In reference to some of the recent discussions on cosmology in the Forum, I would like to reccommend "Quintessence: the mystery of missing mass in the universe" by Leonard Krauss. It is a fairly up to date (4/2000) discussion of such topics as dark matter, inflation theory, and the case for a flat universe. The book is very clearly written, and while it deals with some of the more complex issues in modern physics, is accessable to anyone with a rudimentary qualitative understanding of quantum theory and the concept of the creation of virtual particles.

Bal "A little harder to follow than Harry Potter" anthalus