A Universe from Nothing

Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing

By: Lawrence M. Krauss

Narrated by: Lawrence M. Krauss, Simon Vance

Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Where did the universe come from? What was there before it? What will the future bring? And finally, why is there something rather than nothing?

Krauss’ answers to these and other timeless questions, in a wildly popular lecture on YouTube, has attracted almost a million viewers. The last of these questions in particular has been at the center of religious and philosophical debates about the existence of God, and it’s the supposed counterargument to anyone who questions the need for God. Scientists have, however, historically focused on more pressing issues—such as figuring out how the universe actually functions, which could help us to improve our quality of life.

In this cosmological story that rivets as it enlightens, pioneering theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss explains groundbreaking scientific advances that turn the most basic philosophical questions on their head. One of the few prominent scientists to have actively crossed the chasm between science and popular culture, Krauss reveals that modern science is indeed addressing the question of why there is something rather than nothing—with surprising and fascinating results. The beautiful experimental observations and mind-bending theories are all described accessibly, and they suggest that not only can something arise from nothing, something will always arise from nothing.

With his characteristic wry humor and clear explanations, Krauss takes us back to the beginning of the beginning, presenting recent evidence for how our universe evolved—and the implications for how it will end. It will provoke, challenge, and delight listeners as it looks at the most basic underpinnings of existence in a whole new way. And this knowledge that our universe will be quite different in the future has profound consequences and directly affects how we live in the present. As Richard Dawkins described it, this could potentially be the most important scientific book with implications for supernaturalism since Darwin.

©2012 Lawrence M. Krauss (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Nothing is not nothing. Nothing is something. That’s how a cosmos can be spawned from the void—a profound idea conveyed in A Universe from Nothing that unsettles some yet enlightens others. Meanwhile, it’s just another day on the job for physicist Lawrence Krauss.” (Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History)

Read Review Before Buying

Overall it is a more of a best seller than scholarly work. This book assumes the reader is religious and provides overwhelming evidence to overcome religion or superstition. However, for nonreligious readers, this book may be a bit boring at times. My feeling during most of the book was, "yea ok I'm not religious and don't need more convincing." It felt strange, like the opposite of a bible beating.

Listen twice

Step away from following scientists' explanations of the universe for a couple of years, and you'll find yourself years, or lightyears, behind. That's what I did, while I merely inhabited the universe for a while. Krauss does a great job with his own read, just like lectures he gives, explaining what's currently understood about the universe, and the evidence for it.

Creationists will find some points of argument against their view, but the book is not about creationism or otherwise. It's about observations which explain how the universe got to be what it is now (or was when the light we're seeing now started travelling toward us).

I started relistening almost as soon as I finished the first time, to bring into sharper focus the ideas which were new. This is one book which may be ideal for Whispersync. I wouldn't want to miss the author/lecturer's audible explanations, but it would be nice to have the print to review ideas already presented.

This book stimulated me to listen to the humorous and also recommended A User's Guide to the Universe, which helped round out my understanding of current concepts in cosmology.

Brilliant

Would you consider the audio edition of A Universe from Nothing to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version. I learn from this type of book better by listening. Lawrence Krauss is one of my favorite physicists, and he delivers in this book. He takes a tangled subject and unwinds it with passion and fervor.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No characters.

Have you listened to any of Lawrence M. Krauss and Simon Vance ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

The story of nothingness, or how we came to be.

Any additional comments?

Audible needs to format reviews for the book type. Not all books are works of fiction with characters.

Technical, but I got the jist.

Krauss gives a detailed description of the development, and current state of cosmology (at least it was current when the book was published). throughout the book Krauss provides his interpretation of the science, as well as some philosophical comintary about the implications of our current understanding of physics. I found his arguments very compelling, and I suspect they would have been even more compelling if I had a better understanding of the underlying science. The afterword by Richard Dawkins made it all worth it! short, but extremely elegant, Dawkins ties it all together with an effective summary of the book and some insights from his own training in the field of biology.

if you are not already well-versed in physics and cosmology this book will be very challenging to understand in its entirety. but if your goal is to gain some philosophical insight that is informed by one of the best Minds in cosmology today, then this book is for you. listening to the audio version maybe like drinking from a fire hydrant, and you may definitely need to listen more than once.

this is science it's not a story

I thought this was going to be a Sci-Fi story about something. instead it's just a science book talking about the creation of the universe and how it came from nothing and how that's actually like what current science is pointing to highly interesting book but not at all what I was expecting.

Devastating indeed.

A more devastating thesis is impossible to imagine. It becomes clear early on that the implications of his thesis for the future of our species and the universe itself is far more damning than any theological implication that could be derived from his work here. 4 out of 5 due to readability. A layman will need to become a bit more familiar with the basic terminology of modern physics, and even then, a re-reading will likely be necessary to fully grasp some of the probabilities, distances, speeds, and amounts of time thrown on on nearly every page of this book. It is heavy reading, but despite my 4 star rating, I can't imagine any author tackling a topic so overwhelming in a more simplified way than Krauss has done here.

A Great Book for Understand So Many things

I enjoyed the entire book, especially the chapter where the Greek philosophers engaged in a discussion of their world views and argued the differences between Athens and Sparta.

great book

I really loved listening to this book. It was interesting and very informative. I hope to find more books like this one.

Great Reasoning but somewhat flat tone.

Not to knock Krauss, but there were times I felt he needed more passion in his words. It would have made it that much more enjoyable to listen to.

A Universe From Nothing

Book was very good and interesting but I was expecting more on the quantum mechanics