Our Mathematical Universe

My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality

By: Max Tegmark

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy, and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist. Fascinating from first to last - this is a book that has already prompted the attention and admiration of some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2014 Max Tegmark (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Tegmark offers a fascinating exploration of multiverse theories, each one offering new ways to explain ‘quantum weirdness’ and other mysteries that have plagued physicists, culminating in the idea that our physical world is ‘a giant mathematical object’ shaped by geometry and symmetry. Tegmark’s writing is lucid, enthusiastic, and outright entertaining, a thoroughly accessible discussion leavened with anecdotes and the pure joy of a scientist at work.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Lively and lucid, the narrative invites general readers into debates over computer models for brain function, over scientific explanations of consciousness, and over prospects for finding advanced life in other galaxies. Though he reflects soberly on the perils of nuclear war and of hostile artificial intelligence, Tegmark concludes with a bracingly upbeat call for scientifically minded activists who recognize a rare opportunity to make our special planet a force for cosmic progress. An exhilarating adventure for bold readers.” (Bryce Cristensen, Booklist, starred review)

“Our Mathematical Universe boldly confronts one of the deepest questions at the fertile interface of physics and philosophy: why is mathematics so spectacularly successful at describing the cosmos? Through lively writing and wonderfully accessible explanations, Max Tegmark—one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists—guides the reader to a possible answer, and reveals how, if it’s right, our understanding of reality itself would be radically altered.” (Brian Greene, physicist, author of The Elegant Universe and The Hidden Reality)

Pretty good, but heavy in unproven theory.

Max Tegmark nonetheless does a great job supporting his hypothesis, even if he's sometimes seems to be willing to believe some pretty crazy things in order to have this beautiful mathematical model that is our Universe. Still a good read though. Especially if you aren't up to speed on some of the multiverse theories created to explain some strange effects only seen at the quantum level, and others right here in macroscopic space time. There are a bunch of alternate universe if Everett and his followers are correct.

If you want to be as smart as Sheldon...

I'm not a scientist, but I love learning. This book discusses material which is completely over my head, it a way I could easily understand it at some level. It was enlightening, educational, inspiring, and grounded. Everyone should consume information like this, it helps put some of the campfire conversations we have all had in perspective. Where did we come from, how big is the universe, how did we get here. Well... read this book and you will be a great deal closer to having a grip on how exactly all those things came to be!

I thought I would be intimidated...

I thought I would be intimidated by the kind of mathematics that would be used in this book to discuss the nature of reality. Max Tegmark does an excellent job of explaining everything in a way that can be understood by anyone with half a brain. Great book by a great thinker.

excellent book! very Well written.

very good narrator.
I liked the structure of the book.
max tegmark never disappoints me!

Where we are and where we are going

Great book to understand the world, and our place in it. Max Tegmark brings you up to speed with where our scientific understanding of the world is at in a way that very relatable and doesn’t require any prior knowledge. Then the author takes us beyond, creates a model of the world that is thought provoking.

Interesting but goes off the rails in the last 1/3

Rob Shapiro sounds just like Zachary Quinto to my old ears. I enjoyed the narration.

A book to have on your bookshelf, gift to your friends and hand to your children

Listened to over 150 books on Audible and rated them all but never felt I have to write a review. I still keep it short but this is a book I want a hard copy of, one I want to gift to my friends and discuss it with them, one I want to hand my kids when they are old enough to grasp some of these concepts and thoughts. I am no stranger to the topic having an advanced degree in the field, and making my living designing and building scientific instruments that contributed to some of the discoveries mentioned in this book. While I am really, really far to be even comfortable (and no way expert), rather just a struggling student of the concepts discussed in the second part, the content is not new to me. Read and heard about these in many books, papers, colloquium talks and workshops — yet I find this book to be the most comprehensive and most approachable in this topic. Which is, basically, the topic of ‘everything’. The author i think built up the best structure for this book, and executed it masterfully. I don’t know Max Tegmark, although my office is is the same building we never met - after reading this, though, I really, really would like to meet him. His personality, humor and humility, that seeps through the pages is something I appreciate and admire, besides the obviously wide spreading yet very deep knowledge he possesses, clearly apparent from this book. He might not be one of the giants, as he says, but I think he hits the nail in the head of what he so wonderfully focused on in the very last chapters — and amongst so many dull scientists I think he shines and stands tall.

Really thought provoking

Very enjoyable read. Want more like this
To provoke meaningful discussion on we’re we want go and hope to achieve

wonderful!

loved it, one of the most interesting books I have ever read, written in layman's term and the author was fantastic in explaining even the hardest and complicated concepts easily. I look forward to his next book!

One of my favorite books

This is a must read, one of my favorites hands down. Great read and great narration.