text: If you like physics, this is just an interesting book. It mostly discusses, at length, two ideas: emergence and reductionism. Doesn't sound like much, and it isn't, but at least it gives you a different point of view on the world. Unfortunately, from this point of view to the horizon is not that far. Mr. McLaughlin almost calls the present theories (like string theory) science fiction, easy on science (because of the scales and energies involved, he seems to think they are not provable; I don't have the knowledge to discuss if he is right or not), but he doesn't offer much of an alternative. He even comes close to saying that deeper levels of understanding are not possible, or not practical. 
  Well, even if he is right, which I hope he isn't, between can't and science fiction, I prefer science fiction. Tomorrow I'll read a bit of string theory, and shake off the depressive mood left by this book
  