, one answer. The enigma of the universe begins to make sense when we go deeper into the story, in a plot rich with all the ingredients typical of a thriller. (…) José Rodrigues dos Santos’ story is full of substance and its reading will prove quite entertaining.” La Opinión, Spain
"This book has over 500 pages and it really needs them, because it is about the formula which proves the existence of God - and indeed, in the end we get to know it. Undoubtedly, the readers of this book will be reminded of the Da Vinci Code, but I like this one better. (...) This book is about the question if God exists, and although this is not a question I am too interested in, personally, in this book it worked: I really wanted to know." Tros Nieuwsshow, Holland “A suspense novel with depth. If God does indeed exist, he will make a bestseller out of this book.” Misdaadromans, Holland
“Pay attention to The God Formula. This superiorly written suspense novel will break all bestselling charts.” Crimezone, Holland
“The God Formula sums up Douglas Hofstadter (Gödel, Escher, Bach), Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) and Deepak Chopra (Quantum Energy). Congratulations to the author.” Gooi-en Eemlander, Holland
“Rodrigues dos Santos has written his spy story with a depth that Dan Brown lacks. (…) The ending is simply fantastic.” Trouw, Holland
"What is the contribution of José Rodrigues dos Santos to contemporary popular literature? Dan Brown’s novels are mainly focused on the murder mystery and reading them is like filling a crossword puzzle or eating candy floss. Santos, however, uses the murder mystery only as a means to involve us in a world of scientific, religious and philosophical erudition. The latest achievements in mathematics, medicine, nuclear physics and general culture are presented to the reader in a simple and surprisingly entertaining way. (...) This book is looking for answers to questions that every human being has been interested in since childhood. As years go by, these questions become more difficult and complicated. Does God exist? How are we related to birth and death? Is there an end to the universe or is it infinite? I do not mean The God Formula will give you the answers – it is not a literary fiction novel pretending to turn your way of thinking upside down through prophetic directions. The main purpose is to “rehabilitate” the idea of God by means of scientific arguments. Some people will not like this union between religion and science but they have to realize that the most essential issue about this novel is the ambition to answer the questions." Bulgarska Armia, Bulgaria
"Basing his novel on theories defended by physicists and mathematicians, Santos unveils the greatest mystery in history. That is why it's no surprise that this book immediately became a bestseller." Monitor, Bulgaria
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A Fórmula de Deus (The God Formula) |