The Universe: A Biography

Astronomer Murdin (The Secret Life of Planets) traces the history of the universe in this beautiful tour through the cosmos. The author begins with “the birth of it all” when an atom exploded 13 billion years ago, and works through the formation of early galaxies, the inner workings of the earth’s sun, the death of stars, and the birth of planet Earth. Using a timeline that “mostly looks backward,” he lays out a cause-and-effect sequence that shows dark matter creating galaxies, which in turn led to stars and planetary systems. Murdin offers easy-to-grasp explanations of knotty physics concepts (quantum mechanics, quarks, black holes) and fortifies the narrative with anecdotes about key figures—physicist George Gamow, for example, did early research on the big bang in the 1940s after defecting from the Soviet Union—and also shows how the invention of radio astronomy, satellites, and ever-more complex telescopes has led to a deeper understanding of space. The volume is beautifully illustrated, and Murdin leaves plenty of room for wonder in his admission that “we are disappointingly ignorant about the content of 95 percent of our Universe.” For readers interested in space but new to the game, this is a fine place to start. (Apr.)