The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report

Every year I read about 5 books about cosmology and physics. So I know what I'm saying: this book really is great. Sure, it's about 8 years old, too old in cosmology. In particular, the discovery that the universe is accelerating has changed a lot of the questions that cosmologists contemplate. But even if you read a book that was published yesterday, it'll be out of date next month. So you have to either hang out in the... Read Full Review

This is an absolutely stunning summary of the leading edge theories of advanced physics in an easy to read and entertaining format. Although nobody can understand a physics book without at least a modicum of knowledge about the basics, Ferris' work manages to remain easy reading until the end. It addresses everything you always wanted to know about quantum physics, cosmology, space-time, unified theories, superstring theory,... Read Full Review

I cannot rate this book highly enough for its lucid presentation of difficult topics and success in orienting the general reader towards current cosmological theories. For someone, like me, who has difficulty with the gritty math behind astronomy and physics but still yearns to know, this book is a godsend. In my opinion no other introductory work is necessary before reading this one.