The Human Touch Our Part in the Creation of a Universe [Paperback]

Humankind, scientists agree, is a tiny and insignificant anomaly in the vastness of the universe. But what would that universe look like if we were not here to say something about it? In this brilliant, insightful work of philosophy, beloved novelist and playwright Michael Frayn examines the biggest and oldest questions of philosophy, from space and time to relativity and language, and seeks to distinguish our subjective experience from something objectively true and knowable. Underlying all revelations in this wise and affectionately written book is the fundamental question: If the universe is what we make it, then what are we?

Michael Fraynis the author of ten novels, including the bestsellingHeadlong, aNew York TimesEditors' Choice selection and a Booker Prize finalist, andSpies, which won Britain's Whitbread fiction award. He has written fourteen plays, among themNoises Off, andDemocracy, as well asCopenhagen, which won three Tony Awards in 1999. A philosophy graduate of Cambridge University, Frayn is also the author ofConstructions, a collection of philosophical meditations. He lives in London.

The target audience: anyone who enjoys gaping at the complexities of existence. The topic: everything . . . Fantastic. Entertainment Weekly (grade: A)

Michael Frayn's exultant prose entices and ultimately overwhelms you. Reading his arguments, I felt as though I were floating down a warm river, caught up in its playful, whirling eddies. . . . Beautifully written. Los Angeles Times

Immense erudition . . . and more than a dash of wit . . . What makesThe Human Touchso rewarding is the subtlety and humor with which he examines 'the great mutual balancing act.' The New York Times

His command of current scholarship in physics and biology is impressive; his discussion of psychological issues is discerning. . . . Witty and ingratiating style. The lc‰