Your Place in the Universe: Understanding Our Big, Messy Existence

Paul M Sutter Prometheus Books £18.99 HB

“How the heck do you write a book about the whole entire Universe?” These are the words that greet you when you open the first pages of Paul M Sutter’s Your Place in the Universe. The book takes you through the past 400 years of astronomy, touching on the stories of the great scientists who pieced together the modern picture we have of the cosmos. You’ll read about the early ideas we had about our Universe; how evidence has slowly shaped and changed those ideas over and over again; and how the Universe may ultimately end. Sutter admits upfront that he pays attention to the stories and physics that have captured his attention the most. And why not? It’s his book! Even so, it remains fairly comprehensive and Sutter touches on all the major highlights.

The prose is a little hard going at times; for me it was a little too conversational. In places, I had to reread sections and I found ideas and concepts jumped about a little. I’d hesitate giving this book to someone new to cosmology; I felt I kept up with it in places because I knew the underlying story.

However, I really enjoyed the more personal side of the scientists that Paul reveals, and I applaud the lack of equations. Extra points for all the wonderful references in the back: it’s a fantastic collection of some of the most important papers in this field. If you’re a cosmology enthusiast, definitely give this book a go.