This was another interesting read about science. The tone and area covered was done and explored well and Chown had some interesting points in this. I liked how the argument progressed through this and it was generally well formed and interesting. There were a couple of areas that felt dry and could have been a bit more interesting.

The first strong point of this book is its scope. This is a risky and bold step as no scientist can claim to have a thorough and deep understanding of all streams of science. Besides, communicating about any subject in science requires complete understanding of the subject so as not to misguide the readers or audience. But Chown has attempted just that, and I can say that he is fairly successful. I can testify to that, because in spite of being a physicist, I was able to understand nearly all the content on life sciences. So, I do not see any reason why any layperson would not understand or appreciate all the content of this book.

The second strong point of this book is its plan. Chown has organized his book very logically — life sciences, geology, physics and cosmology, and so on. There is no jumping back and forth; the content is organized in such a way that the flow is natural, and in case need arises, Chown is able to refer to content presented earlier in the book.

Third, the language is easy, simple and very interesting. There are sentences scattered throughout the book, and especially in the last paragraph of every chapter, which would make you feel surprised, happy or contemplative. Such sentences, whenever given, are an added bonus, real gems, and demonstrate Chown’s genuine love for science communication. Consider the following example:

“However, there is a twist to the story. It turns out that up to 2 percent of the DNA of people living outside of Africa is Neanderthal. So, Neanderthals did not become entirely extinct: they interbred with humans. At this moment, they are walking among us.”

The fourth and strongest point of the book is its editing and formatting. Chown has a perfect idea of length and knows when to stop talking. He ends the chapter before you get tired of heavy dose of information, or lose concentration, or simply get bored. He knows how long can he expect to hold a reader’s attention and certainly remains within his limits. But that does not make him sacrifice rigour or depth. He does present all the aspects of a subject, but only that much as you would require to acquaint yourself with the subject, instead of flooding your mind with concepts and theories. Every chapter starts with a one-liner which is aimed at arousing your curiosity and immediately sit upright in your chair. Some examples:

“Babies are powered by rocket fuels.“
Or
“You are born 100 percent human but die 50 percent alien.”

This is followed by a celebrity quotation, not necessarily from a scientist, which is somewhat related to the subject to be discussed in that chapter. For example, he starts the discussion of why time moves forward with the following quotation:

“Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold.” — John Milton.

This is merely meant to bring a smile on your face so that you may start the chapter on a positive note. I could not understand some of these quotations, and simply ignored them, instead of scratching my head over them. Then he starts his discussion by picking up from the one-liner at the beginning of the chapter, explaining what he meant by that, presents basic background, and takes you to heights of scientific knowledge on that subject. The book is very fresh — it discusses and presents latest results, data and discoveries wherever applicable, so you can be sure that you are not merely re-reading the old school textbook stuff which mentioned “… was discovered in the year 1895 …”. Recent results from Lunar Reconnaissance Observer imaging of Lunokhod 1 landing site (2010), and study by National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA) on effect of gravity on time (2010) are presented and discussed. You would also find mention of LHC work on Higgs particle (2012), as also the Human Microbiome Project (2012), and the observation of cosmic rays and high-energy particles by Voyager 1 (2012).

One thing which is often ignored by popular science writers is references and citations. However, Chown has given ample footnotes and references wherever required. The ebook is carefully linked and there are no issues while moving between citation and reference. Finally, there are absolutely no typographical errors.

The only serious limitation and drawback of this book is a complete lack of figures and images. Page after page of text does strain the reader and unless you have patience, are fascinated by the science that is being discussed, are able to appreciate the beauty and charm of the written word, you may find the book tiring. Presenting a cartoon could have lightened the mood. There are several occasions such as interference, and Davisson-Germer experiment, when the need of images is really felt. If nothing else, the photographs of scientists whose work is being discussed could have given a personal touch to the text, and the reader could have felt a human connection with the book.

Recommendation to the reader — treat this book as your daily required dose of science. Make use of its careful formatting as mentioned earlier, and read one chapter each day, swallow and digest it first before moving ahead. Do not try to take in too much at once thereby cramming your mind with loads of unrelated information, though on several occasions you might be tempted to do precisely that. As the content is meant only to arouse your curiosity and instil love for science in you, and also to acquaint you with the thrilling world of science, you cannot expect it to be complete. Once Chown has introduced you to a particular concept and given you a good start, make every effort to expand your newly acquired knowledge. Read additional books on that subject, discuss with people working in that field or school or college students, tell your friends and family about what you have learnt, and surf the web, especially Wikipedia, for additional information. This book will certainly serve as a springboard for diving into the depths of scientific discoveries. Highly recommended!

Well written and engaging, I adored Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand. As an engineer, I think this book gives a wonderful pack of interesting things that really helps to bridge that gap of those who are interested by science and those who were forced to learn about it.

Honestly, I want to buy a few copies and give them out to people I know. From the first page, Chown keeps the audience wanting more and feeling like we are watching a bit of a comedy sketch in the best possible way.

This is a nice chilled-out read of minute info on how unique and extraordinary human beings and the universe and each particle is. Warm, easy-to-understand with short, concise passages. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed reading Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand by Marcus Chown because it provides interesting scientific facts with explanations in smaller, easy to digest sections. I did not feel overwhelmed, or get the sense of information overload.
The book is broken into seven parts, each containing small, well explained scientific facts. Different parts include topics relating to biology, earth science, astronomy and much more.
As a science teacher, I am always looking for ways to get students hooked and sometimes having a discussion starting with “did you know…” is a nice way to start. I could see myself using relevant facts to introduce new ideas.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive this ARC in exchange of an honest review!

INFINITY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND: FIFTY WONDERS THAT REVEAL AN EXTRAORDINARY UNIVERSE BY MARCUS CHOWN

“Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand is a mind-bending journey through some of the most weird and wonderful facts about our universe, vividly illuminating the hidden truths that govern our everyday lives.”

Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand is a collection of short essays, with each section focusing on different topics, and scientific ideas. I have read, or learned about some of these topics and others were new to me, which was fun. I enjoyed Chown writing style and thought he presented the topics in a way that is very clear and with enough details to be interesting. I personally found some aspects of the authors choice to be confusing because it felt like it was torn between being a humor book with science or a science book with alot of one liners. I prefer a more straightforward science book to really sink my teeth into but I do think that this approach makes it more accessible to a wider audience.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and I give it 3.5 Stars!

Sometimes books containing a collection of facts can end up a bit monotonous, reading just like a long list. Marcus Chown has not fallen into that trap with this engaging journey through some of science’s most immediately interesting topics.
He has written an absolutely fascinating collection of short articles on a vast range of scientific topics ranging from DNA through the extinction of the dinosaurs to how the Big Bang affects us now.
Marcus Chown groups his essays into topics, which works really well and helps with the flow of reading numerous short pieces. And he very nicely puts in context each topic.
I loved his clear, positive, affable tone and truly found the whole book an invigorating and stimulating read. Probably in my top ten favourite science books in 50 years of reading them.
Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this excellent book in return for an honest review.

Interesting and amazing facts about the Universe! There is more than just planet Earth and the surrounding planets. An amazing book!

I don’t read a lot of non-fiction books – not because I don’t see the value in them but because I enjoy escaping into fictional worlds most of the time and I’ve always found non-fiction books to be a little harder to get into and sustain longer periods of reading. Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand was a great book that actually worked for me and my preferred reading style.

Set up as a series of 50 facts ranging from humans, to our world and beyond into space, Chown has woven together stories in easily accessible language that helps the layperson (me!) to understand a lot of really interesting concepts in only a few short pages. Given that each chapter is a new a fact, it’s easy to put down and pick up again, with enough of a connection between topics to sustain longer periods of reading without feeling like the content is getting dry.

Chown injects humour in each topic, often finding a relatable anecdote or quote from popular culture to introduce or explain a concept.

I have to admit to being more deeply invested in the topics related to space – it’s just something I’ve always been interested in – but the book as a whole was a real pleasure to read. It was different (for me) and a very satisfying experience.

I may have even learned a thing or two!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I'm kind of confused about this book. Is it a science book with humorous insights into the world around us, or is it a humor book with a scientific bent? I think the author had a good idea, but the execution wasn't quite there, and that was disappointing.

The book is quite readable, hence the rounded-up 3-star rating, with very short chapters of a single concept. Another reviewer said that it would be a good bathroom reader; that is a perfect description.

“Nothing is too wonderful to be true”. - Michael Faraday
In Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand, Marcus Chown tackles those little jaws dropping scientific facts that make you scratch your head and wonder how he had the time to do the research, study, find and write them all down, but completely grateful that he did. It amazed me how he took not only the time to find these facts but to also write them down and share them in his new book. I thought it was funny how he points out that he wanted to share the Top Ten Bonkers things about the world, which as a title of a book sounds like I would pick it up and read it because of the title alone. Some of the things I found positive about this book in particular beyond the facts, research and studying into the science but the fact he was strong enough as a scientist to point out the shortcomings of previous theories of scientist point out the faults of those theories but show how now we know more about evolutionary, extraterrestrial and human studies that we knew previously; he did not see it as necessary to make these scientist sound like failures. I can not believe how easy these fifty wonders of the universe was to read and even those who normally do not enjoy science books could find this book enjoyable. I am glad I took the time to pick it up this little jewel and I will be definitely will be recommending it to fellow students of science whether professionally or personally. If you are looking for a good scratch your head book this is for you and he will make the learning enjoyable and give you a laugh or two.

A fascinating read! I learned a great deal while reading this book. The author made even the most complicated of topic easy to understand and relatable.

Quite an interesting book.

I loved the way author wrote the book - in a style which is easy for a layman like me to understand, which is a difficult feat. I especially loved the chapter where author talked about how gravitational force doesn't exist (I had no clue about this one) and the one on dodoppelgänger.

The book will not turn boring at any point. I am looking forward to see if any other books by the author are for laymen and read them too.

I received a free copy for the book from Netgalley.

A clever book filled with snippets to fascinate, intrigue and excite the reader, Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand by Marcus Chown is a delight to dip into whenever you have a moment to spare. Concise chapters, written in such a way as to make them understandable by those with even the most basic scientific knowledge, on such diverse topics as particle physics , cell biology , time travel and astronomy, make for interesting and entertaining reading. While I found some chapters more fun than others, I felt like each taught me something, Educational and entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed this copy I received from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Although I’ve had the best of intentions I haven’t studied science as an adult. I had an amazing science teacher in my first year of high school who inspired me and made me want to pursue a scientific career. This dream then disintegrated over the next three years as all my subsequent science teacher managed to inspire was the desire to sleep through their classes. While I still intend to one day be able to have an informed and intelligent conversation about string theory, I currently sit firmly in science nerd wannabe territory.

My wannabe status is probably what drew me to this book and its conversational tone and lack of complex mathematics equations makes it accessible to readers without prior knowledge of the scientific discoveries and theories it explains.

There’s a smorgasbord to enjoy within each of the seven parts:
* Biological Things
* Human Things
* Terrestrial Things
* Solar System Things
* Fundamental Things
* Extraterrestrial Things, and
* Cosmic Things.

Given the bite size chunks of information each contain, they provide a taste of some of the marvels the universe has to offer. (Why, yes, it is almost dinner time. Why do you ask?! 😜)

While I learned enough about some topics to satisfy me I was able to narrow down some areas of interest to explore further. Each of the fifty chapters begins with a single sentence statement that may or may not give you a clue about what’s to come, followed by a quote and then several pages of explanation.

A lot of the initial statements are pretty incredible without any further explanation, for example, “Today your body will build about 300 billion cells”. Beginning the explanation the author makes a comparison to put this into perspective, noting that’s “more cells than there are stars in our Milky Way galaxy.” For those of us without scientific degrees, a cell is explained as “a tiny transparent bag of gloop.” Then you learn some amazing facts about your cells that should make you appear smarter than you actually are when you find a way to casually pass this information along to some unsuspecting bystander.

My favourite opening statements of the book were:
* “You are born 100 percent human but die 50 percent alien”
* “In the future, time might run backwards”
* “The universe may have at least ten dimensions”, and
* “Time travel is not ruled out by the laws of physics”.

My main problem with this book was its repetitiveness. I don’t mind when an author reminds a reader that a topic was previously explored in whatever chapter number so you can review that if need be but in this book some pieces of information were repeated almost verbatim. For example, in chapter 25, when talking about quantum theory, the author notes, “It is fantastically successful. It has given us lasers and computers and nuclear reactors. It explains why the sun shines and why the ground beneath our feet is solid”

This is repeated in chapter 43, where the only difference is “our” becoming “your”. If you are only reading single chapters over a significant length of time or if you’re quoting a specific chapter to said bystander, this would not be a problem. However, if you’re reading from cover to cover, the multiple instances of repetition become tedious.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand is the ultimate guide to fascinating science facts you can pull out at parties to wow a crowd. Chown’s account is filled with wonder and reverence of the natural world, both at home and among the stars. It’s a book that’s extremely entertaining, filled with strange facts you never knew you wanted to know.

I was most impressed at the breadth of topics Chown covers in the volume. The Big Bang? Check. The amazing state of atoms and their origins? Check. The many strange occurrences found in the natural world? Check. You’ll laugh at the absurdities of evolution and feel small when you imagine how tiny you are in the greater scheme of the universe. The facts are organized in gradually increasing degrees of magnitude. We start with Earth and the things that make us human, learning more about our place in the universe and the small things that make up our bodies. The conversation expands to the universe at large, building the case for the absurdity and the sheer size of this enormous expanse we live in.

Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand is a hilarious book you need to read to believe. The facts seem larger than life, more of the taffy wrapper variety than actual science books. In reality, it’s all true and mindblowing at that.

I quite enjoyed this fun, enlightening and thought provoking gem from science writer, Marcus Chown.
Within these pages are fifty incredibly amazing features of our universe, both near and far, very far away.
The book is written in laymen's terms so whether Chown is talking about the ingredients required to make a time machine, the moons of Jupiter or dark matter, it all seems plausible and easy to understand.
Interesting nuggets run the gamut and offer conversation starters at your next cocktail party or trivia night.
I highly recommend this to anyone curious about our universe. It's a great stepping stone to the next level.
Thank you NetGalley, Diversion Books and the author for the opportunity to read and advanced copy of Infinity in the Palm of your Hand. Available in April, 2019.

This was a fun and interesting read. It kept me enthralled the whole ride. I will definitely recommend this book.

Infinity In the Palm of Your Hand is a real pleasure to read. It presents interesting and unbelievable facts about humans, Earth and universe in small bits and pieces. This is a wonderful book about science curiosities and facts. It is great book to update yourself about where we stand in the universe. This book is fascinating, thought provoking and fun. A wonderful book. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand by Marcus Chown is an incredibly delightful collection of short "stories" about the science in and around us. In 50 short chapters the author explores "wonders" about humanity, the Earth, the solar system, and the universe as a whole.
Each topic is investigated just deep enough to be understandable but also to make you want to know more about it.
It's a highly enjoyable read and even though the format is perfect for when you only have a few minutes to read, I was unable to put it down.