It's Not Rocket Science

By: Ben Miller

Narrated by: Ben Miller

The Top Ten Bestseller

Black holes. DNA. The Large Hadron Collider. Ever had that sneaking feeling that you are missing out on some truly spectacular science?

You do? Well, fear not, for help is at hand.

Ben Miller was working on his Physics PhD at Cambridge when he accidentally became a comedian. But first love runs deep, and he has returned to his roots to share with you all his favourite bits of science. This is the stuff you really need to know, not only because it matters but because it will quite simply amaze and delight you.

'Let me show you another, perhaps less familiar side of Science; her beauty, her seductiveness and her passion. And let's do it quickly, while Maths isn't looking' - Ben Miller

'This book makes climate change actually seem interesting. Not just important - it's obviously important - but interesting. As a result I bought lots of other books about climate change, something I now regret'
- David Mitchell

Ben Miller is, like you, a mutant ape living through an Ice Age on a ball of molten iron, orbiting a supermassive black hole. He is also an actor, comedian and approximately one half of Armstrong & Miller. He's presented a BBC Horizon documentary on temperature and a Radio 4 series about the history of particle physics, and has written a science column for The Times.

He is slowly coming to terms with the idea that he may never be an astronaut.©2012 Ben Miller

High School students should be REQUIRED to read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book does a great job at "dumbing down" the complexities of science while also keeping it entertaining. As a science lover myself, I find it hard to get the people around me to understand and enjoy science the way I do. There's this common belief that it's only interesting and fun to me because I have a science degree but in reality it can and should be interesting and fun to all. Science literacy is the key to human advancement and I feel as of late that many people are relying on media and public opinion for science understanding and that is a recipe for disaster. In this book Ben Miller uses comedy and easily relatable metaphors to describe the foundations of many areas of science. These very important principles play a huge part in an individual's understanding and opinion on popular science issues. I also love the way he remains neutral throughout the book, never giving the impression that he is trying to force an agenda (which is a big issue these days as many people in the public believe science and the government are working together to screw us all) while also providing enough information for individuals to dive into research further any topics they are interesting in learning more about. I believe this book should not only be a recommendation but a requirement for everyone.

What did you like best about this story?

The comedic way he leaves out the "boring details" and gets right to the fun stuff

What about Ben Miller’s performance did you like?

The upbeat tempo of the book. I read a lot of science books and often times they can get boring and dry and this book had the fun vibe that you get from popular science figures such as Bill Nye.

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

If science was a 3 course meal, we're skipping straight to the dessert.

An entertaining overall story of science

Ben Miller tackles some complicated subjects of science like DNA with simplicity and humor. This approach helps one understand and retain the information.

entertaining, witty, intelligent

it is always nice when a very bright science geek is entertaining as well. word

Best one yet!

I'm really interested in space and science but I'm by no means a scientist. This book was the best yet of science books I've tried. I really enjoyed the content and the the humor sprinkled in made it a fun listen. I highly recommend this book.

great overview, accurate, fun!

really enjoyed this book, a charming tour through modern physics through the eyes of a Cambridge PhD student turned comedy sketch artist. I particularly enjoyed the overview which goes to the heart of so many mysteries of modern physics!