Book Review: Ka-Boom! The Science of Extremes by David Darling

This review was first published by Booklist on June 14, 2024.

People are perennially fascinated by extremes. What’s the most massive object we know of? The fastest computer? The loudest sound? The longest-lived being? The coldest temperature? The biggest explosion? Darling serves up a fun, informative, and quirky overview of some fascinating science facts. He surveys physics, space, materials, technology, and the natural world, offering myriad examples of the extremes we’ve discovered in the course of our exploration of our universe. There’s something for everyone in this quick and engaging read. There may not be much new information here for existing science aficionados, he repeats a few examples in different subject sections, and he doesn’t go into much depth on any of them, but his delight in exploring this material is invigorating. Even inveterate science geeks should enjoy this time spent with fascinating facts. Ka-Boom! is most valuable as an ideal introduction to the science of extremes for people just starting out on their journey into the vast realms of scientific knowledge.