How to Love the Universe: A Scientist's Odes to the Hidden Beauty Behind the Visible World

by Stefan Klein

Originally published in German Das All und das Nichts (Frankfurt am S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, 2017).

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Essays, Philosophy, Nature, Unfinished, Audiobook

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2018

About the author

Dr. Stefan Klein, geboren 1965 in München, ist Physiker, Philosoph und der erfolgreichste Wissenschaftsautor deutscher Sprache.

Er studierte Physik und analytische Philosophie in München, Grenoble und Freiburg, promovierte und forschte auf dem Gebiet der theoretischen Biophysik. Er wandte sich dem Schreiben zu, weil er "die Menschen begeistern wollte für eine Wirklichkeit, die aufregender ist als jeder Krimi“.

Sein Buch „Die Glücksformel“ (2002) stand über ein Jahr auf allen deutschen Bestsellerlisten und machte den Autor auch international bekannt. In den folgenden Jahren erschienen die hoch gelobten Bestseller „Alles Zufall“,, „Zeit", "Da Vincis Vermächtnis oder Wie Leonardo die Welt neu erfand", "Der Sinn des Gebens" und zuletzt "Träume". Kleins Werk wurde in 27 Sprachen übersetzt und vielfach ausgezeichnet, zuletzt mit dem Deutschen Lesepreis (2015).

Stefan Klein ist ein viel gefragter Vortragsredner. Für das Zeit-Magazin führt er regelmäßig große Gespräche mit den führenden Wissenschaftlern der Welt. Im Rahmen von Lehraufträgen und Vorlesungen unterrichtete er an den Universitäten Heidelberg, Freiburg, UdK Berlin, Cottbus, St. Gallen, Barcelona und Cambridge.

Klein lebt in Berlin. Er ist mit der Wissenschaftsjournalistin Alexandra Rigos verheiratet und hat drei Kinder.

Reviews

[R Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetic and well written as promised but does not bring a noticeably fresh perspective on the beauty of physics for anyone familiar with other popular science books. The astounding conclusions derived from Einstein's work and quantum mechanics have already been illustrated in much better books and in much better ways. This could have been a book about how the visible world (see title) is beautiful for the lay person who does not look at blackholes and entangled particles on a daily basis. A lot of beauty about the visible world can be illustrated from simple day to day observations like how a thin layer of oil on a wet road creates astoundingly vibrant colours or why exactly is ice slippery or how come an elephant and a pebble fall at the same rate when dropped from an airplane (no I haven't performed this experiment, yes I am seeing a shrink).

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poets often accuse science of taking the magic out of the world but physicist and writer Stefan Klein thinks they are wrong:

Poets are rightly afraid of a world that has lost its magic, but anyone who harbours that fear is confusing research into our world with an Easter egg hunt, in the course of which all the hiding places are eventually plundered. Genuine insight , however, throws up more questions than it can answer.

In his book, How to Love the Universe, he looks at questions like why did roses develop their beautiful colour; why is the sky dark at night; how big is the universe; how many coincidences, accidents, and seeming impossibilities had to occur to produce us; and what is the likelihood of life on other planets, even perhaps people who are our exact doubles. He tells it all with enthusiasm and excitement and in language that we non-scientific types can easily understand - he even explains the odd behaviour of quarks by telling a detective story - and his clear passion for his subject is infectious. I dare anyone to read this book and not come away with a greater sense of the beauty, the mystery, and the magic of the universe and our very very small corner of it.

Thanks to Netgalley and The Experiment for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetic prose is as advertised, but the science is too elementary. The often-told histories of the major discoveries of Einstein, Newton, and others, are too well known to be interesting, and reveal nothing new. There are some seriously embarrassing math typos in the notes that cast shade on the work. I hope these will be corrected in a future edition, if any.

[Maddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat information about physics and the cosmos for a non-scientist. I wished for a bit more narrative and poetry but learned some things I found quite astounding.

Could be summed up with a quote from the legendary Wizards of Waverly place: Everything is not what it seems.

**three and a half stars**

[Aaron White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book. It is an almost poetic rendering of the mysteries of the visible universe, the utterly unimaginable size and complexity and wonder of the cosmos and the life we live within it. Klein talks about quantum entanglement, gravitational force, entropy and the nature of time, the Big Bang, the inflation theory of the universe and Einstein’s searing question about whether God could have created a different universe in a way that is not only accessible, but also compelling. It likely wasn’t his goal, but this book caused me to wonder at creation and, yes, Creator, with a renewed passion.

[Frank Pajunen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really engaging explanations of science that increase one's sense of wonder at existence/the universe. As someone who has generally struggled in science classes I love books that explain scientific things in ways that are graspable, so I can't speak to the way one of Klein's fellow scientists might think of the book. I do think that the author doesn't realize that polytheism doesn't have to be science denial, as he got in a few digs on that belief system while hedging away from digs on other faith systems. However, that was a very small part and did not affect the quality of the book overall.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scientist and author Klein attempts to show some of the marvels and mysteries of the possibly infinite universe and why even atheist scientists are awed by the universe. He does acknowledge that the awesomeness of the universe might lead some to believe in a Creator, though he believes everything can be explained by natural causes. Even though the existence of life (let alone intelligent life) is improbable, life came to be because the vastness of the universe means it could exist by chance. For me his presentation of the marvels and mysteries of the universe and the improbability of life supports the idea of a Creator. The vastness of the universe is needed to allow life to exist as he points out, nothing is wasted but all works together to create the cosmos as it is which includes intelligent life. And a Creator does not mean that the laws of physics are inconsequential, for once the universe began, it was created with particular natural laws that allows life to exist. The laws of physics are part of what God created and they do shape the universe and make it possible for us to study and use for our own purposes.

[Brian Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighthearted breath

Both the author and the narrator teamed up to produce a book which astonishes the reader with a sense of deepening mystery for the beauty in the cosmos. The explanation of mass is perhaps the most mind expanding image in the book. After reading that chapter, how could one go back to seeing “mass” in the same way? Well done! And thank you!

[Baroness · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was enticed by the book cover. I thought to myself how nice that the author chose a red rose to represent the beauty of the Universe.
It reminded me of how The Buddha compares Life and Death to a Rose.
As I listened I was quickly disappointed and bored with this book. DNF.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this pocket-sized but knowledge-filled volume, physicist Stefan Klein tells us a little about the universe as we currently understand it over the course of ten chapters, in topics ranging from particle physics, and statistics to dark matter and the size and nature of the universe. Though an expert in his field, Klein gently and conversationally explains the concepts in a way you'd want a friend to describe them to you, a non-scientist. Overall, it was a pleasing reminder of all the amazing things we have learned already about the universe, as well as the many perplexing things we have yet to fully understand.

[Bookworm_Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a force of sheer willpower and determination that got me through this book! I like astrophysics and the premise of what this book wanted to do really drew me in, but the execution left much to be desired. I think the fault really came down to trying to oversimplify incredibly complex science into "easily digestible" chunks that were not set up well to be simplified to that level in the first place. The author is also trying to condense the whole of the universe into a 240 page book. It is too much in too short a space and relies on a reader having an understanding of the background of astrophysics that most laypeople just do not possess.

[Kiirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this is pretty rudimentary in some ways. But it's also really well written and perfect for someone who doesn't have a physics background or read a lot about physics. Daunting and somewhat alarming topics are made accessible and doors are opened to more in-depth and nuanced understanding. Would definitely hand to someone who wants to know more but doesn't even know where to begin, or who is intimated by the big concepts and thinks they can't possibly understand things like particle physics, quantum theory, or entropy. You can! Start here.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The way to understanding is not a straight, flat road but a spiral staircase. Anyone who turns around a number of times while covering the distance ends up looking in the same direction as when they started. But they will have reached a higher level.” p. 44

Some of the concepts in this book went right over my head. However, I loved every single chapter and the knowledge I gained. Klein wrote it in awe of the universe and in doing so left me in awe as well.

(I also am excited by his theory on other planets containing life. 🪐👽)

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fellow Starship Trooper, imagine a universe that is so immense, the light of uncountable stars and galaxies has yet to reach us, yet we can already see nearly 14 billion years into the past? No big deal? How about this...take our infinitely immense universe and multiply it by a googleplex of additional universes...a multiverse! Yes, we can never know for sure, but physics points the way to a bind-bendingly expansive cosmos out there. Dig it, Starship Trooper!

[Heather Duris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this creative way of explaining some of the laws that we think govern the universe, and how the author acknowledges that those theories may prove to be wrong and that there is so much more to explore and discover. This is a book about science that an artist can appreciate and understand.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that has some truly beautiful moments but it lacks a through line. Less than 200 pages so a quick read that would be a great intro to quantum and relativity and other puzzles of the physical world.

[Amanda Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I needed and wanted. I’m in love.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd read about all of these subjects in other books over the years, but this author explained them in a way I'd never heard before. The universe is definitely more beautiful after having read it.

[lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love the book! So succinct yet inviting the reader to continue pondering about the universe and our existence.

[John Baxter]

Tremendously satisfying read. Puts physics, astronomy, and quantum physics in entertaining layman's terms. So many fascinating discoveries.

[h · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for the first time in 2019, a year and a half later I still completely enjoyed it and learned something new.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on cosmology. My understanding of quantum mechanics has leaped forward. Still don't understand it completely but I'm enjoying the process!

[Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read but I was expecting something more philosophical and less metaphorical.

[Mahdie · Rating 1 out of 5]

فلسفی نبود بیشتر علمی بود

[Mark B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best non-fiction book I’ve read in 2022 and one of my all time favorites.

[Jacquelyn Fusco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book full of fascinating information and insights into the beauty of the universe.

[Sheila Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would probably give this 5 stars if my tiny brain could understand half of this book...but I enjoyed trying to understand science and why/how we exist.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4
beautifully written, expertly explained. klein is a scientific author second only to hawking in his prowess of science and language.

[Lauren Thornberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming but I really wish he'd properly cite his sources, the notes in the back are not numbered and there are very few formal citations. I like the concept, though!

[Jade Sawrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative and mostly easy to understand! It really makes you think, but maybe too much if you are prone to existential crises😂