Origin by Dan Brown Reviewed by Robert Schmidt

Origin By Dan Brown Reviewed by Robert Schmidt

About the Authors

DAN BROWN is the author of numerous #1 international bestsellers, including The Da Vinci Code, Inferno, The Lost Symbol, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, and Digital Fortress. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts fully to writing. He lives in New England with his wife.

About the Book Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty- year-old billionaire and futurist, and one of Langdon’s first students.

But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced to flee. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch. They travel to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret and uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with his shocking discovery…and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

The Book’s ONE THING Science and religion are not competitors, they’re two different languages trying to tell the same story.

There’s room for both in this world!

BLUE SKY LEADERSHIP CONSULTING | 210-219-9934 | [email protected]

Blue Sky Leadership Consulting works with organizations to leverage Strategic Thinking and Execution Planning and we encompass many of the principles in these books into our Four DecisionsTM methodology and development of your company’s Growth Roadmap™. Need to grow top line revenue? Improve bottom-line profits? Build accountable and trusting teams? Improve cash flow? Develop leadership team members? Contact us for a free consultation

Volume 6 Issue 1

Why do we read novels?

Novels are stories, and while they may not be true, they often communicate deep truth in a profound way. Great writers can capture our imagination, take us to interesting places and help us see the world in new ways in a way that is both entertaining and enlightening. Think about novels that have impacted you in meaningful ways and write their titles below:

Think about a few famous novels that have impacted culture and write their titles below:

Topics addressed in this book:

• The tension between science and religion • Rapid advances in computer technology, specifically artificial intelligence • The separation between church and state • Fascism versus democracy • The relevance of modern constitutional monarchies • Modern art versus classical art • Gender equality in leadership positions • Social media, conspiracy theories and fake news • Sexual identity • Extremist religious terrorism Plot and Characters

Edmond Kirsch, a billionaire computer scientist and futurist, as well as a strident atheist, attends a meeting in Catalonia with Roman Catholic Bishop Antonio Valdespino, Jewish Rabbi Yehuda Köves, and Muslim Imam Syed al-Fadl, three members of the Parliament of the World's Religions. He informs them that he has made a revolutionary discovery that he plans to release to the public in a month. He is advising them out of supposed respect, despite his well-known hatred of organized religion which he blames for his mother's death. Horrified, the three learn that he is presenting it in three days' time, prompting Valdespino to send him a voicemail demanding that he stop or risk being discredited…

Volume 6 Book Review: O r i g i n P a g e 2 | 6 Issue 1

Primary Characters:

• Robert Langdon: A U.S. professor of symbology at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. • Edmond Kirsch: A forty-year-old billionaire and futurist and a former student of Robert Langdon at Harvard. • Ambra Vidal: The director of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, fiancé of Spain's Prince Julian and an associate of Edmond Kirsch. • Winston: Edmond Kirsch’s quantum-computer AI assistant, named after Winston Churchill. • Julián: The prince and future king of Spain. • Bishop Antonio Valdespino: The loyal bishop to the Spanish royal family and whom Kirsch meets in the beginning of the novel. • Rabbi Yehuda Köves: A prominent Jewish philosopher. • Syed al-Fadl: A prominent Islamic scholar. • Admiral Luis Ávila: Ex-officer of Spanish Navy who has lost his wife and son to religious extremism and later who become devout member of Palmarian Catholic Church. • Commander Garza: Commander of the Guardia Real who is mistakenly arrested for the murder of Kirsch • Fonseca: Guardia Real Agent • Rafa Díaz: Guardia Real Agent who assists Vidal. • Father Beña of Sagrada Família • Mónica Martín: Public Relation Coordinator, Spanish Palace • Agent Suresh Bhalla: Surveillance specialist, Spanish PalaceNovels are stories, and while they may not be true, they often communicate deep truth.

Significant locations visited in the book:

Benedictine Monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain.

Originally occupied as a hermitage high in the Montserrat mountains of Catalonia in 880 AD, the monastery was founded in 1025 AD. This is the opening scene of the story, where Edmond Kirsch meets with three members of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Volume 6 Book Review: O r i g i n P a g e 3 | 6 Issue 1

Guggenheim Museum Bilboa, in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain.

The “Bilbao” is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian- American architect, Frank O. Gehry. The museum is one of the largest in Spain and is considered one of the most admired works of contemporary architecture in the world.

Sagrada Familia: Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family in Barcelona. Spain.

Designed by famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, construction began on the basilica in 1872 and was between 15-25% complete by Gaudi’s death in 1926. When completed (est. 2032), the central spire will make it the tallest church in the world.

Volume 6 Book Review: O r i g i n P a g e 4 | 6 Issue 1

The Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen), near Madrid, Spain.

This Catholic basilica and monument to the regime of General Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain as a military dictator from 1939 to his death in 1975. One of the world’s largest basilicas, the underground abbey is larger than St. Peter’s in Rome, with the stone cross reaching over 500 feet above ground.

The basilica was built by convict labor which was not forced, but allowed convicts to redeem two days of sentence for each day worked on the facility. There is a great

Reasons I think this book is of interest to read:

• The topics covered are extremely pertinent to our times • The writing style is fast paced and enjoyable • It gives excellent food for thought without presenting right vs. wrong conclusions • The characters are believable and yet challenging.

The closing thought:

In nature we experience both patterns and codes. A pattern is any organized sequence. Patterns exist everywhere from honeycombs, to seashells to sunflowers. Codes are special, by definition they must carry information. They must do more than simply form a pattern, codes must contain data and convey meaning. Examples of codes are written language, musical notations, mathematical equations, or even a crucifix. All of these can communicate meaning in a way that a spiraling seashell cannot. Codes do not occur naturally in the world- musical notation does not sprout from trees- codes are the deliberate inventions of intelligent conscientiousness. Codes must be created, they don’t just appear organically.

What about DNA, the genetic code?

I + XI = X

Volume 6 Book Review: O r i g i n P a g e 5 | 6 Issue 1

Our Faculty and Our Sponsors

Actions What thought, or idea had the biggest impact on you today?

What is your ONE THING? What one specific action you will take TODAY from what was discussed?

______

Calendar of Events First Friday – Wittigs 2018 Avenue B San Antonio 7:30 – 9:00 [Sponsor: UTSA EMBA Alumni Association] Jan 4th Origin Feb 1st Cilantro Diaries Mar 1st Sleep Smarter Wine & Cheese Wednesday – Wittigs 2018 Avenue B San Antonio 5:30 – 7:00 PM [Sponsor: Haworth] Jan 9th The Soul of Leadership Feb 6th SPECIAL EVENT – Oscar Night Feb 13th Make Your Bed Mar 13 Engaged Leadership Second Tuesday – Wittigs 401 William St. Corpus Christi 5:30 – 7:00 PM [Sponsor: Wittigs & Haworth] Jan 8th The Soul of Leadership Feb 12th Make Your Bed Mar 12th Engaged Leadership Fourth Thursday – Haworth 2 E Greenway Plaza #100 Houston 11:30 –1:00 [Sponsor: Haworth & Wittigs] Jan 24th How to Win Friends and Influence People Feb 21st Mastery Mar 28th Your Oxygen Mask First Fourth Friday – Alpha Home 419 E. Magnolia Ave. San Antonio 8:00 – 9:30 [Sponsor: Alpha Home]] Jan 25th How to Win Friends and Influence People Feb 22nd Mastery Mar 29th Your Oxygen Mask First