Editorial Review

If Albert Einstein were alive, he would have a copy of Read more

Reviews (113)

There's Much More than Physics Here!
Penrose's is a name I remember from reading Scientific American and NYT Book Reviews in the late '60s, which is most of the reason why I bought the book despite having never done any serious study of physics, and having recently been mildly disappointed by Lisa Randall's "Warped Passages".Surely someone who has dedicated so many years to the subject and been so influential will have something interesting to say!And I've always been a sucker for doing hard work in name of fun.I'm glad I did."The Road to Reality" will have a permanent place on my bookshelf between Stephen Hawking's delightful "A Brief History of Time" and Saunders Mac Lane's "Mathematics: Form and Function".
Whoa!
I am finding this book extremely challenging.Mostly, the problem is the huge number of new concepts.I would strongly recommend this book for the young math, (hard)science, or, perhaps?, engineering student/20 something.If you have not encountered quantum mechanics or complex analysis before, this probably ain't the place to start.As most know, freshman calculus is mostly memorization and skill training akin to puzzle solving. It bears little in common with mathematical thought in the early 21st Century.This book plunges you into that thought stream as Penrose believes it applies to "reality".As someone who always wondered about the asides my textbook authors made when talking about path integrals, spin quantum numbers, or separable equations, I find this book illuminating - if only I were 20 or 30 years younger so the new concepts would sink in faster... Anyway, it is not for the layman - I'd say that if you're unfamiliar with the names Godel, Dirac, Cantor, Leibnitz, Heisenberg then you will probably find this book a huge travail.
Could have been much better.
The biggest problem with this book is its attempt to cater to several disparate audiences at once. If you happen to be an interested layman there are much better options.First of all you should know that this book, although it proports in the introduction to be self contained starting from the basics and moving up, will be impossible to read unless you have previous familiarity with the concepts in question.Many customers have said that they were happy just to get a "feel" for the "jist" of the topics he covers.Realistically, I don't see how that is possible: his chapters are that layman unfriendly.I have had a lot of Calculus and when I read his sections on Real and Complex Analysis I was shocked to discover that he treats them from a very advanced point of view all in the space of 30 pages.This is mind-blowing!Literally everything that follows the chapters on real and complex analysis will rely on the information contained in those chapters, and yet the discussion therein is, bar-none, the worst introduction to the ideas behind Calculus I have ever read.You couldn't ask for a more backwards introductory presentation of the principle ideas, and I don't know that there is a worse one in print.I feel sorry for all the people who have or will attempt to read this book and, as a result, further convince themsleves that the topics included must simply be beyond their natural mental capabilities.
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Subjects:  1. Astrophysics & Space Science    2. Cosmology    3. General    4. Mathematical Physics    5. Physical laws    6. Physics    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Reviews (93)

Headspinning Cutting-edge Physics
"Warped Passages" is a summary of some of the breakthrough theories in physics. And Lisa Randall, who's been at Princeton, MIT, and now Harvard, surely is the perfect person to be our guide. With her breezy, anecdotal, learn by example style, she takes some of the most (to me) arcane and mysterious facts about her areas of expertise--particle physics, string theory, and cosmology--and summarizes some theories that maybe will answer the questions of what is the (our? this particular?) universe like, and how is it structured?
Fascinating Read
For anyone with an inquiring mind as to what makes the universe tick, "Warped Passages", is a must read.No wonder this book is rated 4+ overall by 90 reviewers.
Tedious, makes a fascinating topic bo-ring!!!!
I picked up this book expecting to gain some new insights about the bleeding edge of scientific research, string theory, and model-building, but found it unbelievably tedious, self-congratulatory, and self-absorbed. There may be little doubt that author Lisa Randall is a brilliant physicist, but her explanations of the last 100 years of science and her theories are muddled and poorly written. I found myself longing for a writer such as Bill Bryson to explain half of these theories. In addition, one of most annoying features of this book is the way Randall tries to disguise her inability to explain advanced physics in straightforward terms that would appeal to the lay reader by starting each chapter with a pop culture reference, usually a lyric from a band such as Metallica, as if such a reference will be enough to goose the reader awake and take interest in the next muddled exposition. She even has footnotes that explain the American term "runway" is translated as "catwalk" in the United Kingdom -- oh, thank you, Ms. Randall, for such elucidation! Why not make this book more interesting and readable with a more engaging style that explains these fascinating theories in a clearer manner? Not to give away the ending, but many of these theories about extra dimensions cannot even be proven unless the universe demonstrates another massive outburst of energy almost equivalent to the Big Bang. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. Particle Physics    3. Particles (Nuclear physics)    4. Philosophy    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. String models    9. Science / Physics   

Reviews (6)

mediocre
I adopted this text for my first try at teaching intro astronomy. It has lots of pretty pictures but I was not impressed with the content. This includes the text, the organization and the question/problem sets. If this text is better than most of its competitors, I am in real trouble. =-)

So, so...
The delivery time was very quick, that was good, and the price was great.The condition of the book was very used and they said it was like new.Other then that I guess it was O.K.

Superb textbook - beautifully illustrated, clearly written!
This is the Eighth Edition of a truly superb textbook for an introductory astronomy course, or for anyone (amateur astronomers?)who is looking for a great and beautifully illustrated general reference source on astronomy. I've been teaching intro astronomy for many years and keep my eye on all the textbooks. Aimed primarily at non-science majors, Seeds' book is a hum-dinger and really the best I see out there at this time. Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - General    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Cosmology & the universe    6. Science / Astronomy   

Editorial Review

Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic Read more

Reviews (310)

A Masterpiece for the Patient
Stephen Hawking has crafted a masterpiece that requires only two qualities of the reader: patience and an open mind.For those willing to take the (often substantial) time required to digest the material and accept (or even challenge) it, a awe inspiring world awaits.This book is rightfully one of the best selling books of all time, and a must read for anyone who has any interest in the world around them.

I'm impressed
I must say my first reaction was to be surprised at how much better Hawking is at explaining modern physics than my college instructors were.Heisenberg's uncertainty principle was just an equation I learned.Hawking made it seem like common sense.
History of time
This book is a good history of time. My first real book on cosmology. Since then, there have many other discoveries in the field that make our understanding of things slightly difference. Still this is a really good first book at understanding cosmology. They're just a little too worried that readers won't understand it if they add something a little technical. It becomes a book good only for those who will never grasp anything more, or a first book for those who will graduate to more descriptive, technical books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. History    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. PHYSICS    7. Science / General    8. Science: General Issues   

Editorial Review

There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics Read more

Reviews (466)

Brilliant.
I absolutely loved this book. Greene explains the basic ideas of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, of Quantum Mechanics, of particle physics, ect., and most importantly, String Theory to the layman. He does this in the most interesting and expressive way possible. It was easy to understand and a blast to read. I read this book falling asleep at night and dreamed of other dimensions....I even took it to the laundromat! This book is wonderful; I couldn't put it down.

An adventure in physics

Discover the 11 dimensions of our reality...
Although I am no particle physicist, Brian Green succeeds to give us a truly passionate account of how close Science is to resolve the problem of matter and what is all the fuss about string theory. Without any equation besides the now-popular E=mc2 but with a good deal of common sense and easy-to-understand examples, the author not only reviews the upmost important results found by Einstein's scientific family but also succeeds to give the reader an excellent feeling of what is a string, how come scientists dare to think there may be more than three spatial dimensions and even maybe more than one universe! On top of it, the author tries to keep a critical mind, noticing us that string theory is up to now "only" a beautiful mathematical object which, for the first time in history of Science, can almost explain everything but is still way, way ahead of experimentation. Thus, like any abstract thing not strongly tight to reality, string theory can still be toppled even by a light breeze... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. General    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Superstring theories    8. Science / Physics    9. String Theory   

Reviews (24)

Briefer improves on brief
It is not as amazing as time being relative, but the authors did manage to explain things still more clearly, in an even smaller book. I spent much less time reading this second book but this time more light bulbs seemed to come on.

Welcome to our universe
A phenomenal description of the basics in physics and science. Hawkings new version is a tell all for Science beginners such as myself. After years of not understanding or not putting effort into understanding science I now have an excellent overview of why and how we exist. Definitely a great read!

Too Brief
"A Briefer History of Time" is a graceful summary of spacetime physics, written entirely for non-scientific readers; it contains no formulas, and can be understood by any bright teenager. Before you run out and buy a copy, though, you should know that - due to the book's very short length and intended readership for a general audience - it is very elementary and covers its field in only the briefest of ways. If the reader has read any other popular treatment of this subject in the last few years, there will not be anything new in the "Briefer History."
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. Physics    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (5)

The best book on graduate cosmology.
I am currently teaching graduate cosmology. Modern cosmology is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of physics that has allowed cosmologists to learn from observations fundamental facts about our universe. Graduate students want to understand this beautiful subject themselves.Dodelson's book is the one that delivers that understanding. Of the several graduate cosmology texts out there, this one is unquestionably the best.
Great text
I haven't used another cosmology text for comparison, but have been very pleased with this one.The text is everywhere clear, reasonably concise, and the author uses good judgment in determining which calculations to present as examples and which to reserve for practice, all of which make this a very easy text to read.My only reservations are that necessary assumptions and approximations do not always seem fully justified, and the reader is often asked to wait until later in the text for certain approximations to be justified, which at times disrupts the logical flow of the text.The text is also somewhat incomplete in the sense that Dodelson does not always start from first principles.In my case I considered this an advantage as it allowed for quicker reading and less overhead before important results are presented.The discussion of inflation was less complete than I had hoped, but sufficient to prepare me for the literature.

the BEST book on cosmology for the advanced student
Without question, Dodelson's book beats out a herd of books at the present redshift for the de rigeur text to be bandied about by grad students. I haven't looked back at Padmanabhan's Structure formation in awhile, but it was written before the COBE discoveries, and so it's a bit "old fashioned" now; there are a number of other books worth looking at, of course.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. Physics    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Astrophysics    7. Cosmology & the universe    8. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (55)

Awesome
If your into knowing more about the big picture this is the book/dvd to do it. Very scientific in nature but interesting to average folk.

The Special, and Intelligently Designed "Pale Blue Dot"
Co-authored by two Discovery Institute Fellows, astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez and philosopher Jay W. Richards, The Privileged Planet presents a new form of design argument which can be applied to the level of the cosmos. Design proponents have long held that the physical constants of nature and properties of our solar system appear finely tuned and specified to allow for advanced life.But Richards and Gonzalez take this argument to a new level by arguing that the same set of circumstances which permit advanced life are also optimized for a range of scientific discoveries.
Well written theories
This book examines the history of scientific discovery and scientific thought related to the cosmos, our place in it, and the origins of life, and argues that our presence on this planet is innately intertwined with our awareness of the cosmos at large.Specifically, the authors argue that the conditions that make a planet conducive to producing technologically advanced life forms such as ourselves are essentially identical to the conditions needed to explore the world and the space around it.These conditions include the type and age of star, the number, type and orbits of the other planets, the presence of a satellite (our Moon) of a specific size, composition, and orbit, a location within a specific area of the Milky Way Galaxy, being located within a galaxy of a specific type, age, and location in the universe, and being in a universe where the various physical constants (gravity, electron mass, electron charge, etc...) have just the right values.The book also examines the validity of various philosophies relating to man's and Earth's place in the heavens.This book is not a direct argument for the existence of God, or some grand creator.It is an argument for order, in that it shows that the geological and cosmological factors needed for technologically advanced life such as ourselves are not that common in our galaxy, and hence advanced life itself might not be that common.All in all a great book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. Discoveries in science    3. Earth    4. General    5. Philosophy & Social Aspects    6. Planets    7. Religion & Science    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Solar systems    11. Popular astronomy    12. Popular science    13. Science / General   

Reviews (3)

Expensive, but worth it
This is a really expensive paperback, but it should have an honored place in your home, next to your dictionary, your atlas, your Roget's Thesaurus and your Holy Bible, Koran or any other book that is important to you.
A good college text for non-science majors
This book seems to have two goals. One is to teach the reader something about astrobiology. The other is to be a text for a science course for college undergraduates (in most cases, underclassmen majoring in something other than science).
A Very Delightful Book
This is the ONE Science Textbook I will keep forever and ever. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Exobiology    3. Life    4. Origin    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Science / Physics   

Reviews (20)

Universe Review
What an excellent book ! Full of up todate information (this is pre-Pluto's demotion), graphics and pictures.The book is divided up in to easy to read sections, not overly technical and covers everything from the history of astronomy, the solar system, deep space, NASA expeditions,a section on night sky charts and lots more.
The fundamental knowledge and more....
Universe gives you a fundamental knowledge on the subject of astronomy, this book gives you more than just a repedative walkthrough about the inner and the outer heavenly bodies. This book goes all the way, by making the vast astronomical sciences accesible for everyone intersested on the subject.
UNIVERSE
The binding is typical DK which is less substantial than other books in the price range, but the content is incredible.No need for any other book on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy (General)    2. Astronomy - General    3. Astronomy - Universe    4. Astrophysics & Space Science    5. Children's 9-12 - Science    6. Cosmology    7. Planets    8. Popular works    9. Reference    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Reviews (39)

Turn Left at Orion - Beginners Astronomy
The book was just what I wanted, reasonably priced, and promptly delivered.So far, reading it has been very informative and I want to dig into it more soon.

Excellent
Make this the first book you buy for anyone with a telescope. It is user friendly, well written and illustrated, and will ignite a passion for chasing the beautiful objects scattered through the night sky. Also useful is the guide on interesting Southern Hemisphere objects, including those in the LMC and SMC.
Turn left at Orion and you'll be right with the stars
I purchased this book and the Backyard Astronomers book at the same time.I use them both.......a lot!!This book is great because it gives you sky views (drawings not pictures) that really give you an idea of what to expect when looking up at the sky with unaided eye or through a telescope.The description that accompanies the objects of interest are well written and thought provoking. As a newbie to backyard astronomy I couldn't be more satisfied by the information I've received from this book. As others have stated, this book is a great astronomy starter book, but will inevitably be a life time companion for all of your night sky viewing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomy    3. Astronomy - General    4. Astronomy - Star Guides    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Astronomy--Amateurs' manuals    8. Cosmology & the universe    9. Popular astronomy    10. Science / Astronomy   

Editorial Review

As a boy, Brian Greene read Albert Camus' Read more

Reviews (166)

Amazed Every Time I Pick Up the Book
Greene's easy-to-comprehend summary of physics up to now (2005) is a great read for everyone who is interested in what goes on behind the scenes of our everyday world. It's also a must-read for people who liked to be in awe of the knowledge that modern physicists are uncovering and how much more there is to know. If you thought you had a pretty good understanding of how the world and universe works (outside of physics), this book will boggle your mind.
get out your calculator and triginomitry book..
I bought this book after watching the show on the discovery channel. I think the author did a great job of explaining something highly complex in the world of physics, how ever; the mathmatical fomulas in this book are out of my grasp, unless you have a solid college background in mathmatics the formulas will read more like gooble-de-gook..which is unfortunate becuase the concepts of the string theory are based on the formulas. If you are math savy this will be a great read. If you aren't than you may quickly become dissatisfied with the book . It refers to ther formulas through out the book.. good luck, best of reading. Mercy W.

Thorough treatment of physics for non-physicists
This is certainly the best book I've read on physics.It's highly readable and IMO far more comprehensive and comprehensible than A Briefer History of Time (which is in its own right a good book, but this was more enjoyable to read, and contained a lot more information and instruction).
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. Cosmology (Astronomy)    4. Physics    5. Popular works    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Cosmology & the universe    9. Science / Physics   

Reviews (22)

Try thinking relativistically
Being this text was published in 1984, I am puzzled more students have not studied it and formed an opinion on it. Anyhow, let me say 'the key to thinking relativistically is to have all the necessary pieces in order.' This is because, if he's disciplined, each student of relativity will have mastered one piece. There are no authors who have mastered two. For example, Nigel Calder's Einstein's Universe is extraordinary, but it does not contain the mathematics B. F. Schutz has skillfully presented to the reader in this text, yet
Should have been my first GR book!
I got to this book after I had read several GR texts.
Great complement to advanced texts
Like any difficult subject, there is no single textbook that will help you master GR.The serious student of GR will ultimately have to tackle books like Wald, MTW, and Hawking and Ellis.But Schutz is an excellent complement to those advanced texts, especially for someone learning GR for the first time.
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Subjects:  1. Astrophysics    2. General relativity (Physics)    3. Nuclear Physics    4. Relativity    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. General relativity    8. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (13)

The middle road
This is a visionary book that sets out to change the world by changing how we see our place in the universe, by re-examining attitudes about the metaphors and stories used to describe the universe and our place in it. Instead of seeing ourselves in entrenched Newtonian existential terms (a small rock circling a small star in an average galaxy in a nearly infinite scale universe where nothing that humans do matters in the big picture like a lone plankton floating in the ocean), the authors re-position earth and humans to a central importance, supported by the latest science findings. Incredibly, they make a convincing case, and along the way educate the reader about the latest scientific findings in cosmology.
The perspective here offers a human-centered cosmology
Leading scientists and journalists have already praised VIEW FROM THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE: DISCOVERING OUR EXTRAORDINARY PLACE IN THE COSMOS: so what does this mean to the average reader who likes science? Plenty: for one thing it comes from an esteemed scientist and a lawyer and writer, so it combines technical prowess with readability for lay readers. The idea here is that the concept of the universe as a vast, impersonal space is outdated: the perspective here offers a human-centered cosmology, using the latest findings in astrophysics to back up the new approach to human-centered symbolism and how the universe as a whole is emerging. Any who've read the usual cosmological survey will see how unusual an
Cosmos Revisited
For the scientific bent person who wants a broader interpretation of cosmological theories this is an excellent book ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. History    3. Philosophy    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (15)

bad at any price
I bought this used for 50 cents and didn't
History of Discovering Cosmic History
"Einstein, who was devoted to a rational explanation of the world, once said: `I want to know how god created the world. I want to know his thoughts.' He meant it metaphorically, as a measure profundity of his quest." - George Smoot Feels like an eternity
The book covers the last 14 billion years or so, and sometimes it feels like it. It is a bit long-winded and certainly contains a lot of info that I doubt people really want to know. There are some compelling sections - like the U2 flights and the creating of COBE - but all in all Smoot repeats himself too much, and spends too much time on trivialities.Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. Natural theology    3. Philosophy & Social Aspects    4. Religion & Science    5. Religion and science    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (18)

Unique,IdiosyncraticApproach
Flashback to 1979.I Purchased Weinberg's Gravitation book and
A great book by a great physicist
This is the bestbook written on general relativity, and I have read or at least looked at nearly every one of them. It is better than Wald's book because Steven Weinberg is a better physicist than Robert Wald. The only people who will not be pleased with it are those mathematicians who are looking to physics for elegant mathematics and not for physical insight.
Superlative - The Finest of Physics Expositions in GR
Weinberg's writing is absolutely unbelievable.It is so direct, precise and inspiring as well as thorough.His approach is as a minimalist in basing GR on nothing but the absolute necessities while being comprehensive in the topics covered.Virtually every word in the book is necessary and sufficient for it to be explanatory and complete.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Cosmology    3. General relativity (Physics)    4. Gravitation    5. Physics    6. Relativity    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Cosmology & the universe    10. Science / Relativity   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (135)

Sagan's Bible:The Book that got People thinking about the Good Earth.
This was the 20th century's greatest story-book on us,the citizens of the planet Earth.I first read this in grade school and was spellbound, by Sagan's magickal review of the human race and the universe.No other book equalled it's eloquence,expressing to all readers,the need to save our species ,the planet and all her creatures. -(Reader Beware!)-One thing that is largely left out is ,Realpolitik.Sagan was an "ivory tower scientist" and also an "arm-chair atheist".Political Reality and Spirituality,can not be removed from our human society and our human pysche. Yet,by writing this momentous book,he remains a "true literary emissary for positive social change". It would't hurt the masses of readers,by continuing to explore this book,now into the 21 century .

Previous reviewer missed the point entirely
This book is not about the scientific accuracy of Sagan's predictions and musings. If Sagan wanted to be purely scientific, this book wouldn't have been written. The fact is that we don't KNOW enough about what's out there to make scientific predictions. What we do have is our imagination, and our knowledge of how the universe works. Sagan does an excellent job of using his imagination to come up with different possibilities for us to ponder. He speculates about which might be more likely, but he doesn't claim scientific accuracy. This book will expand your mind and give you a mature outlook on the world and our place in the universe.

A testament to Carl Sagan's convictions
As the years go by, this book ceases to be an up-to-date popularization of astronomy, and more of a testament to Carl Sagan's convictions and optimism with science.As a youth, was enchanted by the series, and grateful for the important principles and fact about science was being taught.We need scientists; we need to popularize science; we need to do all of this necessary hard research that raises our standard of living.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - General    3. Cosmology    4. General    5. Popular works    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (10)

FANTASTIC reading - simply ONE of a kind!
ABSOLUTELY GREAT book - no doubts, no reservations! I would strongly recommend it to ANYBODY, regardless of the background - it's a wonderful, fascinating reading. This book is VERY DIFFERENT from all other pop-physics books I ever read because it is simply INTERESTING to READ, like a good detective story. Vilenkin is an excellent writer, he writes in a literary language which is normally reserved for fiction. He does not give you all the answers immediately, so you are wondering what is coming next. He is also witty and illustrates his text with great cartoons.
Fasinating, if somewhat flawed....
If you can get past the fact that no one has ever found any real evidence for string theory, then the book's viewpoint on multi-universe ideas goes no where.If you go more by the Big Bang Theory (where there is plenty of evidence for), then the idea (which many belive is the case) is that we live in a closed universe where there is no direct connection between our universe and other universes (if they exist).Einstein's Theory of General Realivety does not disprove the idea of other universes, in fact it's likely other universes outside of our own do exist, but because we live in a closed universe, we may never find evidence to support the Multi-universes theory.Just like it is likely we will never know for sure, if the fourth dimension exists, we can speculate about it, and there may be a fourth dimension, which makes the other three dimensions of left/right, forward/backward, and up/down exist.But we can never experience it.

A very witty and clear book from a leading cosmologist
Alex Vilenkin is one of the popular authors who is also a real leader in his field. He is one of the main authors of eternal inflation and a co-author of a mathematical formula according to which the Universe spontaneously appears from "nothing". He has also worked on topics such as cosmic strings that are not covered in the book.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Astrophysics    3. Astrophysics & Space Science    4. Cosmogony    5. Cosmography    6. Cosmology    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Cosmology & the universe    10. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Editorial Review

Every step you take in Read more

Reviews (9)

An exciting dance through time.
I never had the opportunity to see the "Walk Through Time" exhibition, initiated by Sidney Liebes and supported by Hewlett-Packard, but it must have been a marvelous experience. What rivets my attention in this book, however, even more than the beautiful pictures of the exhibit, is the text written by Elisabet Sahtouris, who expresses her own "cosmovision" with an incomparable eloquence and vitality. While her words are grounded solidly in the most advanced theoretical and empirical evolutionary science, she takes the reader not on a walk but an exciting dance through time. If I were asked to recommend just one book that best told the story of how the universe conspired to bring us into being this would be it. It's a real "roots" story but the roots are not merely those of a particular individual or family or species but of all life, reaching back to the point where time itself loses meaning. most interesting book i've read in years!
this is the most interesting book i've read in years;prof. liebes presents the history of evolution from stardust to us, at the end of the book one relizes thatall of us humans are actually single cells of a larger life form, the planet earth.In an informative and easy to read way, "a walk through time" presents a holistic theory of evolution that emphasises symbiotic co-evolution of geo-bio-matter admidst the theme that while life starts out in a state of competition, all life forms even on a cellular level learn to cooperate, develop symbiotic relationships that enable life to first develop and then evolve billions of years to present day.the glory of the sheer will of all life,(particularly at the cellular level) reminds me very much of shoupenhauer,nieztche,spinoza, henri bergson and hegal. i would recomend this book to all people,especially those who enjoy philosophy and those theologians seeking a more meaning cosmology.

most interesting book i've read in years!
this is the most interesting book i've read in years;prof. liebes presents the history of evolution from stardust to us, at the end of the book one relizes thatall of us humans are actually single cells of a larger life form, the planet earth.In an informative and easy to read way, "a walk through time" presents a holistic theory of evolution that emphasises symbiotic co-evolution of geo-bio-matter admidst the theme that while life starts out in a state of competition, all life forms even on a cellular level learn to cooperate, develop symbiotic relationships that enable life to first develop and then evolve billions of years to present day.the glory of the sheer will of all life,(particularly at the cellular level) reminds me very much of shoupenhauer,nieztche,spinoza, henri bergson and hegal. i would recomend this book to all people,especially those who enjoy philosophy and those theologians seeking a more meaning cosmology. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Evolution    2. Evolution (Biology)    3. General    4. Geobiology    5. History    6. Life    7. Life Sciences - Evolution    8. Origin    9. Origin Of Life    10. Reference    11. Science    12. Science/Mathematics    13. Cosmology & the universe    14. History of science