Why Does the World Exist?Why Does the World Exist?
Score Modern
What it's about
Why is there a world rather than nothing at all? Jim Holt takes on the most enduring of metaphysical mysteries, looking beyond the claim that science alone can explain how the cosmos came to be.
Why it's worth reading
It was an NBCC Award finalist. It's a lively exploration of the biggest question there is.
You'll love it if you liked
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
A Brief History of Time
The Myth of SisyphusGood to know
It's philosophy written for general readers.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1329 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2515 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
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Is Why Does the World Exist? worth reading?
Yes. It was an NBCC Award finalist. It ranks #2,515 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 60.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Why Does the World Exist? about?
Why is there a world rather than nothing at all? Jim Holt takes on the most enduring of metaphysical mysteries, looking beyond the claim that science alone can explain how the cosmos came to be.
How long does it take to read Why Does the World Exist??
About 7 hours (279 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Why Does the World Exist??
If you liked it, try Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking or The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus.