# Books about the universe, time, and evolution **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109 "2007-09-05T12:36:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/1 "2007-09-05T12:36:42Z")
My darling Marcie has been avidly watching _The Universe_ on the history channel. She has developed a lot of interest in the Big Bang theory and in the idea of an ever expanding universe; she has also renewed her interest in the evolution of life. Since her birthday is September 15, I thought a few books on these subjects might make good gifts; along with something more romantic, of course. Any suggestions as to books would be most appreciated. I’ll deal with the romantic stuff myself, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/2 "2007-09-05T12:41:04Z")
Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time” is probably the standard book about the universe. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/3 "2007-09-05T12:42:51Z")
Evolution from the beginning, no recommendations; evolution in terms of what’s going on now, I will, as I always do, recommend David Quammen’s [_Song of the Dodo_](http://www.amazon.com/Song-Dodo-David-Quammen/dp/0712673334/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0021521-6264002?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188996064&sr=8-1). One of my Top Ten Ever books. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/4 "2007-09-05T12:53:48Z")
I’m no expert, but the following two books, read in order, explained a whole lot to me: _River Out of Eden_, Richard Dawkins. _The Panda’s Thumb_, Stephen Jay Gould Of course these are pop science (but this does mean they’re written entertainingly and accessibly) and there may be better out there, and some of the science might have been updated, but for a grounding in how evolution works, followed by what it does, I found them superb. ---
**Author:** ![jinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinjin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/5 "2007-09-05T13:24:40Z")
_Why Is Sex Fun?: The Evolution of Human Sexuality_ by Jared Diamond is a cool book ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/6 "2007-09-05T13:40:40Z")
Hawking has a more recent account of the Universe in his [Universe in a Nutshell](http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Nutshell-Stephen-William-Hawking/dp/055380202X) . I really enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/7 "2007-09-05T13:42:37Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time” is probably the standard book about the universe. [/QUOTE] Brian Greene’s [_The Elegant Universe_](http://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Universe-Superstrings-Dimensions-Ultimate/dp/0375708111) and [_Fabric Of The Cosmos_](http://www.amazon.com/Fabric-Cosmos-Space-Texture-Reality/dp/0375412883) cover much of the same ground and more accessably than Hawking. I once heard _A Brief History of Time_ described as “the most widely read book that no one has ever finished,” and while that claim may be a bit hyperbolic, it does appear that many people get about halfway in and give up. Shamefully, while I have Lisa Randall’s [_Warped Passages_](http://www.amazon.com/Warped-Passages-Unraveling-Mysteries-Dimensions/dp/0060531096/) on my bookshelf I haven’t even cracked it yet (I’ve been spending more time of late reading about the Irish Potato Famine and technical stuff on thermodynamics), but it came highly recommended and it’s now out in paperback. On the topic of evolution I could recommend a panoply of books, but you can’t go wrong with Stephen J. Gould, even if I do disagree with some of the specific theories he promoted (species and group selection, punctuated equilibrium). His collections of essays, mostly written for original publication in _Natural History_ magazine, make for quick, easy reading while being very informative. I’d start with _[The Panda’s Thumb](http://www.amazon.com/Pandas-Thumb-Reflections-Natural-History/dp/0393308197/)_ or _[Ever Since Darwin](http://www.amazon.com/Ever-Since-Darwin-Reflections-Natural/dp/0393308189/)_. If you want to balance that off with someone on the other side of selective theory (that is, the gene-centric rather than focusing on species- or group-level selection) then Richard Dawkins is your go-to man. Most people will point you at _[The Selfish Gene](http://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene-Anniversary-Introduction/dp/0199291152/)_ because its his first and it was groundbreaking as a popular science presentation of gene-centric theory (which Dawkins professionally advanced but was not by far the first person to establish), and it may be a good place to start, but I personally prefer _[The Blind Watchmaker](http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Watchmaker-Evidence-Evolution-Universe/dp/0393315703)_. But then, I find his discussion of fig wasps (which was his professional area of study as a young zoologist) fascinating, and he’s not adverse to approaching the problems of evolution computationally or mathematically. This also comes before his current obsession with ranting on about religion (which, even when I agree with his statements I find his placement and demeanor off-putting). Matt Ridley’s [_The Red Queen_](http://www.amazon.com/Red-Queen-Evolution-Human-Nature/dp/0060556579/) is a good book on the role of sexual selection in evolution, and you can’t go wrong with Ernst Mayr–maybe [this](http://www.amazon.com/Toward-New-Philosophy-Biology-Observations/dp/0674896661/)–though he does get kind of dry at some points, especially in _[What Evolution Is](http://www.amazon.com/What-Evolution-Ernst-Mayr/dp/0465044263/)_, so perhaps not the best starting point there. And you can always throw in a bit of Feynman–or, at least one of his autobiographical books–for some light reading as a break. He’s always a good read. Is that a start for you? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/8 "2007-09-05T13:44:43Z")
[QUOTE=jinjin] _Why Is Sex Fun?: The Evolution of Human Sexuality_ by Jared Diamond is a cool book [/QUOTE] But his explanations are flawed in several significant ways. Diamond seems uneven–sometimes brilliantly informed and other times way over his head in the topics he addresses. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/9 "2007-09-05T13:46:47Z")
moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/10 "2007-09-05T13:55:07Z")
I’m currently reading David Christian’s _Maps of Time_. Fascinating read. It’s a hefty tome of eight hundred pages, including a couple hundred pages of notes and bibliography. Christian maps it all out, one after the other: the history of the universe, the history of galaxies, the history of our solar system, the history of our planet, the history of life on our planet and the history of man on our planet. I’m no bright light when it comes to this stuff, but I find Christian’s writing and scholarship both impressive and engaging. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/11 "2007-09-05T14:07:10Z")
Bill Bryson’s “_A Short History of Nearly Everything_” is really good at explaining the basics. And Sir Martin Rees has two great books - “_Our Cosmic Habitat_” and “_Just Six Numbers_” - both of which are great. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/12 "2007-09-05T14:07:51Z")
Another great book by Richard Dawkings is [ul=“[http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Mount-Improbable-Richard-Dawkins/dp/0393316823](http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Mount-Improbable-Richard-Dawkins/dp/0393316823)”]Climbing Mount Improbable[/ulr] which is about how complexity can arise from evolution. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/13 "2007-09-05T14:14:51Z")
I read it a long time ago so I’m not sure how relevant it is but [The Dancing Wu Li Masters](http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Wu-Li-Masters-Overview/dp/055326382X) is good for a light intoduction to physics. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/14 "2007-09-05T16:00:17Z")
[QUOTE=e-logic] Bill Bryson’s “_A Short History of Nearly Everything_” is really good at explaining the basics. [/QUOTE] “Nooooooo!!!” If there is any fact or idea that Bryson states correctly in this book it’s purely by accident. Despite the author’s claim that the book was vetted by experts in the field, every single chapter I’ve skimmed through has egregeous errors of fact and misleading notions of accepted theory. Do not use this as a reference for “explaining the basics” or anything other than the dubious entertainment value of Bryson’s prose. > [@zebra](#): > > I read it a long time ago so I’m not sure how relevant it is but The Dancing Wu Li Masters is good for a light intoduction to physics. While aside from trying to tie in Zen Buddhism into quantum mechanics and relativity at every turn the book doesn’t make any huge errors, it’s really not a very clear presentation of these topics, and Zukov–a former Esalen Institute booster and frequent Oprah Winfrey Show guest–is no expert on the topic of modern physics. It’s not where I’d start for good factual information. In fact, if you want to get all hot and heavy into the conceptual complexities of quantum mechanics without mucking about with equations (which frankly, while permitting you to do real work, don’t give you any more insight into the “Why?” of QM) I’d recommend Jim Al-Khalili’s [_Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed_](http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Guide-Perplexed-Jim-Al-Khalili/dp/1841882380/), which looks like a children’s or coffee table book, complete with some really gorgeous illustrations, but is one of the best layman explanations of QM I’ve found, and it’s broken into relatively simple concepts that can be digested a bit at a time. It won’t turn you into a Niels Bohr or Murray Gell-Manm, but when clever people who talk loudly in restaurants start babbling on about double slit experiments and uncollapsed probability waveforms of simultaneously alive and dead cats, you’ll know what their on about and can respond with a witty anecdote about how you once ran into Wigner’s friend at the pub and caused him him to collapse into unconsciousness in a drinking contest, then went and let the poor cat out of the box and gave it some food. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/15 "2007-09-05T16:11:21Z")
I recently read Paul Davies’ _Cosmic Jackpot: Why Our Universe Is Just Right for Life_, which seems to be exactly what you are looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/16 "2007-09-05T17:52:18Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] “Nooooooo!!!” If there is any fact or idea that Bryson states correctly in this book it’s purely by accident. Despite the author’s claim that the book was vetted by experts in the field, every single chapter I’ve skimmed through has egregeous errors of fact and misleading notions of accepted theory. Do not use this as a reference for “explaining the basics” or anything other than the dubious entertainment value of Bryson’s prose… [/QUOTE] I hate to repeat myself, but if anyone’s looking for a very intelligent history of nearly everything, David Christian’s _Maps of Time_ is an excellent place to start. It’s painstakingly researched, scrupulously footnoted and includes a massive bibliography. Best of all, it’s very readable. I haven’t read Bryson’s book, but the fact that he gets all the publicity and Christian gets none is surely a regrettable situation. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/17 "2007-09-05T19:57:14Z")
[The Beak of the Finch](http://www.amazon.com/Beak-Finch-Story-Evolution-Time/dp/067973337X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-5329419-7434007?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189022037&sr=8-1) by Jonathan Weiner is a really excellent account of evolution taking place in our time. He examines the finches of the Galapagos (just as Darwin did) and clearly explains how natural selection works. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/18 "2007-09-05T20:14:17Z")
[QUOTE=Lunar Saltlick] I hate to repeat myself, but if anyone’s looking for a very intelligent history of nearly everything, David Christian’s _Maps of Time_ is an excellent place to start. It’s painstakingly researched, scrupulously footnoted and includes a massive bibliography. Best of all, it’s very readable. I haven’t read Bryson’s book, but the fact that he gets all the publicity and Christian gets none is surely a regrettable situation. [/QUOTE] Bryson has the inside track at NPR, and by that virtue has a marketing machine and dedicated audience. I guess he’s a good writer, if you like the prose style he affects, but not much of a researcher or academically inclined, and certainly not even an amateur science expert, much less qualified to cover this material authoritatively. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/19 "2007-09-06T00:15:12Z")
I’m sorry to be late responding; we’ve been at the beach this afternoon. I do appreciate the suggestions and I will check them out as completely as possible. Marcie has talked about that Universe program almost non-stop; it gladdens me to see her so enthusiastic. I will report back on what I buy and thanks once again. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109/20 "2007-09-06T01:07:30Z")
I really enjoyed Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-about-the-universe-time-and-evolution/418109.md?page=2)