a fascinating idea in a forgettable package. i was very excited to read this book. in fact, i was so excited that i read it in spite of getting very turned off by the types of things the author liked to say (reeks of privilege). Sadly, it didn't really pay off. the introduction is interesting but then it gets too esoteric to be very compelling

As a space enthusiast, I couldn't help but to enjoy this book!
The author really knows his field, and he has no problem explaining both with words and illustrations the wonders of the universe.
I would still recommend it to anyone, but maybe especially to people whom has also read other books on the matter.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead.

I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings.

Anything requested and approved will be read and a decent quality review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A wonderful look into how our universe came to be and what all that means for us today. This was easy to follow, especially if you've read in this field before. Interesting, none the less. Would recommend this to anyone looking to learn some basic ideas about the world around us and the development of the universe.

The book "An Infinity of Worlds" by Dr. Will Kinney (Professor in the Department of Physics at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York) uses quantum theory to explain the origin of the universe with an emphasis on the theory of inflation (expansion of the universe) in the first few seconds of the universe.

By choosing to read this book, I anticipated a review of traditional cosmology to brush up and learn a bit more about the field. I got much more than I anticipated. In addition to learning a few straight-forward tidbits about astrophysics, I was also exposed to a number of new quantum theories on the origins of the universe. I don't feel qualified to repeat anything about quantum physics, but regarding more traditional physics, I now finally understand why the phrase "light cone" is used. After reading about this many times before, I always thought the correct phrase should be "light sphere", but I now know that it is called a"light cone" because in a 3-d graph, one axis is time, and the other two represent space, hence the possible places that a photon could travel form a cone. (Rather than a snapshot I imagined a simple growing sphere of where a photon could be in 3-d space) The other thing I learned was that I too mistakenly thought that the Big Bang started out as an infinitely small point in space,

The author smoothly addressed several of my concerns within the text as I read it. For example, reading the first explanation of dark energy increasing as the universe expands, I paused to think about it for a moment, concluding that it seems very wrong. The very next sentence was: "If this seems to violate the conservation of energy, that's because it does." Later on in the book, I was wondering how the "cool" post inflation universe becomes the "hot" universe we expect at that point in history. There the author reassuringly wrote that "The details of this "reheating" process depend mostly on unknown physics." I say, "reassuringly" as much of the discussions of quantum mechanics are not clear to this reader, so each time I read that certain processes are not yet understood, it makes me feel better for not intuitively grasping either quantum mechanics or several chapters of this book. (Well, that and the oft heard quote: "If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics".)

I definitely encourage readers that like astrophysics, cosmology, quantum mechanics, and learning new things to consider this book. For those of us without a graduate degree in quantum mechanics, I would suggest starting with the glossary and pondering Wikipedia for any items that are not immediately clear. The "Further Reading" section also has some excellent suggestions of other related books.

I would like to thank Dr. Will Kinney and the MIT Press for graciously providing a temporary electronic review copy of this book.

An Infinity of Worlds is a dense and thorough, though not long, overview of inflation, the scientific theory that the "Big Bang" was caused by the sudden expansion of the nascent universe by immense scales. Kinney, a physicist who has been intimately involved in the study of inflationary theories (there is more than one version), further shows that inflation almost inevitably leads not to just one universe, but a whole multiverse filled with infinitely many universes like, and unlike, ours.

This not a book, perhaps, for the reader who is a novice to cosmology, though it is well and clearly written. It is admirably thorough, but does get technical in a number of places, and does contain the dreaded equations. I admit that my eyes glazed over at times. But that is not Kinney’s fault, or takes away the worth of the book. Its intended audience simply is not quite “general”; though an advanced degree might not be necessary to understand it, some prior familiarity with the concepts is definitely useful.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4640232611

This book focuses on cosmic inflation and other theories about the origin of the universe. The writing style is one of logical arguments rather than storytelling. For this reason, the book reads more like a textbook than like a book meant for a lay audience.

I did learn some things, but I'm going to have to read it again to get a full understanding of the concepts and arguments. Fortunately, the book is short, so rereading it won't be a chore. If you want to know more about the latest theories regarding the Big Bang and cosmic inflation, this book is worth a read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

An Infinity of Worlds is a book that I’m honestly not sure how to explain because I don’t think I had enough knowledge on the subject going into it to understand it. I believe that it is an exploration on how our world came into existence but I’m not exactly sure. I can tell that the author was trying to make the topic accessible to the lay person, it just didn’t work out that way for me. I had a very difficult time keeping focused on what I was reading and that was largely because I was confused about a lot of it. Because of this, I had a very hard time picking a rating. I’m going with 2-stars because it was very difficult for me to get through, but I want to be clear that the problem might lie with me in this case.

"God is infinite, so His universe must be too.... He is glorified not in one, but in countless suns; not in a single earth, a single world, but in a thousand thousand, I say in an infinity of worlds." Giordano Bruno

First book I read in detail about the early universe and its formation. I've always wondered what was before Big Bang but it looks like scientists are still wondering too. A lot has been discovered but way much more remains unanswered, and probably will remain so forever.

It was a fascinating and intriguing read, especially the theory about the multiverse. Up until chapter 6 it was quite easy to read, but afterwards it almost lost me: I'm no physicist and all those equations accompanying explanations of various principles where over my head.

The writing is smooth but overall it sounds like a course in higher physics. You have to have more than basic knowledge to grasp everything in this book. I still recommend it you are interested in the subject.

A thorough astrophysics primer, going from the simple to the incredible complex over the course of the book. The diagrams are very, very beneficial in explaining the concepts, detailing the discussed concepts in easier to comprehend ways.

A great astrophysics book with clear diagrams and illustrations that goes over the basics well. Suitable as a reference for a high school / college assignment.