Brief History of the Universe (and our place in it)

We have always looked up at the sky and wondered.

The desire to explore and understand what lies beyond us is at the heart of scientific discovery. Ever since the ancient Babylonians tracked celestial objects on clay tablets, the search for meaning in an infinitely vast universe has been a profoundly human pursuit.

In this spellbinding book, Dr Sarah Alam Malik takes us on a journey through the discoveries that shaped our perception of the cosmos. From the Earth-centred worldview of Aristotle and the Copernican revolution to Isaac Newton unifying the terrestrial and celestial under the law of gravity. Each breakthrough is a testament to humanity’s determination to peek behind the curtain of our world to examine what’s underneath.

Our ability to imagine and seek out a much grander and more mysterious reality drives us towards an incredible future. From the fiery deaths of faraway suns to the complexities of the subatomic, this is the story of what we’ve found and how they continue to change us.

A Brief History of the Universe (and our place in it) is a fascinating story of discovery and a beautiful celebration of our endless curiosity.

'[Malik] is a warm, clear writer who covers an awful lot in a small space’ New Scientist

‘A thrilling reminder of how much we know about the universe and what a marvellous journey it has been to discover it’ Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe