(Reviewed by Pat Luboff)
“The underlying mission of this book is to render, with accuracy, unimaginably long lengths of time and incredibly vast distances in space, conceivable at a glance.”
You’ll note that instead of listing just the author’s name, I have included the phrase as he has it on the front of his book. This isn’t just a book you sit down and read. It is a creation that is meant to convey the history of the universe from its start to today, with a glimpse into billions of years of the possible future. It comprises graphics, a book-length timeline, pages that read one way and then upside-down and the other way. It’s fun, it’s chock-a-block with facts. Names are dropped: Woody Allen, Stephen Hawkings, Raquel Welch, Clarence Darrow. How do all these connect? You’ll have to get the book to find out!
How many zeros in a googol? How far is a light year? What are the chances that two snowflakes would be alike when one septillion (1 + 24 zeros) flakes fall in a winter? These and many other juicy questions are answered in the book. The creator delivers a huge amount of information in 67 pages (127 when you turn it around and read it the other way), in easy-to-follow language, with a touch of whimsy here and there.
I love this book, the idea of it and the execution. It would make a great gift to anyone interested in science, including yourself. I watch a lot of YouTube videos on the latest in science, including quantum physics and space exploration. Even though some of the information here was not new to me, the presentation and the concentration of it all in one place kept me interested throughout.
