Science
W. W. Norton
May 2, 2017
144
The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist.
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s book was filled with just the right amount of science and explanation to keep the topics of cosmology and astrophysics digestible for a casual reader. I learned many things that I will retain, many things I’m likely to forget, and many things that I had already learned and forgotten.
The book stays in the conceptual realm and doesn’t dip down into formulae and a multitude of detail, which was perfect for me. I read the book quickly – it was engaging! This wouldn’t be possible in a small volume if too much detail interfered with the concepts (not seeing the forest for the trees and all that).
The book spoke about the big bang, formation of stars and galaxies, formation of the elements, as well as the history of several important discoveries. It told about Einstein’s theories, cosmic background radiation, quarks, quantum mechanics, dark matter, dark energy, and dozens of other interesting topics.
Tyson is a good author, a good storyteller, and a good teacher. He made difficult subjects interesting and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. There is plenty of additional reading to do for readers that wish to delve deeper, but the book remains a great introduction/reintroduction to astrophysics and the universe. Highly recommended for science-bent readers and the curious.