Why Does the World Exist?

The Washington Post Notable Non-Fiction of 2013 âI can imagine few more enjoyable ways of thinking than to read this book.ââSarah Bakewell, New York Times Book Review, front-page review Tackling the âdarkest question in all of philosophyâ with âraffish eruditionâ (Dwight Garner, New York Times), author Jim Holt explores the greatest metaphysical mystery of all: why is there something rather than nothing? This runaway bestseller, which has captured the imagination of critics and the public alike, traces our latest efforts to grasp the origins of the universe. Holt adopts the role of cosmological detective, traveling the globe to interview a host of celebrated scientists, philosophers, and writers, âtesting the contentions of one against the theories of the otherâ (Jeremy Bernstein, Wall Street Journal). As he interrogates his list of ontological culprits, the brilliant yet slyly humorous Holt contends that we might have been too narrow in limiting our suspects to God versus the Big Bang. This âdeft and consumingâ (David Ulin, Los Angeles Times) narrative humanizes the profound questions of meaning and existence it confronts.