I don't believe in the gods people ask me to worship. But saying that creates a responsibility: I need to explain why, and I need to check the evidence I use.

The Sacred Mirage begins with the question behind every serious argument: how do you know? In ordinary English, Lovepreet Singh follows the evidence for an ancient Earth, evolution, human ancestry and a hot early universe. He explains what researchers measured, how the observations support a conclusion and where the unanswered questions remain.

Why are monkeys still here if humans evolved? Can a rock's age really be measured? Does DNA point to a shared family history? Were Adam and Eve the only two ancestors of humanity? Has science created life? What would actually count as evidence for the Big Bang?

This first volume takes those questions slowly enough to make sense without a science degree. It includes practical ways to follow sources, examine a dramatic headline and explain an argument to someone who disagrees. The point is to understand the evidence well enough to ask better questions, including questions of the author.

Book One: Belief, Evidence and Our Origins. The first volume of a planned three-book set.