Synopses & Reviews
According to a recent survey, the most popular question about science from the general public was: what came before the Big Bang? We all know on some level what the Big Bang is, but we dont know how it became the accepted theory, or how we might know what came before. In
Before the Big Bang, Brian Clegg (the critically acclaimed author of
Upgrade Me and
The God Effect) explores the history of this remarkable concept. From the earliest creation myths, through Hershels realization that the Milky Way was one of many galaxies, to on-going debates about Black Holes, this is an incredible look at the origins of the universe and the many theories that led to the acceptance of the Big Bang. But in classic scientist fashion Clegg challenges the notion of the “Big Bang” itself, and raises the deep philosophical question of why we might want to rethink the origin of the universe. This is popular science at its best, exploratory, controversial, and utterly engrossing.
Review
"Clegg follows the footsteps of Carl Sagans Cosmos, Steven Hawkings A Brief History of Time and Timothy Ferriss Coming of Age in the Milky Way. He shares his predecessors enthusiasm, eloquence and ability to explain complex ideas but provides a bonus by covering startling developments of the past decade. Anyone looking for an introduction to or a refresher course in cosmology need look no further." - Kirkus, Starred Review
"Indeed, the existence of so many things, from dark matter to black holes to wormholes all has to be inferred. The Big Bang, too, is only provisional and seems to be waiting for a more graceful model to replace it. In Cleggs words, the Big Bang theory “has the feeling of something held together with a Band-Aid. Whether what came before our universe was another universe or nothing, or something else yet unconsidered, for now the most accurate answer might be: We just dont know." -Anthony Doerr Boston Globe, July 19
About the Author
BRIAN CLEGG is the author of
A Brief History of Infinity,
The First Scientist:
A Life of Roger Bacon, and
Light Years:
The Extraordinary Story of Mankinds Fascination with Light, and
Upgrade Me: Our Search for Human 2.0. He holds a physics degree from Cambridge and has written regular columns, features, and reviews for numerous magazines. He lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and two children.