The Origin Of The Universe: Science Masters Series (Paperback)

by John D Barrow (Author) "How, why, and when did the universe begin?..." (more)
Key Phrases: visible universe today, wormhole connections, gravitational entropy, Milky Way, Theory of Everything, Fred Hoyle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
There is no more profound, enduring, or fascinating question in all of science than that of how time, space, and matter began. Now John Barrow, who has been at the cutting edge of research in this area and has written extensively about it, guides readers on a journey to the beginning of time, into a world of temperatures and densities so high that we cannot re-create them in the laboratory. With new insights, he draws us into the latest speculative theories about the nature of time and the inflationary universe, explains wormholes, showing how they bear upon the fact of our own existence, and considers whether there was a singularity at the inception of the universe. Here is a treatment so up-to-date and intellectually rich, dealing with ideas and speculation at the farthest frontier of science, that neither novice nor expert will want to miss what Barrow has to say. He shows how scientists, by exploring crucial points of contact between the behavior of matter during its early history and the observed structure of the universe today, came to understand more fully all the entities in the universefrom elementary particles to great clusters of galaxies.

About the Author

John Barrow is a professor of astronomy at the University of Sussex, England. He is a co-author of The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, among other books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (May 29, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465053149
• ISBN-13: 978-0465053148
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #274,476 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good presentation of some theories, though hard to follow, June 29, 1998

By A Customer

I am a novice to astrophysics, but do hold a BSc. in biology. This book, though claiming to be introductory was extremely difficult to follow. I had to read and reread and reread to follow many concepts. This is likely due to the material and no fault of the author. To his credit, when I understood a concept, I REALLY understood it, and felt smugly to myself that I had a better understanding of the universe. This is not a leisure read, pick it up when you really want to know about the origin of the universe.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deepest secrets., September 10, 2002

By	Luc REYNAERT (Beernem, Belgium) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Excellent presentation of the latest theories about the origin of the universe, like the 'no boundary condition' (Hawking and Hartle), the quantum origin, the inflation period (Guth) or superstrings.
This book is more a scientific explanation with charts and dwawings, but - not always easy - understandable for the layman.
I missed the speculation of a John Gribbin or a Martin Rees.
As in his other excellent book 'Theories of Everything', the author believes that "One day we may be able to say something about the origin of our own cosmic neighbourhood. But we can never know the origins of the universe. The deepest secrets are the ones that keep themselves."

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Though simple in form and style, helpfully explanatory too., June 25, 1998

By A Customer

One of the few books that effectively conveys some sort of explanation of universal physics in a simple manner, easily understood by a novice. While the book is short, it is direct, and does a satisfying job of giving meaning to some aspects of Einstein's theories and shortcomings, and the mysteries of time and matter. A good primer for the inexperienced beginner, it helps to deliver a good overview and outline for future exploration, and is easy to read.