The Philosopher at the End of the Universe (Review) I haven't posted a book review here so far so this will be my first. The book in question is by Mark Rowlands and is entitled The Philosopher at the End of the Universe. I came upon Philosopher by chance in the public library and took it "on spec". Once home, I picked it up and decided I would probably not bother reading it. In the end, I tried the first few pages and was immediately riveted. I liked it so much that I looked up the author on the Web and sent him an email to express my appreciation, receiving a very friendly reply. The questions you will want me to answer are likely to be "What is the book about?", "Why did you think you wouldn't like it?" and "What got you so excited about it?" Well, they're the questions I am going answer, anyway. Mark Rowlands is a professional philosopher, in fact a professor of philosophy. He knows what he is talking about and is very good at explaining it. Philosophy has until recently been an unpopular subject with ordinary people but is now beginning to show signs of increasing interest, perhaps partly because ethical dilemmas (such as the Iraq war, provision of medical care for the elderly, "green living", etc.) are being given top billing by the media and partly because there is a cohort of writers such as Mark Rowlands himself, A.C. Grayling and Julian Baggini