Rating: 
Summary: Black Holes Explained as No One Else Can!!!
Review: As I have with "Stephen Hawking's Universe" by John Boslough, I've read this book a number of times. The beginning pages of Kip Thorne's book give a hypothetical situation of a space traveler caught in the unapologetic and unforgiving throes of a tortuous black hole. Kip Thorne then goes into tremendous detail and great length about black holes including much history about legendary and not-so-well-known scientists and their contributions to black hole-type theories. This book effectively combines science history with science fact. While the book, at times, seems rather "heavy", a few re-reads of certain parts makes the information more easily digestible. This book is not generally an easy read, but it is a fascinating journey through the history of cosmological science. This book is, without doubt, one of the best (non-fiction) books I've ever read on any topic. Kip Thorne is an exceptional writer and, from what I can gather from this book, an exceptional scientist as well. This book laid a lot of the foundation work for my research into black holes in preparation for the writing of my science fiction novel "Temporal Armageddon".
Rating: 
Summary: okay
Review: Black holes & time warps is great, it explains things thoroughly. And without complex mathematical equations that are inherent in many books that discuss the same subject. I'm not so great on calculus so this is easier on me. Nearly everything was good, but the reason I gave it only four stars is due to the fact that they include too much history you have to read for pages and pages before they actually discuss the topic of the chapter. The first couple of pages are about how a research group got started or who was using the bathroom when something important happened. And it's loaded with personal history that I don't want to know about. Although if like the historical parts then this is your dream book.
Rating:
Summary: Only a notch down from genius
Review: Black holes and time warps: Einstein's outrageous legacy, by Kip S. Thorne. My mother checked out a copy at the downtown library for me when I was 4 years old. I loved it then and I still love it now. It's truly one of my favorite books. It's probably one of the most to-the-point books about such subjects as blackholes and wormholes. It's easy to swallow, and it's not too long! No book on blackholes could ever be too long. Kip Thorne is a genius, and his books show it. Many would-be astrophysics buffs, such as many posting here, like to illuminate their egos by trying to challange the fabric of this book by throwing in such nonsense as "it's kinda flawed" and "it's good for the non-intellectual, but I found it lacking". Trust me, this book isn't all sugar and spice. Still, give it a break. 1) It's pretty old. 2) How many of these losers are professors at CalTech and are close friends with Stephen Hawking himself? Get my drift? Now, get this book!
Rating:
Summary: Astrophysics Gets Down to Earth (A Little)
Review: Don't be too swayed by the word "outrageous" in the title of this book. That may be there to attract attention, but needless to say, physicist Kip Thorne does a good job of explaining the more bizarre aspects of the universe in this book. Thorne's writing style is very accessible and down to earth, as he explains relativity, black holes, quantum mechanics, and even time warps. However, you'll still need to be really on the ball to understand many of these extremely complicated topics. I was impressed by Thorne's ability to explain bizarre concepts like gravitational time dilation and Einstein's theory of relativity to non-eggheads. But some of the more arcane aspects of quantum gravity or unified field theories will be beyond even the most well tuned laymen who read this book. Thorne also keeps the mood light by giving us the human side of advanced physics research, focusing on the friendships, rivalries, and personalities of the world's leading minds. This extends from Einstein in the beginning to Hawking in the present, and dozens of other less famous but almost as brilliant minds in between.Watch out for some inconsistency in this book however, as Thorne sometimes gets into too much sentimental detail about the scientists' social lives (including his own), while the middle of the book sags as it digresses into the mechanical specs of radio telescopes and gravitational wave detectors. Also, beware of Thorne's suspiciously enthusiastic endorsements of gravitational wave research in chapter 10, as this is his own field of research, and I suspect he's trying to promote the need for funding. There's also a little intellectual arrogance here, as several times Thorne proclaims that the laws of quantum mechanics, as they are currently understood (which isn't much), are "indisputable" or "incontrovertible." Scientists used to say the same thing about Newton's laws until they were weakened by Einstein. Then the theories of Einstein (worshipped by every physicist in this book) were weakened by quantum mechanics. You never know, the knowledge presented in this book may someday be overthrown as well. But in the meantime, Thorne does a great job of explaining it to those of us who are interested but don't have multiple PhD's.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book--a treasure
Review: I studied math and I regret not sinking my teeth into theoretical physics in college. This makes me vulnerable to physics books and their propositions. I also happen to find the history of ideas fascinating. Throw in a little science vision and that's what Kip has here. A great book that shows how the original ideas surrounding black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs and all of the physics on their periphery: quantum mechanics, relativity, and yes, even time machiens etc were/are formed, and it also goes into future implications. We get a glimpse of the past, present, and future of this, the most interesting fields of science.
This book can be picked up and read at any point. Most people know what white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes are just as most know at last something about quantum mechanics. You can dive into a chapter and read the history of how these ideas came about and learn in fairly decent detail (no math really) how they work.
And this is what's so great about it. The actual-math of these is overwhelming ( I know, because I've studied it on my own--not for the faint of heart), but the Universe itself doesn't give a green pea about our math system. It does what it does and ultimately, math is just a tool for us to explain it without words. Math is just a very precise language, and if you don't understand it, you're toast.
However, you don't need math to understand it just as you don't need math to build an internal combustion engine! You can build one, start it, and run it without any math. Thus is the Universe, and thus is this book.
Kip explains things very well in real terms and without a bunch of mathematical symbols and matrices that would only serve to give you a headache.
Overall: it's a great book for the engineer, math geek type who loves physics but is ignorant of it, and who wants to understand without needing a pencil and paper handy to work out computations (or more realistically with the math involved these days, Mathematica).
It's great for someone interested in the history of science who has no math/physics background at all. And finally, for the science fiction fiend, you'll love it. It will explain time machines, how they might work, and you can read knowing whatever is said is based in real theory and real math: in other words, with a true foundation.
Cheers
Rating:
Summary: I Loved this Book!
Review: I thought this book was excellent. I read this a few years ago and feel it is still one of the best books on the subject. Lucid and entertaining, you will learn from the best. Personally, I found this book to be much better than the over-hyped Elegant Universe and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.
Rating:
Summary: Reply to "Decline of Physics" Review
Review: Kip Thorne is a brilliant physicist. Dr. Thorne illustrates his ideas with clarity and detail. His chapters are credible and he knows his limitations. The mysteries in this book linger in the minds of the best physicists today. Thorne's book can spur the earnest seeker on toward a more complete theory that would resolve many of the paradoxes and problems that still bother physicists. How is that decline? Also, it was not Thorne's intention to make this book a text for the classroom. This is a book for the layman or scientist. There is nothing wrong with that. A book should not be disregarded for the sake of being a leisure read. Thorne may not fill Einstein's shoes in full, but then again, few people have! I am a college student. I do not need a prestigious degree to know a good book (or a good physicist) when I see one. Thorne's book accomplished what it set out to do.
Rating:
Summary: okay
Review: Kip Thorne is an eccentric author who reveals scientific enterprise of quantum gravity and black holes research in a simple language. This book is rich in history, and classical (Newtonian physics and theory of relativity) and modern physics (quantum mechanics) are presented in non mathematical form. We get rare first hand insights of scientific styles and temperament, and his personal involvement in various aspects of black holes research and his interaction with scientists all over the world especially those from former Soviet Union and the impact of communism on black hole research. The first part of the book describes theory of relativity, concept of spacetime fabric of the universe and curvature of spacetime in presence of matter (stars, galaxies, etc.) to generate gravity. The author gives us a good historical background to build his case for black hole concept. Theory of relativity predicts the existence of black holes but Einstein refused to accept it and so is Arthur Eddington another leading exponent of theory of relativity. The idea of black holes remained in academic obscurity among few who believed in it and it progressively became clear that dying giant stars undergo implosions in which nuclear force the strongest of all four forces of cosmos buckles under gravitational force creating a blackholes. Black holes have been discovered in the center of dying giant stars and in centers of galaxies, and efforts are underway to detect the black hole gravitational waves carried to earth from distant parts of the universe and to seek the secret of what is inside a black hole: a route to another universe? The author warps up the second part by discussing the possibility of constructing wormholes with exotic matter (tunnels in space connecting two widely separated locations in the universe) through hyperspace for interstellar travel and back to the future. He is one of the leaders in proposing interstellar travel. Physicists and academics are too conservative to get involved in space travel research as it is traditionally linked to science fiction and Star Trek junkies. The author can mesmerize the reader with his incredible knowledge and ease with which he can communicate to the reader; at the same time he is eccentric enough to work in one of his laboratory (Palomar Mountains) nude and draw criticisms from peers. He is also crazy enough to take bet with peers for things such as Penthouse magazine and annoy his wife and family with Mormon heritage. This book is free of marketing strategies of the publisher as the author shares his knowledge with the reader to his best of abilities to make everyone understands it even by offering few simple calculations and formulas. Do not be discouraged by the size of the book (619 pages). The text flows well and it is deeply engrossing. Anyone interested in black hole and space travel must have this book.
Rating:
Summary: The people behind the Science
Review: Kip Thorne is the author of one of the most authoritative texts on Gravitation and Astrophysics. "Black Holes and Time Warps" is meant to bring these recent advanced discoveries in cosmology to the masses. What makes this book most valuable is that it not only devotes many pages explaining the physics in simple terms, but also introduces the major players in the field, telling the stories of their lives, and describing in detail how they achieved their discoveries. The book is therefore very inspiring to young scientists. It is written in a highly narrative style that keeps up a heightened suspense as one wonders what the next discovery will be, what it's impact is one our world vision, and which scientist will bring about such a breakthrough. We read about the life story of Einstein, and how he worked hard and long hours in between babysitting his children so as to come up with his masterpieces on relativity. We then read about Chandrasekhar, the young student from India, who with nothing more than his own brain and a crude mechanical calculator achieved what is perhaps one of the greatest theoretical discoveries of the 20th centuries: black holes. It would be years before astronomers concur and document the existence of these beasts, years in which Chandrasekhar had to suffer rejection and alienation from his peers in the scientific community. We read about the wonderful experiments physicists set up to understand the world: from massive arrays of radio telescopes for listening to the furthest reaches of the universe, to cosmic ray detectors to measure the minute remnants of supernova explosions. We read about the atomic and H-bombs, about Oppenheimer and his own personal feelings about his creation. Here, the attitude of the author - himself a leading scientist and contributor to human knowledge - is far from passive acceptance of all that science brings. He understands perhaps more than anyone else that science can be applied for evil purposes as well as beneficial purposes, and he does not shy away from discussing these ethical dilemmas he and his peers had to confront at some points in their lives. Coming closer towards the end of the 20th century, Thorne discusses the complexities black hole research has led us into: apparent paradoxes and strange objects defying understanding - "singularities" in scientific lingo. We read eagerly about the competition between leading scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose to expand our limits of knowledge on black holes. We read also about the role of the cold war in advancing - or suppressing - scientific knowledge. This wonderful book is augmented by an enormous number of simple illustrations explaining the concepts discussed, as well as photographs of the various people involved in this unending quest for knowledge. The book also boasts of a useful glossary at the end, as well as a timeline, a bibliography, a good set of notes, and a people as well as a subject index. It is definitely a book worth reading, one of the few books on science that admit that science is more than just numbers, but is also about people and is an integral part of the human story. I give it a 4 because I thought the book is too long, and tends to get wordy at times. A concise edition would be a useful contribution. The bibliography also suffers from bloatedness - it is so bulky and with no comments such that the interested reader will have difficulty deciding what to read next.
Rating:
Summary: The people behind the Science
Review: Kip Thorne is the author of one of the most authoritative texts on Gravitation and Astrophysics. "Black Holes and Time Warps" is meant to bring these recent advanced discoveries in cosmology to the masses. What makes this book most valuable is that it not only devotes many pages explaining the physics in simple terms, but also introduces the major players in the field, telling the stories of their lives, and describing in detail how they achieved their discoveries. The book is therefore very inspiring to young scientists. It is written in a highly narrative style that keeps up a heightened suspense as one wonders what the next discovery will be, what it's impact is one our world vision, and which scientist will bring about such a breakthrough. We read about the life story of Einstein, and how he worked hard and long hours in between babysitting his children so as to come up with his masterpieces on relativity. We then read about Chandrasekhar, the young student from India, who with nothing more than his own brain and a crude mechanical calculator achieved what is perhaps one of the greatest theoretical discoveries of the 20th centuries: black holes. It would be years before astronomers concur and document the existence of these beasts, years in which Chandrasekhar had to suffer rejection and alienation from his peers in the scientific community. We read about the wonderful experiments physicists set up to understand the world: from massive arrays of radio telescopes for listening to the furthest reaches of the universe, to cosmic ray detectors to measure the minute remnants of supernova explosions. We read about the atomic and H-bombs, about Oppenheimer and his own personal feelings about his creation. Here, the attitude of the author - himself a leading scientist and contributor to human knowledge - is far from passive acceptance of all that science brings. He understands perhaps more than anyone else that science can be applied for evil purposes as well as beneficial purposes, and he does not shy away from discussing these ethical dilemmas he and his peers had to confront at some points in their lives. Coming closer towards the end of the 20th century, Thorne discusses the complexities black hole research has led us into: apparent paradoxes and strange objects defying understanding - "singularities" in scientific lingo. We read eagerly about the competition between leading scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose to expand our limits of knowledge on black holes. We read also about the role of the cold war in advancing - or suppressing - scientific knowledge. This wonderful book is augmented by an enormous number of simple illustrations explaining the concepts discussed, as well as photographs of the various people involved in this unending quest for knowledge. The book also boasts of a useful glossary at the end, as well as a timeline, a bibliography, a good set of notes, and a people as well as a subject index. It is definitely a book worth reading, one of the few books on science that admit that science is more than just numbers, but is also about people and is an integral part of the human story. I give it a 4 because I thought the book is too long, and tends to get wordy at times. A concise edition would be a useful contribution. The bibliography also suffers from bloatedness - it is so bulky and with no comments such that the interested reader will have difficulty deciding what to read next.
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