Parallel Worlds
Michio Kaku
When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronomer. Astronomy is super cool. I love learning about what will happen when our sun dies (that is, it will expand and engulf Earth, which will burn in its outermost layer) or about our future collision with the Andromeda galaxy in a few billion years.
Unfortunately, I soon learned that astronomy = math. And I hate math. So I gave up on the whole astronomy thing, but I still love to watch those nerdy programs on the National Geographic Channel. So I thought I’d enjoy Kaku’s Parallel Worlds, which discusses the birth of the universe (and the multiverse, the theory that our universe is but one of many), parallel dimensions, string theory, time travel, and the like.
Kaku is one of the cofounders of string theory, so he is more than just a geeky know-it-all. More importantly, however, he has the gift of storytelling. He relates this heavy information interspersed with witty anecdotes and asides. He’s a pretty darn good writer for a scientist, if I may say so myself.
At times, the book gets a little too complicated for my non-math-and-science brain, but Kaku’s clear analogies and explanations make some pretty complicated material understandable. And whenever it got a little too difficult, I just remembered that a little skimming never hurt nobody.
In a nutshell: if you are interested in the universe (and who the heck isn’t?), Parallel Worlds is a great—albeit tough—book. You may not understand 100% of the information it contains, but according to Kaku, many astrophysicists don’t either. Nice!
Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars
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