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CB_Read's Reviews > Genesis: The Story of How Everything Began
Genesis: The Story of How Everything Began
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Dedicated physicists professionally pursue the oldest question of humankind: Where did all of this--our world, our galaxy, our universe--come from? How did it all begin? Guido Tonelli is the latest in the field to take up this question in "Genesis," a scholarly thought experiment that imagines in seven days' time how the entire universe was born and life as we know it today was made.
Written for astronomy buffs first, popular science enthusiasts second, and a general audience third, what makes Tonelli's new book feel fresh is the incorporation of the latest developments in cosmology and particle physics; a genuine attempt to fulfill a thought experiment throughout the bulk of the narrative; and a special focus on the context and early stages of the birth of the universe. While the density of the prose may remind some readers of college-level textbooks, every section is a chance to learn a new subject--from star formation to cosmological history--with thoroughness and lasting appeal.
"Genesis" is bookended by the humanistic purpose and appeal of continuing to study science, art, philosophy, and religion as the fundamental basis of culture. Having a creation story or myth is the first sign of an emerging culture, and this deeply human tradition is cosmological in nature. It often begins with what the Greeks called "thauma," a sense of wonder borne out of amazement and terror, something that the modernists would call the sublime. But in answering this unavoidable question of how everything began, we have found since the modern era that the scientific method is the most convincing, authoritative, and entertaining route of pursuit.
And so Tonelli begins his thought experiment of how the universe was born, from the emergence of "the void" and the crack of the Big Bang, to the inflation of the universe and the proliferation of dark matter, and lastly to the development of stars, galaxies, planets, and life on Earth.
The most compelling moments of the book for me were the moments that elapsed--less than 10^-21 seconds--between the initial disturbance of the void and the Big Bang itself. Tonelli persuasively argues for two key premises on the origins of the cosmos: the void was not a gaping nothingness ruled by chaos, as so many in the West believe, but a pure space of balance so compact and unbreakable that no quantum fluctuation could break its seal; and then, because something obviously did emerge and usher in the Big Bang, that the universe is not eternal but had a definite point of origin, a beginning that was indeed the very first moment of time. This is an area of popular science writing that is commonly glossed over and that Tonelli slowly and beautifully illustrates with clarity and expertise.
Having reached Day Three of his seven-day thought experiment, most of the material in the chapters that follow will be familiar to readers with a background or demonstrated interest in astronomy. Some of it--not unnecessarily--gets into the finer points of particle physics, leading to writing that is less inspiring and reads more like an index of necessary terms. But even those familiar with the science behind stellar and galactic birth and death cycles will have their knowledge reinforced and their hearts moved by the vivid celestial sequences portrayed by the author.
No matter how many books I read on the topic of cosmology, I never fail to be intrigued by the latest publication, a distillation of advances in the subject. Discussing a topic that has proved to be of perennial interest to cultures around the world for millennia is always a valuable reminder of our human origins and collective history. Guido Tonelli has added to the celebrated humanist tradition with this new volume of insight into astronomical history, creating a compelling mental journey through the cosmos that will inspire readers to look out at the stars with wonder, terror, and amazement.
**My sincere thanks to the teams at FSG and Netgalley for offering this advance readers copy.**
Written for astronomy buffs first, popular science enthusiasts second, and a general audience third, what makes Tonelli's new book feel fresh is the incorporation of the latest developments in cosmology and particle physics; a genuine attempt to fulfill a thought experiment throughout the bulk of the narrative; and a special focus on the context and early stages of the birth of the universe. While the density of the prose may remind some readers of college-level textbooks, every section is a chance to learn a new subject--from star formation to cosmological history--with thoroughness and lasting appeal.
"Genesis" is bookended by the humanistic purpose and appeal of continuing to study science, art, philosophy, and religion as the fundamental basis of culture. Having a creation story or myth is the first sign of an emerging culture, and this deeply human tradition is cosmological in nature. It often begins with what the Greeks called "thauma," a sense of wonder borne out of amazement and terror, something that the modernists would call the sublime. But in answering this unavoidable question of how everything began, we have found since the modern era that the scientific method is the most convincing, authoritative, and entertaining route of pursuit.
And so Tonelli begins his thought experiment of how the universe was born, from the emergence of "the void" and the crack of the Big Bang, to the inflation of the universe and the proliferation of dark matter, and lastly to the development of stars, galaxies, planets, and life on Earth.
The most compelling moments of the book for me were the moments that elapsed--less than 10^-21 seconds--between the initial disturbance of the void and the Big Bang itself. Tonelli persuasively argues for two key premises on the origins of the cosmos: the void was not a gaping nothingness ruled by chaos, as so many in the West believe, but a pure space of balance so compact and unbreakable that no quantum fluctuation could break its seal; and then, because something obviously did emerge and usher in the Big Bang, that the universe is not eternal but had a definite point of origin, a beginning that was indeed the very first moment of time. This is an area of popular science writing that is commonly glossed over and that Tonelli slowly and beautifully illustrates with clarity and expertise.
Having reached Day Three of his seven-day thought experiment, most of the material in the chapters that follow will be familiar to readers with a background or demonstrated interest in astronomy. Some of it--not unnecessarily--gets into the finer points of particle physics, leading to writing that is less inspiring and reads more like an index of necessary terms. But even those familiar with the science behind stellar and galactic birth and death cycles will have their knowledge reinforced and their hearts moved by the vivid celestial sequences portrayed by the author.
No matter how many books I read on the topic of cosmology, I never fail to be intrigued by the latest publication, a distillation of advances in the subject. Discussing a topic that has proved to be of perennial interest to cultures around the world for millennia is always a valuable reminder of our human origins and collective history. Guido Tonelli has added to the celebrated humanist tradition with this new volume of insight into astronomical history, creating a compelling mental journey through the cosmos that will inspire readers to look out at the stars with wonder, terror, and amazement.
**My sincere thanks to the teams at FSG and Netgalley for offering this advance readers copy.**
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