A review by richardrbecker
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson is everything you wanted to know about the field and then some. Tyson dances across a dozen topics, starting with the big bang and finishing with a cosmic perspective that reminds readers why astrophysics and space exploration are vital pursuits that propel humankind beyond the primal.
If you've ever wondered about things like dark energy, dark matter, invisible light, and exoplanets, Tyson's books will provide a basic understanding of all these things, along with refreshers on the laws of nature, physics, astronomy, and the cosmos. He deftly handles these topics with the passion of an explorer who truly loves our home planet Earth.
This is one of those few and rare books that, even unsigned, will find a permanent place on the bookshelf so it may be mined again as needed. It's worth keeping around because Tyson does do much more than explain things — he proves their importance and kindles our imagination — by expressly demonstrating how far we've come in learning to search for and find the unseen, even if it exists right in front of our noses (and especially so). Even more remarkable, he manages to do all of this in the short span of 244 pages, giving the entire range of subjects a quantum-like feel because this book is bigger on the inside than the outside.
This is a must-read for anyone who tilts their head skyward on occasion and wonders. Splendid.
If you've ever wondered about things like dark energy, dark matter, invisible light, and exoplanets, Tyson's books will provide a basic understanding of all these things, along with refreshers on the laws of nature, physics, astronomy, and the cosmos. He deftly handles these topics with the passion of an explorer who truly loves our home planet Earth.
This is one of those few and rare books that, even unsigned, will find a permanent place on the bookshelf so it may be mined again as needed. It's worth keeping around because Tyson does do much more than explain things — he proves their importance and kindles our imagination — by expressly demonstrating how far we've come in learning to search for and find the unseen, even if it exists right in front of our noses (and especially so). Even more remarkable, he manages to do all of this in the short span of 244 pages, giving the entire range of subjects a quantum-like feel because this book is bigger on the inside than the outside.
This is a must-read for anyone who tilts their head skyward on occasion and wonders. Splendid.