Welcome to the Universe

August 22, 2016
Tyson (The Pluto Files), Strauss, and Gott (Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe) reprise the introductory astronomy course they co-taught at Princeton, offering a crash course on the universe—no science background required. They start by laying out basic physical principles, filling each single-author chapter with simple analogies, great illustrations, and bits of personal flair. Reading through is akin to receiving a private museum tour from an expert scientist; the exhibits include Newton’s laws of motion, what will happen after our sun dies, how the space between stars is measured, quasars and black holes, time travel, why the “Big Bang model is far more than ‘just a theory,’ ” and the possibility of other life in the galaxy. The authors present challenging content in accessible prose as they lead readers from our solar system to the edge of the visible universe, getting into the how and the what of just about everything there is to know about the cosmos. Along the way they discuss such pioneering scientists as Nicolaus Copernicus, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Edwin Hubble, Henrietta Leavitt, and Isaac Newton. As Tyson, Strauss, and Gott explain the cutting-edge physics of multiverses, superstring theory, M-theory, and the benefits of colonizing space, even seasoned science readers will learn something new.

An accessible and comprehensive overview of our universe by three eminent astrophysicists, based on an introductory course they have taught at Princeton University.Tyson (Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, 2012 etc.), the director of the Hayden Planetarium, Strauss (Astrophysics/Princeton Univ.), and Gott (Astrophysics/Princeton Univ.; The Cosmic Web: Mysterious Architecture of the Universe, 2016, etc.) have teamed up to introduce the latest discoveries by modern astrophysicists and the questions currently on their scientific agenda. The 24 chapters of the book are cleanly divided among the three authors. The first section, written primarily by Tyson, takes a big-picture look at the awesome "size and scale of the universe" and what we can now surmise about it from our vantage point here on Earth, based on man's 3,000-year quest to understand it. In the remainder of the book, the authors broaden the focus to consider the origin and subsequent history of the expanding universe. In part two, Strauss looks at how our vision of the universe has been changed by the development of modern radio telescopes and computers powerful enough to analyze the data they collect. "A century ago," he writes, "[astronomers were] determining the dimensions of the Milky Way and our place in it." Copernicus taught us that we are not at the center of the solar system, and today, astronomers are teaching us to accept that our galaxy is not the center of the universe. Strauss notes that with next-generation telescopes, astronomers will be making unanticipated discoveries while revealing the properties of faint galaxies and quasars and mapping the distribution of matter. In the third section, Gott reviews Einstein's theory of relativity and its implications for our potential to become galactic citizens and colonize space. Whatever the future holds, he concludes, our increasing understanding of the universe is in itself "a stunning accomplishment." An entertaining introduction to astronomy. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

This work presents the content of an undergraduate astrophysics course taught by the authors, former or current Princeton faculty members. Astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author Tyson (director, Hayden Planetarium) begins by explaining the basics of our solar system and other star systems. Michael A. Strauss (astrophysics sciences, Princeton Univ.) follows with more details about galaxies, unique star types, and the larger structure of the universe. In the final third, J. Richard Gott (astrophysics sciences, Princeton Univ.) has the difficult task of tackling the more mind-bending topics of black holes, warp drives, and time travel in an accessible way. It's this final section that may cause readers' eyes to glaze over, though some may find their imaginations captured by the quantum weirdness of the galaxy. While the book is written for nonscientists, equations with basic algebra concepts are explained and manipulated throughout. The authors remind us that even though people are not the center of the universe, we are an intelligent species able to measure, theorize, comprehend, and explore the limits of knowledge. VERDICT An excellent introduction that will equip readers to follow current astronomical discoveries or more readily enjoy hard sf.--Wade M. Lee, Univ. of Toledo Lib.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2016
The universe is truly an impressive, confusing, and complicated place. We live within it, trying to understand it using a variety of theories, concepts, and mathematical models. In this book, three distinguished scientists attempt to explain the mysteries of the universe in a way that nonscientists will be able to understand. Based on a course taught at Princeton University, the authors present the latest thinking on topics such as stars and planets (including why Pluto is not a planet); the evolution of galaxies; black holes; general and special relativity; string theory; time travel; and the future of everything. The text is written in an informal and approachable style, referencing many popular-culture icons. Although it presents some complex mathematical concepts, very little math is required by the reader. This book will open up some of the newest and most sophisticated concepts in astrophysics to a general audience, helping all of us better understand the universe we live in.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)