Reviews

Before the Big Bang: The Prehistory of Our Universe by Brian Clegg

ashleylm's review against another edition

4.0

I mostly enjoyed it--some minor quibbles (and I'm not a theoretical astrophysicist, or I may have had more): there was an evident error at some point (it was one of those easy to do ones, like leaving out the word "not"), it's about 2/3 of the way through before we get to before the Big Bang, the title's a bit of a misnomer because much of the (later part of the) book supposes there is no Big Bang--but on the plus side I (mostly) followed the science and found it very entertaining as well ... it's pretty much the ideal tone for administering complicated scientific ideas.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

lrconnol's review

5.0

If I had realized Before the Big Bang Theory was about the physics of astronomy (astrophysics) before I started it, I would not have started it. The very idea is daunting. However, Brian Clegg is a very accessible author. He brings hard concepts down to everyday language that can be understood by someone who does not have advanced degrees in physics or whatever. I did understand the concepts he was laying out and they even made sense. Not to say I didn't have to read some paragraphs more than once to let it sink in, but sink in it did. If you ever wondered where the universe started, this is the book to tackle. He doesn't exactly answer the question, because there is no one accepted answer, but he certainly lays out multiple alternatives as they are currently proposed, even if not universally accepted. You are left to ponder the question and deduce your own answer. The best kind of science book ... one that forces you to think!