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A Series of Fortunate Events
- Author
- Sean B. Carroll
- Narrator
- Sean B. Carroll
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press
- Publish Date
- 6 October 2020
- Run Time
- 4 hours 48 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
"Fascinating and exhilarating—Sean B. Carroll at his very best."—Bill Bryson, author of
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
In this audiobook, acclaimed writer and biologist Sean B. Carroll narrates the rollicking, awe-inspiring story of the surprising power of chance in our lives and the world
Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance.
A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world.
Like every other species, we humans are here by accident. But it is shocking just how many things—any of which might never have occurred—had to happen in certain ways for any of us to exist. From an extremely improbable asteroid impact, to the wild gyrations of the Ice Age, to invisible accidents in our parents' gonads, we are all here through an astonishing series of fortunate events. And chance continues to reign every day over the razor-thin line between our life and death.
This is a relatively small book about a really big idea. It is also a spirited tale. Drawing inspiration from Monty Python, Kurt Vonnegut, and other great thinkers, and crafted by one of today's most accomplished science storytellers,
A Series of Fortunate Events is an irresistibly entertaining and thought-provoking account of one of the most important but least appreciated facts of life.
Critics Review
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A New Scientist "Don't Miss" Book
New Scientist
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"Longlisted for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, PEN America"
PEN America
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"One of Waterstones' Books of the Year 2020: Popular Science"
Waterstones
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"Longlisted for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Young Adults"
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Young Adults
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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"Carroll's work renders hefty topics accessible, exploring the perfect storm of events responsible for evolution, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs and every living person's conception."—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine
Smithsonian Magazine
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"A short, sweet, and scientifically solid view of life."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Kirkus Reviews
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"In Carroll, three traits that are rare in themselves conjoin in an even rarer alignment: a command of multiple scientific fields, an unrivaled ability to clearly explain complex scientific concepts, and a deep instinct for storytelling. It is only fitting that such an unlikely combination produced A Series of Fortunate Events, since this discipline-spanning, highly engaging volume is all about the unlikely combinations that gave rise to all life, to the human species, and to each of us as unique individuals."—Barbara N. Horowitz, Quarterly Review of Biology
Quarterly Review of Biology
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"I couldn't put it down. If you're at all interested in science, you'll keep turning these pages."—Flora Taylor, American Scientist
American Scientist
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"The Yucatan asteroid is an epic example of the sheer randomness which, as Sean B. Carroll argues in this short but thought-provoking book, rules both the universe and our own lives."—Nick Rennison, Daily Mail
Daily Mail
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"Carroll takes readers on an entertaining tour of biological discovery that emphasizes the dominant role played by chance in shaping the conditions for life on Earth. Along the way, he provides insights and humor that make the book a quick, lively read that both educates and entertains. . . . Books such as this remind us to make our unlikely time here count."—Ivor Knight
Science
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"The role of happenstance in determining the fate of the world may seem a matter for philosophy more than science, but Carroll, a biologist, shows how central the idea is to everyday existence."—New York Times Book Review
New York Times Book Review
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"With conversational wit, Carroll encourages us to embrace the randomness of the world."—Scott Hershberger, Scientific American
Scientific American
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Sean B. Carroll
- Narrator
- Sean B. Carroll
- Duration
- 4 hours 48 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 October 2020
- ISBN
- 9780691212098
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press
- Genre
- Evolution / Evolutionary biology, Human biology
Synopsis
"Fascinating and exhilarating—Sean B. Carroll at his very best."—Bill Bryson, author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants In this audiobook, acclaimed writer and biologist Sean B. Carroll narrates the rollicking, awe-inspiring story of the surprising power of chance in our lives and the world Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven by chance. A Series of Fortunate Events tells the story of the awesome power of chance and how it is the surprising source of all the beauty and diversity in the living world. Like every other species, we humans are here by accident. But it is shocking just how many things—any of which might never have occurred—had to happen in certain ways for any of us to exist. From an extremely improbable asteroid impact, to the wild gyrations of the Ice Age, to invisible accidents in our parents' gonads, we are all here through an astonishing series of fortunate events. And chance continues to reign every day over the razor-thin line between our life and death. This is a relatively small book about a really big idea. It is also a spirited tale. Drawing inspiration from Monty Python, Kurt Vonnegut, and other great thinkers, and crafted by one of today's most accomplished science storytellers, A Series of Fortunate Events is an irresistibly entertaining and thought-provoking account of one of the most important but least appreciated facts of life.
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