In Calculating the Cosmos, Ian Stewart presents an exhilarating guide to the cosmos, from our solar system to the entire universe. He describes the architecture of space and time, dark matter and dark energy, how galaxies form, why stars implode, how everything began, and how it?s all going to end. He considers parallel universes, the fine-tuning of the cosmos for life, what forms extraterrestrial life might take, and the likelihood of life on Earth...

"Our fascination with numbers begins when we are children, and continues, for most of us, throughout our lives. We start counting our fingers and toes, and end up balancing check books and calculating risk. So powerful is the appeal of numbers that many people ascribe to them a mystical significance. And there are some numbers whose importance even transcends the supernatural--these numbers work to explain our universe and how it behaves. In Cosmic...