A review by miguelf
How the Universe Got Its Spots: Diary of a Finite Time in a Finite Space by Janna Levin

3.0

Sean Carrol recently gave this book as a recommendation in an interview on the Ezra Klein podcast as a tip for good books on physics. Though not overly technical, this seemed more of a physics book for physicists rather than one completely enjoyable for the layperson unfamiliar at all with the topics of geometric space time. The various descriptions of shapes and how those describe the fabric of the universe was a bit arcane, and then on top the style was very jagged going from one topic to another, as if the author suffered from ADHD. Then there was a lot of personal detail, as apparently it was originally written as letters to a family member. The various boyfriend issues didn’t exactly liven up the book. In sum, so many other more focused and mind expanding books on physics are available.