A book review by: Lee Sonogan
(2017) Non-fiction, Science, Physics, Applied physics, Astrophysics
“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you. —NDT”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Space told in an excellent way to be understood. This book contains themes of astrophysics, quantum physics, theories, issues, elements, energy, methods, references and all the good stuff you want from space. He speaks of alot of well-known scientists and there observations and discoverys. Going back to the Isaac Newton, it tells you the journey of how we perceive the laws of physics and time and space today.
Straight from the start, with class, Neil describes it all from the very start. He explains the big bang and all its little details. How smalls become bigs, how soups of matter/energy and anti matter/energy become building blocks of life and how far the cosmos expanded. If no Hadrons in space at that time survived, then most interesting things in the universe, including us may have not formed at all.
Chapters of the book:
- 1. The greatest story ever told
- 2. On Earth as in the Heaven
- 3. Let there be light
- 4. Between the galaxies
- 5. Dark matter
- 6. Dark energy
- 7. The cosmos on the table
- 8. On being round
- 9. Invisible light
- 10. Between the planets
- 11. Exoplanet Earth
- 12. Reflections on the cosmic perspective
A plus for this book is that you are constantly reminded that these discoverys and observations are not absolute. He describes these ideas and then looks at it at a different way. Also, most of the big scientific ideas are referenced at the bottom of the page. The book is open to many perspectives and is unbiased in the points being made. Each chapter has something interesting to tell that you may have not known before.
Overall, the creativity and imagination put into this book will make you want to keep reading. Half entertaining and half powerful learning, the ideas in it really make you think. The ending or last chapter concludes everything with the cosmic perspective. You are nothing compared to the size of the known universe. He has a strong message about it that everyone should read. I recommend this book as an introduction into relevant space. If give you all the information you need and develops your understanding of time and space to the next level.
“People who believe they are ignorant of nothing have neither looked for, nor stumbled upon, the boundary between what is known and unknown in the universe.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
PS – There is a disclaimer at the start of the book saying that this is the book for people to lazy to read fat books. This statement alone has me interested in giving one of his other books a crack. With my understanding of time and space now, I am confident in doing so!
7.7/10