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  <title><![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]></description>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
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  <average_rating>4.25</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>4</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[Plenty of books try to explain the origin of the universe, but despite the ascendance of the Big Bang theory, numerous details of that theory remain in flux as new observations are made and new hypotheses formed (and then confirmed or rejected). Timothy Ferris's <em>The Whole Shebang</em> is an up-to-date account of the various mechanisms believed to have contributed to the universe as we now know it, from the Big Bang itself to inflation to superstrings. <em>The Whole Shebang</em> eschews mathematics and formulae and explains cosmological concepts in clear and enticing prose. If you need an update on the state of the universe, you'll find it here.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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  <read_at>Tue Mar 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Timothy Ferris's enthusiasm for space is infective. In Seeing in the Dark he wrote about his love of astronomy (and many others who share his love of it). In The Whole Shebang he tries to tackle the current state of our knowledge of life, the universe and everything. The title is also a delicious pu...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15305569">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
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  <average_rating>3.98</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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  <read_at>Sun Mar 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Mar 15 10:53:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Mar 15 10:57:22 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[ looooove science. I think that is so necessary to question things intelligently and to admit fault when a truth becomes a lie.  This book is all about the history of science...lots of fun 'real life' stuff too, like one early astronomer died from a bladder explosion whilst drinking too much beer. I...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49345107">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49345107]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>66327091</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Aug 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Aug 05 13:03:02 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 05 13:05:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Excellent primer on cosmology written for the layperson. If you want to know about our place in the Universe, read this book. I found his descriptions of the structure of the Universe fascinating. From our planet to the solar system, our galaxy, our group, so on and so forth it was incredible. He al...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66327091">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66327091]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66327091]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>57603172</id>
    <user>
    <id>2354880</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Chris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Saint Johnsbury, VT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2354880-chris-brimmer]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1998</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu May 28 07:03:35 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu May 28 07:05:46 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A terrific look at the self correcting nature of the scientific method and the competing hypothisis and theories about the structure of the universe.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57603172]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57603172]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>76283212</id>
    <user>
    <id>2589619</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Chip]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Birmingham, AL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2589619-chip]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Aug 20 00:00:00 -0700 2002</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Oct 31 03:31:59 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Oct 31 03:33:25 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Fine prose, made me ponder instead of doubt - will enjoy reading again and again.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76283212]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76283212]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>46582337</id>
    <user>
    <id>2039846</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jaime]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Granada Hills, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 16 19:04:49 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 16 19:07:03 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The book would have been a five if Ferris could keep the fluff to himself. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46582337]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46582337]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>49498041</id>
    <user>
    <id>1922261</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Asymmetrical]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Madison, WI]]></location>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 16 17:05:53 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 24 19:47:16 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There just wasn't anything here I didn't already know.  Maybe that's not the author's fault, exactly.  But I hope for more from nonfiction.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49498041]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49498041]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>28802061</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Oren]]></name>
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  <id type="integer">310330</id>
  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 30 16:27:29 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jul 30 16:29:59 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Seems outdated from what little I know about current cosmology thinking, but still a fascinating book for someone like me who knows so little about the subject.  I saw Timothy Ferris read at Powell's in Portland and the following discussion has stayed in my memory for almost ten years.  I'm still am...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28802061">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28802061]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28802061]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6368333</id>
    <user>
    <id>389323</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Phil]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Louisville, CO]]></location>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1997</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 17 22:36:21 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 17 22:38:59 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A neat book, up ther with Hawking's Brief History fo Time and Sagan's Cosmos, that helps the lay folk understand the big picture. Ferris adds a little something others don't however, and that is a sort of wit that makes one feel like you are discussing the universe over coffee and donuts.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6368333]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6368333]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>627564</id>
    <user>
    <id>23055</id>
    <name><![CDATA[kleeklaw]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <isbn>0753804751</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780753804759</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172679135m/206219.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172679135s/206219.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206219.The_Whole_Shebang</link>
  <average_rating>3.88</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>8</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Plenty of books try to explain the origin of the universe, but despite the ascendance of the Big Bang theory, numerous details of that theory remain in flux as new observations are made and new hypotheses formed (and then confirmed or rejected). Timothy Ferris's <em>The Whole Shebang</em> is an up-to-date account of the various mechanisms believed to have contributed to the universe as we now know it, from the Big Bang itself to inflation to superstrings. <em>The Whole Shebang</em> eschews mathematics and formulae and explains cosmological concepts in clear and enticing prose. If you need an update on the state of the universe, you'll find it here.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Apr 07 23:26:06 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 17:41:56 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[really well written and entertaining. i like that there is a notes section in the end with the math and formulae instead of scattered throughout the book. it made the book less intimidating while providing a good starting point for further investigation into the nuts and bolts behind the science.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/627564]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/627564]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>545866</id>
    <user>
    <id>42931</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Megan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Washington, DC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/42931-megan]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1199667361p3/42931.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">206219</id>
  <isbn>0753804751</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780753804759</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172679135m/206219.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172679135s/206219.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206219.The_Whole_Shebang</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Plenty of books try to explain the origin of the universe, but despite the ascendance of the Big Bang theory, numerous details of that theory remain in flux as new observations are made and new hypotheses formed (and then confirmed or rejected). Timothy Ferris's <em>The Whole Shebang</em> is an up-to-date account of the various mechanisms believed to have contributed to the universe as we now know it, from the Big Bang itself to inflation to superstrings. <em>The Whole Shebang</em> eschews mathematics and formulae and explains cosmological concepts in clear and enticing prose. If you need an update on the state of the universe, you'll find it here.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Apr 03 07:25:46 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 17:27:18 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A concise, yet fascinating account of the current state of knowledge regarding cosmology.  The writing is very approachable, even for the non-mathematically inclined like myself.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/545866]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/545866]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18095434</id>
    <user>
    <id>992712</id>
    <name><![CDATA[deLille]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/992712-delille]]></link>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Anyone who is fascinated by the &quot;big questions&quot;]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[My father]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Mar 19 08:51:17 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Mar 20 22:29:49 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Just a wonderful, mind-bending book about what an incredible universe we live in.  I loved this book and now wish I had taken more physics courses in college.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18095434]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18095434]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>29425155</id>
    <user>
    <id>1399265</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kelly]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Greensboro, NC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1399265-kelly]]></link>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Aug 06 10:58:27 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 06 10:59:24 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[so far not the most well-written book on the subject I've read (which is not a good sign because it's not like I've read that many!)]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29425155]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29425155]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>30979403</id>
    <user>
    <id>1452631</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Matthew]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Quincy, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1452631-matthew]]></link>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 23 07:59:09 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 23 07:59:31 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A great primer on cosmology.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30979403]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30979403]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>12376773</id>
    <user>
    <id>726395</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Adam]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[India]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/726395-adam]]></link>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684838618</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">12</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389m/310330.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173628389s/310330.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310330.The_Whole_Shebang_A_State_of_the_Universe_s_Report</link>
  <average_rating>3.99</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>144</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<p>From the prizewinning author who has been called &quot;the greatest science writer in the world&quot; comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.    <p>Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is &quot;expanding,&quot; or that space is &quot;curved&quot;? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life.  </p></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1997</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 12 21:55:08 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 12 21:55:08 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Usual pop physics book.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12376773]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12376773]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>81544306</id>
    <user>
    <id>1283483</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Newnan, GA]]></location>
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  <isbn>0684838613</isbn>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report]]>
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