By Sid Perkins
Origins: The Scientific Story of Creation
Jim Baggott
Oxford Univ., $34.95
Throughout history, every culture has woven its own tale of creation, addressing deeply philosophical questions ranging from what the universe is made of to where humans came from. Now, by tapping into the latest findings from quantum physics, biochemistry, evolutionary biology and other fields, science writer Jim Baggott has compiled a science-based Genesis for the 21st century.
It’s an ambitious task to chronicle everything from the Big Bang to the evolution of human consciousness in one small book. But Baggott delivers a wonderfully detailed yet eminently readable account in Origins.