Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780871404091)

Whether framed philosophically as "Why is there a world rather than nothing at all?" or more colloquially as "But, Mommy, who made God?" the metaphysical mystery about how we came into existence remains the most fractious and fascinating question of all time. Following in the footsteps of Christopher Hitchens, Roger Penrose, and even Stephen Hawking, Jim Holt emerges with an engrossing narrative that traces our latest efforts to grasp the origins of the universe. As he takes on the role of cosmological detective, the brilliant yet slyly humorous Holt contends that we might have been too narrow in limiting our suspects to God vs. the Big Bang. Whether interviewing a cranky Oxford philosopher, a Physics Nobel Laureate, or a French Buddhist monk, Holt pursues unexplored and often bizarre angles to this cosmic puzzle. The result is a brilliant synthesis of cosmology, mathematics, and physics--one that propels his own work to the level of philosophy itself.

Author: Jim Holt
ISBN-10: 0871404095
ISBN-13: 9780871404091
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Language: English
Published: 07/16/2012
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.33lbs
Size: 9.55h x 6.44w x 1.14d
Award: National Book Critics Circle Award - Finalist
Award: ALA Notable Books - Winner

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2012
Booklist 06/01/2012 pg. 8
Library Journal 07/01/2012 pg. 84
New York Times Book Review 08/05/2012 pg. 1
New York Times Book Review 08/12/2012 pg. 24
New Yorker (The) 09/10/2012 pg. 101
New York Review of Books 11/08/2012 pg. 18
Discover 12/01/2012 pg. 23
NY Times Notable Bks of Year 12/02/2012 pg. 26
Christian Century 12/12/2012 pg. 21