The End of Everything

(Astrophysically Speaking)

By: Katie Mack

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Katie Mack

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2020
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY * THE WASHINGTON POST * THE ECONOMIST * NEW SCIENTIST * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY * THE GUARDIAN

From one of the most dynamic rising stars in astrophysics, an “engrossing, elegant” (The New York Times) look at five ways the universe could end, and the mind-blowing lessons each scenario reveals about the most important concepts in cosmology.

We know the universe had a beginning. With the Big Bang, it expanded from a state of unimaginable density to an all-encompassing cosmic fireball to a simmering fluid of matter and energy, laying down the seeds for everything from black holes to one rocky planet orbiting a star near the edge of a spiral galaxy that happened to develop life as we know it. But what happens to the universe at the end of the story? And what does it mean for us now?

Dr. Katie Mack has been contemplating these questions since she was a young student, when her astronomy professor informed her the universe could end at any moment, in an instant. This revelation set her on the path toward theoretical astrophysics. Now, with lively wit and humor, she takes us on a mind-bending tour through five of the cosmos’s possible finales: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, the Big Rip, Vacuum Decay (the one that could happen at any moment!), and the Bounce. Guiding us through cutting-edge science and major concepts in quantum mechanics, cosmology, string theory, and much more, The End of Everything is a wildly fun, surprisingly upbeat ride to the farthest reaches of all that we know.

©2020 Dr. Katie Mack. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Loved the content

I really enjoyed the content of this book and the writing was spot on, however i think a different narrator would have made it an easier listen… or an incredibly ingenious marketing ploy… although I could not listen to the audiobook I did go out and get the paperback copy.! Well worth the read.

Unexpectedly profound

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it’s one of the few if not the only non-fiction book that made me sad to realize it was over. I was attracted to the title by the subject matter: thinking about the beginning and the end of the universe has always been an interesting idea for me. But Katie Mack goes deeper - she spends the end of the book reflecting on why this study matters at all, and ends with a beautiful philosophical reflection.

Whew!!

Katie Mack's far reaching knowledge is only matched by her effervescent personality. She covers topics so fast that frequent pauses and replays are required to process many of the things she explains, or tries to. The book is like a year of advanced study of cosmology compressed into a few hours of audio book. This is an audiobook that will probably generate a lot of hard copy book sales as readers without her extensive background attempt to digest all that she so breezily covers. It was a challenging, but rewarding listen. Whew!!

the end of the universe is very relaxing.

it took me most of the book to realize what was so soothing about this book and reading. it's that katie mack has so much love for her subject matter, but she also has a love for her audience. this didn't feel like a windy terrible doomsday from an unreachable academic. it felt like a fascinating conversation with a good friend over coffee about an existential subject matter. absolutely fascinating 10/10 highly recommend.

Wow!

Amazingly well presented. Helps break down the science so that I can understand it. A lot still went over my head but that means I need to listen again and put some personal study into it, but the author really does a great job of relaying the info in a way you can understand and gives you not only a foundation to stand upon but also steps to climb.

Brilliantly entertaining!

I'm not going to write a whole review but I'll just say if the cosmos and existential crisis appeal to you, you'll love this. I listen to it when going to bed. Nothing quite like being put to bed by the heat death of the universe ❤

Sad, depressing, hopeful, amazing.

With the world of physics changing so quickly, it’s hard to find future proof books on the (incredibly broad) topic. This one probably isn’t either but it absolutely does brings you up to speed to the 2020 state of the art, and teases what to look out for in the coming months and years.

But unlike many science books, The End of Everything will make you feel things - not all of them pleasant. But power through it and you’ll come out a richer person on the other end.

Wow. Just wow.

Awesome book! And you don't really need to understand physics to enjoy it, that's helpful.

Fascinating!

Katie Mack is clearly very enthusiastic about the subject and does a good job explaining complicated concepts to a diverse audience. I probably read an astrophysics book once every couple of years. At certain points, I had a hard time keeping up (although it helps to slow down the audiobook speed). But if you take the book at face value and don’t get stuck in the details (you may not understand anyway), Katie provides an interesting and often entertaining description of how everything may come to an end. This may seem like an astrophysics side show but in fact understanding the end, or at least thinking about it, provides great insight as to: 1) how it began; 2) what happened between then and now; 3) and what are we and what is all this. The part about possible additional dimensions and the two brains kind of blew me away (in a good way).

who says that cosmologists are boring? boring

Katie's sense of humor demonstrates that cosmetologist can be pretty funny! A complex idea told in a very understandable manner.