This book attempts to take the complex questions about the universe that are theorized by the world's most advanced minds and distill them down into layman's terms. For the most part, Stuart Clark succeeds in this, breaking down such complex ideas as black holes and the age of stars into terms that can be understood by an everyday person. However, there are parts of the work that are not as easily understood, and the usage of technical scientific terminology can appear daunting, and thus not as enjoyable, to the average reader. Other than that, this book was highly informative, and a truly interesting read. For anyone who wants to know more about the universe without a PhD in physics, this book is for you. ( )