From the world-renowned physicist, co-founder of the World Science Festival, and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe comes this utterly captivating exploration of deep time and humanity's search for purpose.

Brian Greene takes readers on a breathtaking journey from the big bang to the end of time and invites us to ponder meaning in the face of this unimaginable expanse. He shows us how, from its original orderly state the universe has been moving inexorably toward chaos, and, still, remarkable structures have continually formed: the planets, stars, and galaxies that provide islands in a sea of disorder; biochemical mechanisms, including mutation and selection, animate life; neurons, information, and thought developed into complex consciousness which in turn gave rise to cultures and their timeless myths and creativity. And he describes, as well, how, in the deep reaches of the future, the nature of the universe will threaten the existence of matter itself. Through a series of nested stories Greene provides us with a clearer sense of how we came to be, a finer picture of where we are now, and a firmer understanding of where we are headed. Taken together, it is a completely new perspective on our place in the universe and on what it means to be human.

09/01/2019

Director of Columbia University's Center for Theoretical Physics and cofounder of the World Science Festival, Greene leads us from the big bang until the end of time, showing how galaxies have formed, biochemical mechanisms have pushed forth life, and neurons have zapped consciousness (and finally culture) into being even as the universe tends toward entropy. Greene's first book since 2011, so fans will be swarming all over it; his works have sold over two million across formats.

BRIAN GREENE is a professor of physics and mathematics and Director of Columbia University's Center for Theoretical Physics, and is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries in superstring theory. He is the author of The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos, and The Hidden Reality, which have collectively spent 65 weeks on the New York Times best seller list and sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, and he has hosted two Peabody and Emmy Award winning NOVA miniseries based on his books. With producer Tracy Day, Greene co-founded the World Science Festival. He lives in New York.