The Great Turning Point is a book of 272 pages, including a four-page Subject Index, a three-page Name Index, a three-page Scripture Index, and a twenty-two-page Bibliography. The book intends to prove that young-earth creationism was believed by Bible-believing scientists hundred of years ago and is not a new idea. Rather, it was the dominant view of the church for centuries. The book begins by going over the historical context of the time leading up to the early 19th century, including both intellectual and religious factors that affected the 19th century Genesis/Geology debate. The book then includes "Individual Portraits" of seven scientists: Granville Penn, George Bugg, Andrew Ure, George Fairholme, John Murray, George Young, and William Rhind. Each "portrait" includes a biographical sketch and a summary of the man's views on geology. The book concludes with a chapter on Generalizations and Conclusions about the debate between old-earth geology and young-earth creationism. This book stands alone and does not include any additional lesson manual, workbook, or computer tools for its use.

Although this book was not specifically designed for homeschoolers, it could certainly be used in a homeschool environment. Almost every page includes very thorough footnotes, allowing for further research in specific areas as the parent/teacher sees fit. If used as a supplemental science resource, it would be most appropriate for high school and up; but with adult guidance younger students could learn a great deal from the book as well. It could be a great guide for students who prefer notebooking, lapbooks, or in-depth research, as the book offers a great deal of names and basic information as a starting point. The book has a rather strong textbook feel to it, but it does work systematically toward its conclusion that Scriptural geologists have long been in existence, that the church itself began questioning the connections between the Bible and geology long before Darwin, and that young-earth creationists have historically been misrepresented.

The Great Turning Point is an excellent resource and a very well written science book. We found the amount of information to be almost overwhelming, but thanks to its extensive footnotes and multiple indexes, it can be read without interruption and returned to for further research and explanation later. The various charts, graphs, and diagrams are also helpful.

There are many resources currently available in the area of Creation Science, but few will offer more leads to further research than The Great Turning Point. The history contained in its pages is some of the most enlightening science reading our family has seen in a long time. The conclusion that a young-earth philosophy is rooted not only in our faith but in science as well is a valuable tool for every Christian homeschooler. When our students more fully understand the debate between Creationists and Evolutionists, they will be able to more accurately defend their faith.

Product review by Donna Campos, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, August 2007