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by: Italo Calvino  Dewey Decimal Number: 853.914 EAN: 9780020182009 ISBN: 0020182007 Label: Macmillan Pub Co Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co Publication Date: 1970-06 Publisher: Macmillan Pub Co Studio: Macmillan Pub Co Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: An enchanting series of stories about the evolution of the universe. Calvino makes characters out of mathematical formulae and simple cellular structures. They disport themselves amongst galaxies, experience the solidification of planets, move from aquatic to terrestrial existence, play games with hydrogen atoms -- and have time for a love life. Product Description: Enchanting stories about the evolution of the universe, with characters that are fashioned from mathematical formulae and cellular structures. “Naturally, we were all there, - old Qfwfq said, - where else could we have been? Nobody knew then that there could be space. Or time either: what use did we have for time, packed in there like sardines?” Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book Average Rating:
 Rating:  - A home in CosmosEver since our ancestors started looking into the night sky, the saw patterns and connections between the stars, moons and planets, and used stories and myths to imbue those patterns with meaning and structure. With the big hindsight of the scientific worldview, all those ancient stories may seem quaint and naïve. And indeed, the advent of modern astronomy and astrophysics has greatly enriched and deepened our understanding of the Cosmos. But these wonderful new insights should not be taken in opposition ... Read More Rating: - The Greatest Book EverI always hated reading translated books, but this one doesn't lose an ounce because of William Weaver and Calvino! I highly recommend reading this book. It is mind-blowing, funny, and it look me so long to read because after every sentence I would think for a while about the meaning, our meaning, and what was going on in Calvino's mind! This is a life-changing book. Rating:  - CosmicomicsI don't quite know what I was expecting with this book, but this just wasn't it. I was looking forward to reading this for a while but it just didn't keep me interested. This book definitely has an interesting concept, but apparently that just isn't enough for me. Other people might like it, but it may just take a little work to stay interested. Don't let this review discourage you though; take a chance. Rating:  - Great literary beauty sabotaged by horrible attempts at pseudoscienceThis is a collection of short stories ``based on'' scientific theories. However, this attempt to give pseudo-scientific explanations/settings to all the stories, spoils the general fable-like literary beauty and charm of these stories. I don't claim that science-fiction should be held to the same standards of rigour and correctness as science itself, but stories that require suspension of disbelief (Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide or Lem's Cyberiad) should not try to explain things within the realm of ... Read More Rating: - Some funny and some ...tediousThe idea of entities as old as the universe telling their stories from their perspective - some at the galaxies macro scale and some at the atoms micro scale - seems like an interesting idea. Italo Calvino has portrayed some stories with a style and prose that actually makes it a pleasurable reading experience. Unfortunately some of the stories are tedious and tiresome. Overall - it deserves 3 stars for the idea, for being short- overall and for some of the stories which are truly fascinating. 
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