Book Review: The Greatest Story Ever Told—So Far by Lawrence M. Krauss

The Greatest Story Ever Told--So Far by L KraussFollowing up on his previous book, A Universe from Nothing, Dr. Krauss walks us through why (meaning “how”) we attained our current level of understanding of the natural world and the cosmos.

Beginning with the properties and laws governing light and motion, Krauss then takes several chapters to delve into an overview of theoretical physics, covering electromagnetism, particle physics, quantum mechanics, and the purpose, development, and construction of such devices as the Large Hadron Collider and LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory).

Through it all, Krauss shows diligence in crediting many of his Nobel-prize winning predecessors and mentors who advanced our collective knowledge of the universe, sometimes offering entertaining anecdotes into their personalities and, in a few cases, his own personal encounters with them as a student or colleague. Despite the book’s bold title, Krauss is not as openly scornful of theology this time around and in fact, opens each chapter with a quote from the Bible apropos of the topic.