Nature's Balancing Act

Do quirks of physics allow life to exist? The book starts with asking How did the universe come from nothing? and continues by showing how small imbalances in nature are crucial to life's existence. It is intended for a person with some background in science, at the level taught in high school. No equations, except for E=mc, appear in this book. The author has honed his skill at communicating science to a lay audience as an astronomy columnist for over 15 years.