When and how did the Universe begin to exist? Why are we, humans, here on Earth? Why is there 'something' instead of 'nothing'? What is the nature of reality? Why do the laws of Nature appear to be so finely tuned as to allow beings like us to exist?

Is the phenomenon of the Universe's design evidence of a benevolent creator who set everything in motion? Or does science offer another explanation? The most fundamental questions regarding the origin of the Universe and of life itself are now the meeting point - and also the point of disagreement - among scientists, philosophers, and theologians.

In The Grand Design, the latest insights of science regarding the mysteries of the Universe are presented in a manner characterized by both sharpness of intellect and simplicity. The book explains our most contemporary reflections on 'model-dependent realism' (the idea that there is not exclusively one version of reality) and 'the multiverse theory' (the idea that there are numerous universes).

New views are presented regarding the cosmological approach 'from the top down' (the idea that there is not one but every possible history for the Universe) and a disarmingly thorough assessment of string theory, possibly the unified theory to which Einstein devoted his entire life.

This is a major work by one of the greatest thinkers of our time - coming after nearly a decade of silence. The Grand Design is a comprehensive, impressive, richly illustrated guide to discoveries that radically alter our understanding of our World and threaten to shake some of our most deeply held beliefs; a book that comes to inform and provoke like no other.