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The Big Picture

On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

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About this listen

 *An instant New York Times Bestseller*
*Publishers Weekly #1 Most Anticipated Science Book of Spring 2016*
"You will be enthralled." — Wall Street Journal
"A tour de force." — Salon.com

Already internationally acclaimed for his elegant, lucid writing on the most challenging notions in modern physics, Sean Carroll is emerging as one of the greatest humanist thinkers of his generation as he brings his extraordinary intellect to bear not only on Higgs bosons and extra dimensions but now also on our deepest personal questions. Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void? Does human purpose and meaning fit into a scientific worldview?

In short chapters filled with intriguing historical anecdotes, personal asides, and rigorous exposition, readers learn the difference between how the world works at the quantum level, the cosmic level, and the human level--and then how each connects to the other. Carroll's presentation of the principles that have guided the scientific revolution from Darwin and Einstein to the origins of life, consciousness, and the universe is dazzlingly unique.

Carroll shows how an avalanche of discoveries in the past few hundred years has changed our world and what really matters to us. Our lives are dwarfed like never before by the immensity of space and time, but they are redeemed by our capacity to comprehend it and give it meaning.

The Big Picture is an unprecedented scientific worldview, a tour de force that will sit on shelves alongside the works of Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, Daniel Dennett, and E. O. Wilson for years to come.

*Includes a Bonus PDF with charts and images. Astronomy Astronomy & Space Science Cosmology History & Philosophy Philosophy Physics Science Mathematics Black Hole Consciousness Humanism Morality
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Absolutely fantastic book. The author explains complex concepts very eloquently, giving great perspectives on complex topics from the scientific, philosophical and religious perspectives.

Superb

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I listen to the podcast Mindscape frequently and think Sean is one of the best physics explainers alive today. Normally I buy physical books and read them. But because I knew Sean did the speaking for his own books I got audible to give them a listen.

Got audible just to listen to Sean Carroll

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Sean explains complex questions in a way that just fit together so well without polarising
Also makes topics that are very broad understandable if you didn’t have any background info in these topics.

It’s complexity in a simplified way

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I had expected a book like Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. However, it exceeded my expectations. I was very much positively surprised how Carroll talks very clearly how you should interpret science in the bigger scheme of things, as the title already suggests of course. I loved hearing about the concept of poetic naturalism.

Marvellous meeting between science and philosophy

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Sean Carrol is an international treasure of science communication. He explains deep concepts with accuracy, accessibility and simplicity. He seems like a great guy too.

Great reading of a great book by a great guy.

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