This book has been written as a response to the increasing polarisation of the public debate between science and religion. On one side of the debate, there are the "aggressive atheists", who claim to represent Science. On the other you have religious fundamentalists, who amongst other things insist on the literal truth of Scriptural writings.
This view ignores a huge constituency or people with more moderate views: scientists inspired by a sense of wonder at what they discover in their daily work, religious adherents who hold much more tolerant and inclusive views of the world, or indeed agnostics who either hold no strong view or acknowledge that they simply "don't know".
Many people look to science or religion for answers because they feel uncertain about the future. They want nice simple answers that make them feel secure. This book will not provide simple answers. It will try to follow Einstein's advice that "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.