CHRISTOPHER Potter鈥檚 new book sweeps across both space and time in an ambitious attempt to show what science has revealed about our place in the cosmos in a way that is accessible and yet doesn鈥檛 skimp on the science. He is hardly the first to take on this challenge 鈥� Bill Bryson鈥檚 Short History of Nearly Everything comes to mind 鈥� but Potter鈥檚 crisp, authoritative writing and his deft handling of difficult subjects makes this a book worth reading. At times he drifts into an encyclopedic recounting of facts, and some readers may bristle at his conclusion that mysticism and modern science have much in common. For the most part, however, Potter is in command of his subject 鈥� especially when he guides us through the philosophical underpinnings of science itself. Anyone drawn to 鈥渢he big questions鈥� will enjoy this latest synthesis.
Harper Collins