Why is the universe the way it is? If some of the laws of physics were just a little different, life as we know it would not be able to exist. Paul Davies starts by looking briefly at how humans have attempted to explain what is around them, and discusses the nature of physical laws. The next part of the book is a bit of a 'cosmology primer', explaining how we know that the universe is expanding, how we think it got started, and the nature of the four fundamental forces and the different families of subatomic particles.
If you are already knowledgable about all of this, this part of the book may seem a bit basic for you - but it is a good overview for someone new to it or a bit rusty on the basics. He then looks at different ways of trying to explain why the universe is the way it is, including various versions of the 'multiverse' idea, and also including 'God did it' and why this is an unsatisfactory explanation. He concludes with a chapter discussing observers, and whether 'mind' can and/or should be seen as part of the universe and part of the explanation. This last part is verging on philosophy, but this is probably unavoidable when considering questions such as this. A good read.
If you are already knowledgable about all of this, this part of the book may seem a bit basic for you - but it is a good overview for someone new to it or a bit rusty on the basics. He then looks at different ways of trying to explain why the universe is the way it is, including various versions of the 'multiverse' idea, and also including 'God did it' and why this is an unsatisfactory explanation. He concludes with a chapter discussing observers, and whether 'mind' can and/or should be seen as part of the universe and part of the explanation. This last part is verging on philosophy, but this is probably unavoidable when considering questions such as this. A good read.
