We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe - Review

It's hard to overstate how good this book is at conveying, in a simple fashion and with an unending series of graphics and "dad jokes", some very complex materials.

Each chapter is a topic in physics that "we" (we being scientists - I have almost no idea about most things) have surprisingly little idea about (hence the name), with topics that include time travel, the nature of empty space, why particles have mass, how big the universe is, etc. It's basic and strips out all of the math and hard bits, but what remains should prove fascinating for anyone with even a passing interest in science. The true success of this book is that it somehow strikes a perfect balance between something that a junior high student could easily follow, while avoiding a tone of "talking down to" the reader.

One thing though: the jokes. They are uniformly terrible. Just so, so terrible. And yet...they become endearing almost immediately; probably because each page is bursting with a sense of enthusiasm and fun.

- Reviewed by Jamie, Goodreads