동아시아의 평화와 화해의 정치학 Scrapbook

The Universe is big and I’m dumb

First off, I love Neil deGrasse Tyson. He's one of my idols and I aspire to be where he is. My issue with this book is that I read it directly after reading his book "Death by Black Hole"...and A LOT of the content from that book is inserted into this one...word for word. It was disappointing to say the least. I pre-ordered this book two months ago and was excited when it came. I actually do really like the size of it, but the content troubles me.

I will always read his books but I don't like that there is very little original content in this one. If you already own Death by Black Hole and Origins, save your money. You already have this entire book. \

3 stars because it is informative IF you've never read any of his other books.

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Andy Rink15 days ago

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The very title "astrophysics ... in a hurry" tells me if you've read his books for people NOT in a hurry, this might not be new to you. He's not writing this book for scholars, he's writing it for the layperson who wants a better understanding, and more than likely have been in too much of a hurry to read his previous works.

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K. Yancy24 days ago

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With all due respect, in the Acknowledgements, he clearly concedes that much of this content comes from essays written over the years when acknowledging his literary editors. I also got the e-book edition to listen to while on a long drive out of town this weekend. Enjoyed that version WAY more than the book version, hearing it in his own words really adds a lot IMHO.

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Brez4 months ago

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I suspected as much after reading the Sample. Thanks for the confirmation.

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Amazon Customer5 months ago

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Adam illuminae, REALLY? You thought the reply to a review of a book about astrophysics is the correct place to post FOUR copies of the same huge spam about the Illuminati? Well, you convinced ME to have nothing to do with them.

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GALIA TERUEL6 months ago

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but not many pages .. like the "origins .. right ?.. i never read the others so.. i dont know what to do , help :)

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ByOne Man Book Clubon January 9, 2018

I needed to “cleanse my palate” after binge reading a fantasy series. I decided to step as far from fantasy as possible, so I ventured into the far more complex realm of…

Fact.

Astrophysics, to be precise.

What’d I learn?

I learned the universe is much bigger than I can comprehend, and we puny humans are much less significant to the universe than we imagine.

I learned I’m glad there are people who are good at Astrophysics, because I’m not

Mostly, I learned that Astrophysics is really (Really, REALLY) complicated. Even having Neil deGrasse Tyson spell it out for me couldn’t get topics like quantum mechanics, prolate spheroids, dark matter, or E=MC2 to be more than curiosities beyond my reach.

Getting through the book was worth it just to get to the last chapter, where Neil deGrasse Tyson brings the “our universe is so big and we are so insignificant” talk to a climax with some great comparisons. For example…

Did you know there are more molecules in a cup of water than there are cups of water on Earth?

Of course you didn’t. Because you’re not an Astrophysicist.

Instead of feeling small, however, I was left feeling part of something very, very grand.

Some call it science. Some call it God. I call it both.

Interested in Astrophysics but clueless about Astrophysics? This is the book for you. You’ll still be clueless, but you’ll feel okay being clueless once you get a sense for the overwhelming complexity involved in with the physics of the universe.

It’s a big place.

Happy Reading.

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Great if it's your first book by him

ByKindle Customeron May 11, 2017

A Quick Tour of the Current State of Astrophysics

I have read Origins, Death By Back Hole, and Space Chronicles before this one. I feel like I have read this book before. It reads like an updated Origins. Good material, but a waste of money for me.

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ByKem Whiteon May 4, 2017

This is a quick tour through the current state of astrophysics in 12 essays. Tyson infuses the subject with his usual dynamic enthusiasm and humor. The subject is not presented especially deep but it is useful for anyone wanting to get a better layman's understanding of the Big Bang (weird stuff), dark matter (weirder stuff), and dark energy (way weirder stuff). Tyson gives you a good appreciation of how chemistry and biology are part of astrophysics. He concludes with an essay on "Reflections on the Cosmic Perspective" that shows even astrophysicists can have great wonder at the universe we live in. Recommended.

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Five Stars

ByAmazon Customeron May 25, 2017

My son Ioved the book

30 people found this helpful

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

An Excellent Overview

ByFCD117Top Contributor: Poetry Bookson January 3, 2018

This is a series of related essays about astrophysics. The author, Neil deGrasse Tyson, does a really great job taking an immensely complicated subject and conveying a distillation of that subject in layman terms. I still ended up looking up several terms, persons, and concepts to buttress my comprehension of the information discussed.

It would be difficult to exaggerate how much I enjoyed this work. I purchased and read this book on Kindle while listening to the audiobook simultaneously. The audiobook was narrated by the author. I enjoyed that tremendously. Neil deGrasse Tyson comes across as an extremely intelligent, but very benevolent instructor / lecturer. I love that mixture.

Some time ago I read another book, "A Universe From Nothing" by Lawrence M. Krausse. I felt there is a lot of overlap between these two fine works. Personally, I liked this book under review more than the book by Mr. Krausse. Another reader might enjoy reading that book for purposes of comparison and contrast.

In summary, I completely enjoyed this reading experience. I intend to look for another book by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Thank You...

4 people found this helpful

A Wonderful Walk Through The Current Scientific Discoveries

ByAndrew Wyllieon March 23, 2018

I picked up this book recently since I was curious what were the latest discoveries in science were and figured that Neal deGrasse Tyson would be a good intro. Used to keep up with all the science discoveries when I was younger, but have not lately. This book was the right one for just such an update. The chapters are fairly brief most of the time and he lets one idea develop before transitioning to another. You do not feel overwhelmed (most of the time) with facts and discoveries and can reflect on the material as you go along. The personal asides are a nice touch, like the one about the hot cocoa and using science to prove that someone had made a mistake. This is one of the things that makes it feel not like a science textbook, but a science conversation with him.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was when you are reading it, you feel like he is standing there talking to you and that it is not just written words. After finishing the book, I put on Cosmos hosted by Neal deGrasse Tyson and it felt the same as when I was reading the book which shows his style is the same for both mediums. Each chapter usually will have a personal aside which makes it less of a scientific recital as a conversation between people and a real teaching experience.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to catch up on the recent discoveries in science and wants a way to understand the terms you hear thrown around on TV and the Internet. This book does an excellent job of bridging the gap between those who are science knowledgeable and those who need it explained in more everyday terms in order to understand what is going on in the world today.

10 people found this helpful

A good read

ByKindle Customeron May 4, 2017

Not Maintaining my Enthusiasm - Over Rated

This book is made out to be an "astrophysics for dummies" but it's far more difficult to grasp than I'd imagined. That being said, I'm still glad I read it.

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ByAndyon July 5, 2017

I'm more than half-way through the book but it is getting more difficult to remain motivated and finish it. I'm not keeping up my enthusiasm. Reasons: (1) it is a collection of magazine articles he wrote over an extended period of time some years ago, and (2) the knowledge base one needs for comprehension is beyond the layman in my opinion. I think this book is over rated with all of the 4 and 5 star reviews!

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Should be required reading in school

ByJudithon March 14, 2018

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an excellent communicator. He presents the astrophysicists’ view with knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, clarity, and humor. I love his view (mainly because it echoes my own, I must admit) that the unimaginable vastness and richness of the cosmos should inspire us and lift us above pettiness.

There is a great deal of science in this book, of course, but it should not scare anyone off. Tyson brings most facts and concepts to an understandable level. Even passages that may seem confusing should not deter anyone from reading this book. It is not only informative, but, more importantly, it is inspirational, encouraging—or, hopefully, causing—us to think beyond ourselves. I not only highly recommend this book, I think it should be required reading in high school.

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