The Universe in Verse - by Maria Popova (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Poetry and science, as Popova writes in her introduction, "are instruments for knowing the world more intimately and loving it more deeply." In 15 short essays on subjects ranging from the mystery of dark matter and the infinity of pi to the resilience of trees and the intelligence of octopuses, Popova tells the stories of scientific searching and discovery. Each essay is paired with a poem reflecting its subject by poets ranging from Emily Dickinson, W. H. Auden, and Edna St. Vincent Millay to Maya Angelou, Diane Ackerman, and Tracy K. Smith"--

Book Synopsis

In this book of illustrated essays, Maria Popova, creator of The Marginalian, presents a celebration of the human search for truth and beauty through the lenses of science and poetry.

Poetry and science, as Popova writes in her introduction, "are instruments for knowing the world more intimately and loving it more deeply." In 15 short essays on subjects ranging from the mystery of dark matter and the infinity of pi to the resilience of trees and the intelligence of octopuses, Popova tells the stories of scientific searching and discovery. These stories are interwoven with details from the very real and human lives of scientists--many of them women, many underrecognized--and poets inspired by the same questions and the beauty they reveal. Each essay is paired with a poem reflecting its subject by poets ranging from Emily Dickinson, W. H. Auden, and Edna St. Vincent Millay to Maya Angelou, Diane Ackerman, and Tracy K. Smith, and is stunningly illustrated by celebrated artist Ofra Amit. Together, they wake us to a "reality aglow with wonder."

Review Quotes

Luminous ... The essays and poetry reflect and refract one another to create a dialogue--sometimes wildly abstract, sometimes quietly witty--that will shed new light on 'the beauty in reality laid bare.'"--Shelf Awareness, starred review

Like the phenomena described, this slender volume is a wonder.--Publishers Weekly

A feast of stories, ideas, and beauty for the mind and heart.--Kirkus

A rigorous, interdisciplinary delight.--Kara Lewis, Read Poetry

With creativity, verve, and intention, Popova, erudite and clarion, beautifully accomplishes her mission to inspire wonder.--Booklist

"This book is a wonder. Science writing so often negates the inherent wonder of science, which comes so brilliantly alive here. Something bursts open in the mind. And let me say this: Maria Popova has the rare gift of starting a sentence and leaving you in trance by its end. I'd read anything she writes."--Jad Abumrad, creator, Radiolab

About the Author

Maria Popova thinks and writes about our search for meaning--sometimes through science and philosophy, sometimes through poetry and children's books, always through the lens of wonder. She is the creator of The Marginalian, born in 2006 under the outgrown name Brain Pickings and included in the Library of Congress permanent digital archive of culturally valuable materials, author of Figuring and The Snail with the Right Heart, and maker of The Universe in Verse--a charitable celebration of the wonder of reality through stories of science winged with poetry.