When the British Science Association ran a poll asking the general public which science question they'd most like answered, they said 'what came before the Big Bang?' Brian wanted to bring out the fascinating truth behind this question and to show just how the Big Bang theory is just one of a range of ever more startling theories that cosmologists have for the origins of the universe.

From the earliest creation myths, through the eighteenth century astronomer William Herschel's realization that the Milky Way was one of many galaxies, to ongoing debates about black holes, this is an exploration of the origins of the universe and the many enigmas it poses.

The idea of a Big Bang doesn't so much answer questions as pose new ones. Brian challenges the concept of the Big Bang itself, and raises the deep philosophical notion of why we might want to rethink the origins of the universe.

From Kirkus Reviews (starred review):
Excellent popular history of how humans understand the universe...
British science writer Clegg excels in recounting the struggle over our universe’s origin, which most—but not all—agree lies in a vast primeval expansion known as the Big Bang... Clegg follows the footsteps of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, Steven Hawking’s A Brief History of Time and Timothy Ferris’s Coming of Age in the Milky Way. He shares his predecessors’ enthusiasm, eloquence and ability to explain complex ideas but provides a bonus by covering startling developments of the past decade. Anyone looking for an introduction to or a refresher course in cosmology need look no further.

To on online store (e.g. Amazon) where it can be purchased or pre-ordered. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312385471