The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

Written by:
Sean Carroll
Narrated by:
Sean Carroll

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
76
Narrator
14
Release Date
May 2016
Duration
17 hours 23 minutes
Summary
*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.
Reviews
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Andrew H.

One of my favorite physicists and overall awesome human being. Check out his podcast.

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Jeff Leist

I was appalled by his view of science, if we follow his way we will go back into the dark ages!

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Rizwan A.

An absolutely wonderful book which is part philosophy and part science. I learned a great deal about both as well as how those two intellectual disciplines intersect and complement each other. Highly recommended!

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Anonymous

so much in this book, needs to listen again!

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Mendel G.

This book is worth the time it requires to listen. At times difficult and at times fascinating and edifying. Though I bristled at his utter rejection of a Creator of the universe, his dismissal did not demean those who do accept a Prime Mover and guiding principle in our world. After hearing his explanation of core quantum theory, I finally feel that I only need to hear it a couple more hundred times, and I might be able lay claim to understanding something of it..

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