Why Does the World Exist: An Existential Detective Story

Book details

Details for Why Does the World Exist: An Existential Detective Story
AuthorHolt, Jim
PublisherLiveright
Bindinghardcover
PublishedJuly 16, 2012
Edition1st (first)
LanguageEnglish
Pages309
ISBN-100871404095
ISBN-139780871404091
Weight1.3 lb
Dimensions
H × W × L
1.2 in × 6.4 in × 9.4 in

Why Does the World Exist: An Existential Detective Story

$4.76 $20.75
Availability:
In stock
SKU:
0871404095-5
Condition
Condition notes

Used book in acceptable condition. Pages and cover may have wear, tears, or stickers. Notes or highlighting are possible. CDs and access codes may be missing.

About this book

2012 New York Times Top 10 Book of the Year Slate.com 2012 Staff Pick In this astonishing and profound work, an irreverent sleuth traces the riddle of existence from the ancient world to modern times. 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...

Read the full description 2012 New York Times Top 10 Book of the Year
Slate.com 2012 Staff Pick
In this astonishing and profound work, an irreverent sleuth traces the riddle of existence from the ancient world to modern times.

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.
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