13 Things That Don't Make Sense

The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time

By: Michael Brooks

Narrated by: James Adams

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Science starts to get interesting when things don't make sense.

Science's best-kept secret is that there are experimental results and reliable data that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. In the past, similar "anomalies" have revolutionized our world, as in the 16th century, when a set of celestial anomalies led Copernicus to realize that the Earth revolves around the Sun and not the reverse, and in the 1770s, when two chemists discovered oxygen because of experimental results that defied the theories of the day. If history is any precedent, we should look to today's inexplicable results to forecast the future of science.

In 13 Things That Don't Make Sense, Michael Brooks heads to the scientific frontier to meet 13 modern-day anomalies and discover tomorrow's breakthroughs.

©2008 Michael Brooks (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Interesting but. .

This was certainly worth the listen, but due to the varied topics/fields covered not all the mysteries were equally interesting to me. Unfortunately, one of the mysteries I found most intriguing -- the pioneer effect -- has been resolved as of April of this year. So if ever there's a reprint it should be the "12 Things . ."

A tour de force of current mysteries

Where does 13 Things That Don't Make Sense rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best book I have downloaded from the company. I wasn't sure what to expect: I was afraid it might be some anti-science crank or someone with a specific unorthodox worldview to flog. Contrariwise, it is a fair, thorough, rigorous presentation of known, recorded data "anomalies" and disparate, desperate attempts to explain them given our current theories.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character? Every chapter (there are 13 [duh]) contains one or two striking portraits of cutting-edge researchers, and not all of them contemporary. Many names lost to the masses are given due credit here for standing by their data when the orthodox views of science could not explain them.

Have you listened to any of James Adams’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first text read by James Adams

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Yesterday's heresies ground current wisdom. What will ground tomorrow's wisdom?

Any additional comments?

If you like to think, and relish the discoveries of contemporary science, buy this book. You don't have to be a scientist, just an interested layperson. If you read to relax, pass this one up. If you read to be challenged, go for it. Not for the faint of mind.

Great book, spoiled by Audible's terrible app

Any additional comments?

Really enjoyed this book, but come on Audible, your app is the. worst. It is slow to load, crashes, never renders the thumbnails in recent titles (who tested this thing??!) and periodically just loses its place and starts in some random location. The app is so bad it just spoils my enjoyment completely.

Interesting, but stretching

What did you like best about 13 Things That Don't Make Sense? What did you like least?

The title is a lot more sensational than the content. There are some legitimately interesting chapters, but a lot of filler.

Entertaining and Thought Provoking

What made the experience of listening to 13 Things That Don't Make Sense the most enjoyable?

I found 13 Things That Don't Make Sense both entertaining and thought provoking. It is certainly fascinating to consider all of the things that science has figured out but humbling to acknowledge all that we still have left to learn.

If you’ve listened to books by Michael Brooks before, how does this one compare?

no.

What about James Adams’s performance did you like?

He has a very intelligent sounding British accent that gives the book an added dimension. He also had an interesting inflection that makes the book more entertaining to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

no.

Any additional comments?

no.

Tied up some loose ends

This book informed me about things I didn't know and talked on other things that I've heard only bits about. Listened to parts of this one twice.

A fantastic listen.

Of all the audiobooks I have ever purchased, this is the one I listen to over and over. The narration is clear, and each time I listen, I catch a new detail or understand something a little more fully. I think it should be required listening/reading for high school students to inspire them that there are still mysteries out there, waiting to be discovered.

Other reviewers have dogged on the last chapters of the book, especially the chapter on homeopathy. He does say there is no reason for it to work scientifically, and yet people feel better. Placebo? Perhaps, but that IS the mystery that doesn't make sense. In fact, there is a whole section on placebos, a mystery in and of themselves.

I agree those chapters aren't my favorites either, but the topics aren't fully explained by modern science, and that is the theme of the whole book: 13 scientific mysteries of our time.

The mysteries covered in the book are explained from the ground up, so you can fully appreciate the anomalies. They topics covered are dark matter and energy; possibly incorrect laws of physics (the Pioneer anomaly); varying constants of nature; cold fusion; what *is* life; the WOW signal; a giant virus (that even though viruses are not alive, it has a genome like yours); why things die; why do some organisms have sex?; do you actually have free will?; the placebo effect; and homeopathy.

As you can see, the topics are varied and all are described in full. Your mind will be opened to new ways of thinking about the world around you. Enjoy!

Not what I thought it would be about.

The book started out as I expected it to, going over some really thought provoking stuff.
But I felt that at times it would wonder a little bit. And it started to lose my attention toward
the end, as the subject matter started to lean more on the medical side. Not a bad book, just not as captivating or interesting as what I have been reading lately. The narration was good, the performer has a voice for reading. He does have a accent, so do listen to a sample to be sure that it is agreeable to you.

Exciting suprise

Would you consider the audio edition of 13 Things That Don't Make Sense to be better than the print version?

I do not know, did not read print version. Had time to listen though, on the way to and from work.

What other book might you compare 13 Things That Don't Make Sense to and why?

Perhaps "The Viral Storm".

What does James Adams bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excitement and a conversational quality, a very interesting conversation.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It renewed some scientific passion for me, made me feel excited about science.

Any additional comments?

I wasn't expecting this book to be so interesting to me. The way it was read was excellent and I didn't want to stop listening, and will probably listen again.

Loved it

I really enjoyed it. I learned a great deal and use it in my teaching today.