Seeking to explain how astronomy is made and what he himself does, Alan Dressler tells the story of a decade-long study he undertook with six colleagues to determine whether the universe has expanded smoothly and symmetrically since its creation. He leads us through the research step-by-step. A gripping account and exploration - clear and challenging and poetic - of what drives the scientist to feats of discovery: the search for order and the overwhelming need to know why things happen as they do.