The question on the cover has been troubling humanity since time immemorial. To answer it, the author, American philosopher Jim Holt, undertakes a real detective investigation. Where did the Universe come from? Why and where did Nothing disappear? Who did all this? Gradually we begin to realize that God and Nature are not the only suspects... This is a book for anyone who wants to better understand the world in which they live, to find out what leading modern scientists and philosophers think about its origin.