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The Order of Time

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The Order of Time

By: Carlo Rovelli, Erica Segre - translator, Simon Carnell - translator
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch
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About this listen

Winner of Audiobook of the Year at The Specsavers National Book Awards 2018

Penguin presents the audio edition of The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli, read by Benedict Cumberbatch.

The bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics takes us on an enchanting journey to discover the meaning of time

Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe.

With his extraordinary charm and sense of wonder, bringing together science, philosophy and art, Carlo Rovelli unravels this mystery, inviting us to imagine a world where time is in us and we are not in time.

'A global superstar. . . Rovelli is making the grammar of the universe accessible to a new generation' - Channel 4 News

Consciousness & Thought Philosophy Physics Science Social Sciences Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Mathematics

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Critic reviews

I consider Carlo Rovelli to be a poet as much as a physicist. . . Everybody should read this book (Es Devlin)
Not only a lesson on physics but also philosophy, poetry, biology, even music. . . After guiding us through the cosmos in his previous books, now Rovelli undertakes a journey that begins and ends with ourselves and the discovery of the greatest mystery: what is time?
Do we exist in time or is it time that exists in us? To find out, we embark on a journey out of time with Carlo Rovelli, who knows how to speak to his readers' minds without ever overlooking their hearts
The physicist transforming how we see the universe
A global superstar. . . Professor Rovelli is making the grammar of the universe accessible to a new generation
The new Hawking. . . His writing is luminous (David Aaronovitch)
The most fun physicist to be with -- as well as the greatest explainer of physics (Bryan Appleyard)
All stars
Most relevant
Mind blowing and delightful at the same time!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though on a number of occasions i needed to rewind to try to get a better grasp of certain theories.

Full marks to Mr Cumberbatch for narration, it was Devine, he made listening to quantum physics an absolute pleasure.

A Gem

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I defy anyone to listen to this book and not be profoundly moved and changed by the experience.

Life affirming and life changing

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Clarity of thought, balance, deep expertise, beautifully expressed brings surprising illumination.. Expertly and movingly read.

Science and poetry from a world expert in physics

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What a beautiful composition of science, art and language. I loved this book. The performance is excellent aside from a couple of mistakes on pronunciation. I thoroughly recommend this book!

Stunning read, excellent performance

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If you have any interest in this subject then this is a must read/listen. The author is a master at conveying very complex and challenging ideas to a lay audience in not only an accessible way, but a poetic one.

Highly recommended

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