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Forces of Nature

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Forces of Nature

By: Professor Brian Cox, Andrew Cohen
Narrated by: Samuel West
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About this listen

 Sunday Times Bestseller

A breathtaking and beautiful exploration of our planet, this groundbreaking book accompanies the BBC One TV series, providing the deepest answers to the simplest questions.

How did life on Earth begin?
What is the nature of space and time?
What are the chances that we will discover life on other worlds?

Forces of Nature takes you from the mid-Atlantic ridge in Iceland, the volcanoes of Indonesia and the precipitous cliffs in Nepal, to the manatees off the coast of Florida and the northern lights of the Arctic, in search of the fundamental laws that govern our world.

These universal laws shape everything, from the structure of snowflakes to the elegant spirals of the galaxies. By seeking to understand the everyday world – the colours, structure, behaviour and history of our home – we can step beyond the everyday and approach the Universe beyond.

Think you know our planet?
Think again.

©2017 Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Astronomy Astronomy & Space Astronomy & Space Science Cosmology Science Science & Technology Mathematics Black Hole Solar System

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Critic reviews

Praise for Professor Brian Cox:

‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too.’ Guardian

‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things.’ Independent

‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book.’ The Times

‘Engaging, ambitious and creative.’ Guardian

‘In this book of the acclaimed BBC2 TV series, Professor Cox shows us the cosmos as we have never seen it before – a place full of the most bizarre and powerful natural phenomena.’ Sunday Express

‘Will entertain and delight … what a priceless gift that would be.’ Independent on Sunday
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Most relevant  
Most of the audible books don't always require your attention all the time, sure, you can miss a bit of the story, but usually you'll pick it up later.

This book isn't like that. It's not one to listen to while driving for example. It really does need your attention, and if you miss a bit it won't make sense and you'll need to rewind.

That warning aside it's a good book, the narrator does a good job and it nicely explains some of the physics and phenomenons around us. It's nice to understand fictional forces for example. There's little I could say bad about this in reality, just make sure you pick the right time to listen to get the most from it.

Concentration required

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Great book, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen graciously share their knowledge and experiences in the world of science to educate the masses on the universe's greatest mysteries in great bitesize and understandable content.

Great book - Cox & Cohen deliver great content

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Very easy to listen to very educational I now understand quarks and gluons and relativity
Just Brilliant and well read

Absolutely superb

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Tough going at times for my GCSE level (and very distant) physics but delivered so passionately and entertainingly it kept me engaged to the last.

superb!

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I'll not make this an overly long review as I'm no scientist and, therefor, not qualified to delve into this into too much detail. 

As I said, I am no scientist, but this book does not require you to be one. It simply requires that you have a curious mind as to how everything works and an urge to dive a tad deeper than simply being curious. The science in this book is accessible to anyone. There are, obviously, times when it does advance a tad, but for the most part it's kept at a level where anyone can pick it up and feel like they're along for the ride rather than simply nodding, smiling and waiting for the smart men with the big words to go away and leave you in peace.

The writing style is very witty and engaging, something that a lot of science books I've tried either attempt and don't do very well, fail at all together, or simply do not try. In the case of the latter, it's hardly their fault. Most scientists write for other scientists so assume all the big words and equations are understood (thankfully Cox and Cohen aren't solely of that school of thought).

I enjoyed this from start to finish and was thoroughly upset when it ended. I wanted there to be more, more, more. But, that's what these books are designed to do: give you a taste for the main course; a main course you need to track down and devour on your own, as opposed to being spoon fed here.

If you've the slightest curiosity about the world, solar system and universe around you, I'd highly recommend picking up this book (and others like it). Some of the things in here opened my eyes to different ways of seeing the world and I look forward to diving into more of their work to continue that journey.

Samuel West's narration is utterly brilliant. It makes the witty, far more so and adds to the enjoyability factor knowing he was the narrator who did the original show. If that man was reading me the instructions to a microwave oven I'd sit down, take note and expect to enjoy it.

Addictive from start to finish

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Brain Cox delights as a writer and not just in screen. Lovely sense of humour and explains the complicated stuff. The equations can be a bit much but Cox’s delight in them is an insight into the world of physics and it’s proponents for the less inducted of us.

Really excellent

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A wonderful book. Great for all ages with a curious nature as to how our world works.

Fantastic, a must listen for anyone

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A tour de force on the Forces of Nature! A really well written book, easily accessible to non-physicists! Samuel West is, as ever, fantastic narrator!
Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen need to write more!

Modern understanding of our universe

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everyone should listen to this... it's great! a celebration of the beautiful patterns and principles that lie in wait to be discovered by the curious. To understand the rainbow is not to unweave its beauty but to appreciate it more fully.

fantastic book

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Challenging at times, so maybe not for the 10min bus rides, but almost annoyingly witty and fun to follow.

inpirational, beautiful, interesting

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