A hairdresser once asked me, "OK science guy, why are there butterflies? Why should there be butterflies, anyway?" I answered, "There are butterflies because there are stars." This book is about how a universe that began with nothing but the simplest ingredients changed into one with trees, butterflies, sandy beaches, and ocean-going turtles. It will make you wonder, "Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is the universe, anyway?"

The book is labeled as being for children 8-12. This is a mistake. This book is for anyone who ever stood on a sandy beach, looked out over the ocean, watched the stars appear in a darkening sky, and wondered, "How did all this come to be?"