Why Does the World Exist?: One Man's Quest for the Big Answer

Why Does The Word Exist? is more fun than a book this serious has any right to be. Holt has written a metaphysical page-turner and a triumph of intellectual liveliness. (Rebecca Goldstein, author of 36 Arguments for the Existence of God)

There is no more entertaining, sure-footed, and witty guide to the big questions that we must all ponder than Jim Holt. Join him (Daily Beast)

Praise for Stop Me If You've Heard This:

'Sweet, witty and intelligent ... I only wish that, unlike a good joke, it was longer.

(William Leith Guardian)

If Jim Holt's deft and consuming "Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story" has anything to tell us, it's that such a comment is less about literary riffing than deep philosophy. (LA Times)

Holt brings both complexity and clarity to his subject ... it does what real science writing should: It helps us feel the fullness of the problem. (Vulture)

There is no more entertaining, sure-footed, and witty guide to the big questions that we must all ponder than Jim Holt. Join him. (The Daily Beast)

It's philosophy of a high level, pursued in an unusual and personal manner, and it's a pleasure to follow along with the author as he tells a fascinating and thought-provoking story. (Peter Woit, Department of Mathamatics, Columbia)

Humorous yet deeply profound (New Scientist)

There's no denying the pleasures to be had from tagging along as Holt soars away into the heavens of our cosmic enigmas ... a wonderful book (Daily Express)

An elegant and witty writer...I can imagine few more enjoyable ways of thinking than to read this book (Sarah Bakewell, author of How to Live)