... is a worthwhile elementary treatment of the cosmology of the early Universe written with a liveliness and simplicity that will surely encourage students to pursue the subject further.'' John D Barrow Nature, 1989 ... a superb guide to what is known about cosmology...The authors also leave you with a sense of anticipation and excitement.'' David Hughes New Scientist, 1989 The book is well written and interesting, particularly in its use of Chinese stories throughout ... The book contains all the standard material found in such texts. The chapters on the thermodynamics of the Universe are particularly good ... this is a first-rate book of its genre and is heartily recommended. Kenneth Dunn Mathematical Reviews, 1993 The best popular account of the science that explains how the universe can be friendly to life is a book, 'Creation of the Universe', by the Chinese astronomers, Fang Li Zhi and Li Shu Xian. The book was translated into English and published by World Scientific Publishing in 1989. Fang Li Zhi is the famous dissident astronomer now living in exile in the United States. I particularly recommend Chapter 6, with the title 'How Order Was Born of Chaos'. This tells the same story that I am telling you today, but with more detail and more depth. Freeman J Dyson Oppenheimer lecture at University of California, Berkeley Mar 2000
