The Shortest History of Our Universe, David Baker
The Shortest History of Our Universe, David Baker
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The Shortest History of Our Universe
The Unlikely Journey from the Big Bang to Us

Author: David Baker, John Green

Narrator: Keval Shah

Unabridged: 8 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/20/2023


Synopsis

A complete history of the universe, spanning 13.8 billion years in an ultra-accessible, uncommonly illuminating, exhilarating chronicle of key events

In this thrilling history, David Baker captures the longest-possible time span—from the Big Bang to the present day—in an astonishingly concise retelling. His impressive timeline includes the "rise of complexity" in the cosmos and the creation of the first atoms; the origin of all galaxies, stars, and our solar system; and the evolution of life on Earth, from tiny single-celled organisms to human beings.

Weaving together insights across the sciences—including chemistry, physics, biology, archaeology, and anthropology—Baker answers the fundamental questions: How did time begin? Why does matter exist? What made life on Earth the way it is? He also argues that never before has life on Earth been forced to adjust to a changing climate so rapidly, nor has one species ever been responsible for such sudden change. Baker's grand view offers the clearest picture of what may come next—and the role we can still play in our planet's fate.

About David Baker

David Baker is a history and science writer who holds the world's first PhD in Big History (the field that considers the entire history of the universe). He is an award-winning lecturer who wrote the YouTube series Crash Course Big History, hosted by John Green and his brother Hank Green. He lives in Sydney, Australia.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maxine on June 08, 2023

The Shortest History of Our Universe by David Baker takes the reader from the big bang to the present day and even a bit of speculation about the future. Baker manages to pack a huge amount of information in a very short space yet manages to make it easily understood by the scientically challenged l......more

Goodreads review by Shayna on November 10, 2024

This book is on my night stand because it is a wonderfully paced book detailing our history. I have a “finished” date but I always tend to go back and read the beginning and end! 4 stars because it has illustrations of weird bugs (not a fan). Instead of giving me an existential crisis, this book giv......more

Goodreads review by Simon on December 10, 2023

Ever since I can remember, the universe has been a source of endless fascination for me. The sheer enormity and complexity of it all have often left me in awe, prompting a desire to understand the hows and whys. "The Shortest History of the Universe" by David Baker proved to be the perfect guide on......more

Goodreads review by Jagriti Paul on August 24, 2023

The Shortest History of Universe by David Baker is the newest addition to the shortest history series from Panmacmillan. Just as the name suggests, this book is a summarized version of the origin of universe, formation of stars and galaxies, evolution and extinction of various life forms on earth an......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on January 30, 2024

Not bad - a "big history" that speeds us from the Big Bang until now. Docked a star (1) because some of the early universe stuff didn't seem quite accurate (I've been reading a lot in that area); (2) I would have liked some more info on reverberations from earlier times - non-obvious insights we can......more