Scan barcode
gwcoffey's review against another edition
4.0
This book was published in 1977 and revised in 1993, so it is definitely a little dated. But the period of time it covers was well understood at the time, so the information is still accurate.
I enjoyed every page. For me it strikes the right balance: not too technical that I can’t keep up, and not so basic that I feel talked down to. And unlike so many slightly-more-in-depth science books, it is very well written.
I loved this passage, after talking about a series of miscommunications, mis-interpretations, and missed opportunities along the way to understanding the early universe.
I have dwelt on this missed opportunity because this seems to me to be the most illuminating sort of history of science. It is understandable that so much of the historiography of science deals with its successes, with serendipitous discoveries, brilliant deductions, or the great magical leaps of a Newton or an Einstein. But I do not think it is possible really to understand the successes of science without understanding how hard it is—how easy it is to be led astray, how difficult it is to know at any time what is the next thing to be done.
suebrownreads's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, I actually only got through half of this book. The description says "clearly and accessibly written," But not for me. The math and science,/physics is beyond me.
buttcord's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
tofugitive's review against another edition
2.0
About halfway through it got a little too complicated for the every man, but it was still interesting
ladywren890's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
I am not the target audience but I dis still find it quite interesting even though I didn't understand all of it.
andrea_author's review
3.0
This book was originally published in 1977 and updated ~2004. Unfortunately the update consists of a brief chapter at the end. So there are still references to the universe being ~10 billion years old when we now know it's closer to 14, etc. Unless you're already an expert on the subject matter, it's impossible to know what's still accurate and what's out of date. So while the book is fascinating, it's not very illuminating. There are many more current books on the subject.
maximz's review against another edition
3.0
While interesting and full of knowledge nuggets.. I'm pretty sure it failed to accomplish its primary goal of explaining complicated topics in a way everyday people could appreciate.