In The Blossoming of the World, Brian H. Peterson—author of the critically acclaimed The Smile at the Heart of Things—picks up both pen and camera and journeys to the deep end of life. Along the way he confronts some painful contradictions—beauty and violence, love and grief—and reflects on illness, family, death, dreams, epiphanies, and the birth of self-awareness. More storyteller than philosopher, Peterson struggles to reconcile his Christian faith with his love of science, creativity, and spirituality in all its manifestations. Through word and image he quietly looks for—and finds—the common ground that unites thinking and compassionate people of all shapes and sizes. Full-color reproductions of Peterson's photographs accompany and enrich this collection of essays and reflections.