Books like Beginner's Guide to Reality by J. E. Baggott

Stephen Hawking explains the fundamental physics of the universe—space, time, cosmology, black holes, and the Big Bang—in clear, accessible language.

Explains the vision of the universe behind string theory, including new dimensions, black holes, and mysterious phenomena in the cosmos.

A thrilling exploration of the cosmos, brilliantly explained by a popular science master.

Stephen Hawking explores the cutting edge of theoretical physics in layman’s terms, guiding readers through the mysteries that shape our universe.

Brian Greene unpacks the idea that our universe might be one of many, exploring the scientific theories and philosophical implications of the multiverse.

Carlo Rovelli explores the nature of reality, space, and time in this accessible popular science work on quantum gravity.

An accessible guide to world history, covering ancient civilizations to modern events in a clear, engaging style.

Rene Descartes (1596--1650) is one of the towering and central figures in Western philosophy and mathematics. His apothegm "Cogito, ergo sum" marked the birth of the mind-body problem, while his creation of so-called Cartesian coordinates has made our intellectual conquest of physical space possible.But Descartes had a mysterious and mystical side, as well. Almost certainly a member of the occult brotherhood of the Rosicrucians, he kept a secret notebook, now lost, most of which was written in code. After Descartes's death, Gottfried Leibniz, inventor of calculus and one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, moved to Paris in search of this notebook--and eventually found it in the possession of Claude Clerselier, a friend of Descartes's. Liebniz called on Clerselier and was allowed to copy only a couple of pages--which, though written in code, he amazingly deciphered there on the spot. Liebniz's hastily scribbled notes are all we have today of Descartes's notebook.Why did Descartes keep a secret notebook, and what were its contents? The answers to these questions will lead the reader on an exciting, swashbuckling journey, and offer a fascinating look at one of the great figures of Western culture.From the Hardcover edition.

Explore ancient civilizations and the scientists who shaped modern science—from Pythagoras to Al Khwarizmi—in this engaging nonfiction guide for students.

Holding On to Reality is a brilliant history of information, from its inception in the natural world to its role in the transformation of culture to the current Internet mania and is attendant assets and liabilities. Drawing on the history of ideas, the details of information technology, and the boundaries of the human condition, Borgmann illuminates the relationship between things and signs, between reality and information.

John D. Barrow explores the concept of nothing from ancient mathematics and philosophy through modern cosmology, showing how zero, the void, and the quantum vacuum shape our understanding of the universe.