MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - In From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch and Everything in Between: A Simplified Look at a Not-So-Simple Universe (Dr. Vlad Van Rosenthal explores the subjects made complex by science and religion -those concerning our planet, our solar system and our civilization. "There are two types of books on the subject of our existence," Dr. Van Rosenthal writes. "One is the religious kind, written by members of the clergy, in which quotations from the scripture are presented as indisputable postulates of our history. The other type is written by scientists; in this type, physical laws are quoted as postulates of household knowledge. Although these two kinds of books are different as two sides of a magnet, they have something in common: all of these books are full of terminology, technical or theological." Van Rosenthal's compelling and accessible style introduces readers to the fundamental explanations of the origin and future of our universe and of human life. From the cataclysmic explosion at the beginning to the one at the end - either from asteroids colliding with the earth, the nuclear explosion of nearby stars, or the fatal swelling of our own sun - humans are a unique species on a planet that has seen numerous civilizations and will hopefully see many more. "This book is about our planet and our solar system," Van Rosenthal says, "our universe and parallel universes, our civilization and the destiny that awaits humanity."