A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You

A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You

by Sean B. Carroll
A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You

A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You

by Sean B. Carroll

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Overview

"Fascinating and exhilarating—Sean B. Carroll at his very best."—Bill Bryson, author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants

From acclaimed writer and biologist Sean B. Carroll, a 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.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780691234694
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: 03/29/2022
Pages: 232
Sales rank: 1,078,073
Product dimensions: 5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sean B. Carroll is an award-winning scientist, writer, educator, and film producer. He is Vice President for Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Balo-Simon Chair of Biology at the University of Maryland. His books include The Serengeti Rules (Princeton), Brave Genius, and Remarkable Creatures, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Twitter @SeanBiolCarroll

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Trouble with Chance 1

I Stuff Happens 13

1 The Mother of All Accidents 15

2 An Ornery Beast 33

II A World of Mistakes 57

3 Good Heavens What Animal Can Suck It? 61

4 Randum 81

5 Beautiful Mistakes 97

III 23 and You 123

6 The Accident of All Mothers 127

7 A Series of Unfortunate Events 149

Afterword: A Conversation about Chance 163

Acknowledgments 179

Notes 181

Bibliography and Further Reading 195

Index 207

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Fascinating and exhilarating—Sean B. Carroll at his very best.”—Bill Bryson, author of The Body: A Guide for Occupants

"Profound, witty, and funny—this book will change the way you see yourself, and the universe, forever."—Alice Roberts, author of The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being

“With equal measure of scientific authority, lively storytelling, and a profoundly optimistic view of the future, A Series of Fortunate Events is the rare science book that reads like a guilty pleasure. Writing with deep insight and great humor, Carroll educates, entertains, and inspires.”—B. N. Horowitz, MD, coauthor of Wildhood: The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals

"In A Series of Fortunate Events, Sean Carroll pulls off a remarkable feat. He handles the 'Big Question'—the role of chance in the making of our bodies and our planet—with wit and scientific rigor. Carroll treats us to a tour of Earth history, DNA, cancer, and evolution that is awe-inspiring, urgent, and even at times laugh-out-loud funny."—Neil Shubin, paleontologist and author of Your Inner Fish

"A Series of Fortunate Events is an engaging blend of science and culture, written in Carroll's usual easygoing style. Highly recommended!"—Matthew Cobb, author of The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience

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