Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story in Science and Inquiry

Nov 30, 2012 loafingcactus rated it it was ok

Shelves: sampled-kindle-2012, read-2013

There seems to be a trend of authors forgetting all ethics regarding citations and publishers failing to call them on it. When you quote someone, you name them- stripping off the names of people you don't like as this author does at the beginning of the book is a cheap trick, aside from the ethics problem.

Others have criticized the science. I am not qualified there, but I can say that some of the literary allusions are jacked up, including one that is wrong at the beginning of the book but then ...more

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Oct 18, 2013 Bob Finch rated it liked it

Shelves: science, philosophy, religion

Back in the mid 1990s, Jim Holt wrote an excellent and funny essay in Harper's, "Nothing Ventured", pondering the question of why there is something rather than nothing. It was a semi-serious, tongue-in-cheek treatment of a question long pondered by some great minds. When I saw he had expanded on the subject in a book (and read an excerpt), I was looking forward to reading it.

Holt's book is an interesting mix of irreverence and serious pondering about the origins and nature of the physical univ Back in the mid 1990s, Jim Holt wrote an excellent and funny essay in Harper's, "Nothing Ventured", pondering the question of why there is something rather than nothing. It was a semi-serious, tongue-in-cheek treatment of a question long pondered by some great minds. When I saw he had expanded on the subject in a book (and read an excerpt), I was looking forward to reading it.

Holt's book is an interesting mix of irreverence and serious pondering about the origins and nature of the physical universe, delivered in a conversational style, including some amusing and moving conversations with modern intellectuals. Holt's wry humor throughout lightens the topic, though he does not shy away from seriousness; his personal touches can be quite moving.

Not being so well read in philosophy myself, I found Holt's survey of philosophers' musings on the subject interesting, though often belabored. He provides some decent lessons in logic too. I was dismayed at his nearly complete reliance on Western (European and North American) ideas and authors (a brief mention of Buddhism comes near the end). As a scientist, I lack much patience with the idea that the nature and origins of reality might be intuited by thinking alone (very Aristotelian). I want some evidence. Too many of the musings, both by Holt and his subjects, lacked that. I am also unswayed by the proposition that the existence or nature of God can be logically deduced, something Holt spent a lot of ink on. I think it would be impossible to accurately deduce a platypus from mere thought, let alone a hypothetical supreme being.

Yet, in the end, I found the book an enjoyable read, if not always compelling (I laid it aside for extended periods). I have read some reviews by readers frustrated by the book. I think many may have been expecting something else, a scientific treatment or an actual answer(!). I would recommend any of several popular-science books by Jim Baggot for someone seeking a more science-based discussion about physics or cosmology. But I can recommend Holt for anyone interested in a light read with a personal feel about a ponderous subject. It also helps to be be patient.
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Jul 28, 2022 Erica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2022

This one took awhile to get through...but I really enjoyed thinking/reading it. A lot of pleasant days spent in the sun reading about our existence, pontificating on the reason, running though the great philosophers' thoughts, a really nice overview. In the end though, I think it's turtles all the way down, no matter how you dice it. There is no argument that can see beyond that final wall that at some stage of logic you will hit. We are forever trapped inside our limiting brains, our experience ...more

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Apr 07, 2014 Glen rated it really liked it

Shelves: all-time-favs, religion, science, culture-society

Jim Holt's investigation into the mystery of the existence of our world was a massage for my brain. On occasion the masseuse applied a bit too much pressure and I had to set the book down while my mind relaxed but for the most part the read was an extremely enjoyable experience. Highly recommended.
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