Back in 2004 or so I read Brian Greene’s Fabric of the Cosmos, which I found to be enthralling while also slightly overwhelming. Let’s not kid…this is not your average beach-read and could get quite complex at times. I also think that it is probably somewhat outdated now. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a “layman’s” guide to complex concepts (think String Theory) then this is a good (excellent?) start.
I follow Brian Greene on Twitter, and one of my to-do-bucket-list items is to see him in lecture, probably somewhere in the US (he lectures at Columbia University, but gives talks all over the world). So I was super excited to see that he has published a new book. “Until the End of Time“ in which he tackles …the meaning of life? Not a bad time to publish a book of that sort!
From the Amazon description:
“Until the End of Time is Brian Greene’s breathtaking new exploration of the cosmos and our quest to find meaning in the face of this vast expanse. Greene takes us on a journey from the big bang to the end of time, exploring how lasting structures formed, how life and mind emerged, and how we grapple with our existence through narrative, myth, religion, creative expression, science, the quest for truth, and a deep longing for the eternal. From particles to planets, consciousness to creativity, matter to meaning—Brian Greene allows us all to grasp and appreciate our fleeting but utterly exquisite moment in the cosmos.”
I read the preview, and it looks as promising as his other books. SO this one is definitely being added to the “Lockdown Reading” pile, and I’ll update it once I am done. But it will be a while: I don’t expect this to be a quick read and I want to read it in hard copy. And it will probably be some time before my local bookshop gets it? I am not sure how book supplies chains work in SAfrica…
You can buy the book from Amazon (about $22).
xx,