Book excerpt: The work of Dr John Auping seeks to assist readers to differentiate observationally verified aspects of cosmology from ideas whose verification is distant, or perhaps impossible. Such a task is performed by using a careful application of the orthodox scientific method. This English edition is a part of Auping’s original work especially devoted to the description of the dynamics of stars, and the analysis of the Big Bang, steady state and multiverse models from a critical point of view. The author approaches different aspects of the evolution of the Universe using different branches of astrophysics, Newtonian mechanics, nuclear physics, thermodynamics, quantum physics and general relativity, with a clear and concise narrative. Mathematical boxes support the deeper study of mathematical-physical relations, which can be omitted by readers who are not specialised.