A review by davidjordan
Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe by Lisa Randall

4.0

Lisa Randall, who is a skiing enthusiast in addition to being a highly respected particle physicist, tells a story in her new book about a friend who skis only occasionally and describes his attempts to improve as "two steps forward, two steps back." The author graciously says that the effort to learn and her friend's presence on the mountain is progress in itself, regardless of how much skill is (not) gained during the attempt. What an apt metaphor to describe my efforts to understand concepts like cosmology, dark matter, and any other area of specialization that Professor Randall teaches in this impressive book. She does a great job in the opening chapters of laying a scientific foundation that even a dolt like myself can follow, but by the end of the book I could barely grasp the complex concepts of the final chapters. I will just have to take her words to heart, and accept that my effort to understand her theory about how dark matter may have influenced the cataclysmic event that led to the mass extinction of dinosaurs is progress enough. Who knows? Maybe I am just a little bit smarter for having read an amazing book about a fascinating theory written by a brilliant scientist and talented writer.