Forces of Nature: The Sunday Times bestselling science book exploring life on Earth

Having watched the TV series of the same name some time ago, it has been an absolute delight to read this book. It is a perfect companion to the series - it covers the same ground, the same themes, but in a very different way - so like any good companion, it can stand on its own two feet, but it works very well with the Other. In other words, you can read the book, or watch the TV series, or do both - each one works perfectly well. Beyond that, for someone who loved science and physics at school, but did not study them beyond that point, reading books like this is always a challenging pleasure - your mind is stretched as you try and grasp fully the mysteries which are unlocked by the study of the natural world, and also illuminated by how much we know, and how much we don't know. Cox is very strong on the contingent nature of the study of science - which is its greatest attraction and delight. Our understanding of our own world and the Universe has been transformed again and again over the past 500 years - and it seems, going by this book, that we are only getting started. What a daunting yet wonderful insight. Probably the best indication of this book's achievement is that it tells us why the sky is blue is during the day, and why it turns red in the evening, all rooted in proper scientific understanding - which only adds to the poetic beauty of those moments when we have the opportunity to bear witness to them properly. As such, Brian Cox takes us back to the more integrated understanding of how science and other disciplines can and should inform each other. There is plenty of food for thought in this.

This book tells an incredible story, covering not only humanity's developing knowledge but applying it to explain deep and meaningfully the answers to some seemingly simple questions. Why are snowflakes the way they are? Why are rainbows red to blue? As per usual Brian Cox has covered it all tremendously and written a book that will leave you fascinated by the world around us and connected deeply to it all.

Like most books of this nature it covers well trodden ground but in it's favour does so in a easy to understand manner (if that's possible given some of the subject matter).

A fantastic addition to my Brian Cox collection. After watching the series I couldn't wait to get this for Christmas sadly I had to buy it myself but I'm happy I did. I love his explanations of things and I know I can pass these to my grandson when he gets older as they will be perfect for everything physics and nature related. I have enjoyed all his publications so far and I'm impressed that he doesn't dumb down the science and speaks to you as an equal. The photography within the book is outstanding too

I highly recommend this book for anyone with even a passing interest in science and the world around you. I enjoyed it from start to finish. The author explains everyday occurrences in a scientific but accessible manner. It's not a 'light-read' if you've never studied physics (which I haven't) but Cox manages to explain things very-well in laymen's terms.

Anyone with even a mild interest in nature or physics should read this book. Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen break down some complex science into easy to absorb English, with all of the beautiful writing that makes the TV shows equally as appealing to watch. The book covers a wide range of topics with enough detail on each to make the reader start to ask their own questions and delve deeper. Definitely worth a read!

This is a fantastic book, I've no problems with the content. I just wanted to point out to those thinking of buying the Kindle version that it's based on the paperback version, which is nowhere near as good as the hardback version. The hardback version contains loads of colour photographs, where as the paperback (and therefore Kindle) version only contains a few black-and-white diagrams. I don't see why the Kindle version isn't based on the hardback version, since all other Kindle books in the 'Wonders' series are based on the hardback version, and so come with all the colour photographs. Quite disappointing, since there's no reason for this whatsoever.

An extremely interesting read. Unless your very knowledgeable about Chemistry, Maths and Physics, there will be a few sections of this book that are a tad hard to comprehend. But in between these sections there’s some really golden information and thought provoking topics that will really keep you wanting to read on. I read this book within a week, and it has left me extremely interested in astronomy and nature. 10/10 for value for money

Great book

What makes this magnificent book stand out is the creative way in which professor Brian Cox makes us see through the eyes of scientific understanding at the breathtaking complexity of the world around us, only to reveal that it is all a shadow of something unimaginably beautiful: the laws of nature. He makes us see for ourselves and realize that the natural world can be understood, that it can all be explained on basis of very basic principles. Definitely a must read!

Me flipa Brian Cox. Hace fácil lo difícil, como todos los cracks en su campo.

I found this book to be the most accessible, poetically written survey of modern physics, astronomy, biology, etc. I think if I had read the book as a young man I might have stuck with the arduous journey to become a scientist. Books like "The Greatest Story Ever Told (Almost)" certainly go into their topics in more depth..but this book is not meant to be the substitute for a text on physics for non mathematicians. It is instead, a masterpiece meant to inspire deep awe and curiosity about the natural world. If the book does not inspire you and put new lenses on your world view, you probably need to go to bed and rest for a few days.

Brian defines the obscure and difficult in ways that other science communicators can only hope to achieve. His mastery of making the difficult easier to understand puts him into the league of Carl Sagan and David Attenborough.