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The End of Everything

(Astrophysically Speaking)

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The End of Everything

By: Katie Mack
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Katie Mack
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A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2020
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY * THE WASHINGTON POST * THE ECONOMIST * NEW SCIENTIST * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY * THE GUARDIAN

From one of the most dynamic rising stars in astrophysics, an “engrossing, elegant” (The New York Times) look at five ways the universe could end, and the mind-blowing lessons each scenario reveals about the most important concepts in cosmology.

We know the universe had a beginning. With the Big Bang, it expanded from a state of unimaginable density to an all-encompassing cosmic fireball to a simmering fluid of matter and energy, laying down the seeds for everything from black holes to one rocky planet orbiting a star near the edge of a spiral galaxy that happened to develop life as we know it. But what happens to the universe at the end of the story? And what does it mean for us now?

Dr. Katie Mack has been contemplating these questions since she was a young student, when her astronomy professor informed her the universe could end at any moment, in an instant. This revelation set her on the path toward theoretical astrophysics. Now, with lively wit and humor, she takes us on a mind-bending tour through five of the cosmos’s possible finales: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, the Big Rip, Vacuum Decay (the one that could happen at any moment!), and the Bounce. Guiding us through cutting-edge science and major concepts in quantum mechanics, cosmology, string theory, and much more, The End of Everything is a wildly fun, surprisingly upbeat ride to the farthest reaches of all that we know.

©2020 Dr. Katie Mack. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. Astronomy Astronomy & Space Science Cosmology Physics Science

Interview: Mind-Blowing Lessons About 'The End of Everything'

The End of Everything
'...we also have this amazing power to understand so much.'
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  • The End of Everything
  • '...we also have this amazing power to understand so much.'

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Editor's Pick

Contemplating our doom (the far-off distant kind) is weirdly refreshing
I love to get my mind boggled by big science, but I really struggle to make my way through dense nonfiction (Bill Nye the Science Guy is more my speed). But I've been following Katie Mack on Twitter (@AstroKatie) ever since we started hearing about Betelgeuse dimming and potentially going supernova (the coolness of which I appreciate even more after listening to this book). Starting with the Big Bang for background, she proceeds to take us through the five scientifically most likely ways the world will one day meet its end—and make no mistake about it, it will end. Charming and humorous, and peppered with enough pop culture and sci-fi references to keep listeners like me grounded in our reality, Mack approaches the inevitability of our doom with the kind of levity I just really, really needed right now. —Emily C., Audible Editor

Accessible Complex Science • Engaging Explanations • Excellent Author Narration • Humorous Writing • Vivid Analogies
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I really enjoyed the content of this book and the writing was spot on, however i think a different narrator would have made it an easier listen… or an incredibly ingenious marketing ploy… although I could not listen to the audiobook I did go out and get the paperback copy.! Well worth the read.

Loved the content

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it’s one of the few if not the only non-fiction book that made me sad to realize it was over. I was attracted to the title by the subject matter: thinking about the beginning and the end of the universe has always been an interesting idea for me. But Katie Mack goes deeper - she spends the end of the book reflecting on why this study matters at all, and ends with a beautiful philosophical reflection.

Unexpectedly profound

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With the world of physics changing so quickly, it’s hard to find future proof books on the (incredibly broad) topic. This one probably isn’t either but it absolutely does brings you up to speed to the 2020 state of the art, and teases what to look out for in the coming months and years.

But unlike many science books, The End of Everything will make you feel things - not all of them pleasant. But power through it and you’ll come out a richer person on the other end.

Sad, depressing, hopeful, amazing.

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I'm not going to write a whole review but I'll just say if the cosmos and existential crisis appeal to you, you'll love this. I listen to it when going to bed. Nothing quite like being put to bed by the heat death of the universe ❤

Brilliantly entertaining!

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Awesome book! And you don't really need to understand physics to enjoy it, that's helpful.

Wow. Just wow.

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Katie Mack is clearly very enthusiastic about the subject and does a good job explaining complicated concepts to a diverse audience. I probably read an astrophysics book once every couple of years. At certain points, I had a hard time keeping up (although it helps to slow down the audiobook speed). But if you take the book at face value and don’t get stuck in the details (you may not understand anyway), Katie provides an interesting and often entertaining description of how everything may come to an end. This may seem like an astrophysics side show but in fact understanding the end, or at least thinking about it, provides great insight as to: 1) how it began; 2) what happened between then and now; 3) and what are we and what is all this. The part about possible additional dimensions and the two brains kind of blew me away (in a good way).

Fascinating!

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Katie's sense of humor demonstrates that cosmetologist can be pretty funny! A complex idea told in a very understandable manner.

who says that cosmologists are boring? boring

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I love this book (I love astrophysics) and have finished it several times. I am a huge fan of Katie Mack. It would be a 10/10 if Katie narrated it herself. She has an excellent speaking voice during discussions and I wish she had narrated this to give it the final touch it needed.

Very good

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I can't adequately describe in words how important this book is to me. I loved it! it's got a Carl Sagan flavor with cutting edge knowledge. I bought the hardbound vers to read and I'm now binge reading it a second time.

This book changed my life

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I understand Katie Mack is not a professional narrator and she likely has other, more scientific things competing for her time, but I really enjoyed her narration and wish it continued past the first chapter.

That being said, Gabra Zackman did an excellent job, and the book is very good.
I’m going to listen to it again, both because I enjoyed it and because I’m a bit out of my depth astrophysically speaking.

Wish the Author had Narrated the Entire Book

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