One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Package But Not Much Inside
Review: * I got to thinking the other day about the TIME-LIFE BOOKS
(TLB) series of nonfiction books on various topics
and how valuable it has proven to me over the last four
decades of my life. While TLB tends to a standard of
workmanlike mediocrity and not outstanding excellence,
they are always readable for both teenagers and adults,
competently put together and laid-out, and often
provide all the information on a subject a nonspecialist
might want to know in an easy-to-digest format.

The reason I got to thinking about this was because I
had been wading through ONE UNIVERSE: AT HOME IN THE
COSMOS, by Neil de Grasse Tyson, Charles Liu, and Robert
Irion. This is an introductory book for young people
or adult novices on physics and astronomy, and as such
not so far from the sort of thing that a TLB series
might focus on. The problem is that a TLB series would
do a much better job.

I can't fault ONE UNIVERSE for its packaging. It has
lots of pretty pictures and illustrations and a tidy
layout. However, its discussions are thin, even for
an intro book, and more to the point its writing seems
peculiarly unfocused, drifting from topic to topic
in a way that seems a bit hard to follow. All I can
compare it to is listening to a lecturer where I'm
trying to figure out what he's getting at and never
quite succeeding.

In short, I can't really recommend this book. It might
be OK for kids, but even then compared to a typical
TLB series it's pretty weak, and I don't see any real
value in it for an adult.

Rating:
Summary: A non-mathematical introduction to the Universe
Review: Now that science fact has become stranger than science fiction, it's good to have a book that explains the physical universe in clear prose and pictures. The authors' stated intention is to make readers feel "at home in the Cosmos," although many of the astronomical photographs might leave us a bit in awe of the place where we live. In fact, I'm surprised that the authors didn't use more images from the Hubble space telescope. Perhaps it is because their stated intention is to explain, not simply astound. Conceptual drawings such as "How protons decay" are also found in abundance.

Tyson, Liu, and Irion introduce readers to 'the' golden age of astronomy (Right here. Right now) and explain the principles that govern our everyday lives, as well as the workings of the cosmos. That's quite a lot to accomplish in a book that is also a visual feast (400 full-color illustrations). However, the authors are well-suited to tackle the job. Neil de Grasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Charles Liu is an astrophysicist at the Museum. Robert Irion is a free-lance journalist, and a contributing editor and correspondent to Astronomy and Science.

Using everyday analogies (as opposed to mathematical formulae), the authors take us on a journey through our universe, from the infinitesimal to the infinite. Here is an example illustrating Newton's second law of motion:

"Imagine standing behind two people wearing roller skates. One is a 90-pound ballerina, and the other is a sumo wrestler who weighs five times as much. If you push on each person with equal force (and tact), you will accelerate the ballerina five times more quickly. That ratio holds true in space as well."

"One Universe" includes an illustrated timeline of the major advances in astronomy and physics, from Democritus to Hale-Bopp.

Rating:
Summary: A non-mathematical introduction to the Universe
Review: Now that science fact has become stranger than science fiction, it's good to have a book that explains the physical universe in clear prose and pictures. The authors' stated intention is to make readers feel "at home in the Cosmos," although many of the astronomical photographs might leave us a bit in awe of the place where we live. In fact, I'm surprised that the authors didn't use more images from the Hubble space telescope. Perhaps it is because their stated intention is to explain, not simply astound. Conceptual drawings such as "How protons decay" are also found in abundance.

Tyson, Liu, and Irion introduce readers to 'the' golden age of astronomy (Right here. Right now) and explain the principles that govern our everyday lives, as well as the workings of the cosmos. That's quite a lot to accomplish in a book that is also a visual feast (400 full-color illustrations). However, the authors are well-suited to tackle the job. Neil de Grasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Charles Liu is an astrophysicist at the Museum. Robert Irion is a free-lance journalist, and a contributing editor and correspondent to Astronomy and Science.

Using everyday analogies (as opposed to mathematical formulae), the authors take us on a journey through our universe, from the infinitesimal to the infinite. Here is an example illustrating Newton's second law of motion:

"Imagine standing behind two people wearing roller skates. One is a 90-pound ballerina, and the other is a sumo wrestler who weighs five times as much. If you push on each person with equal force (and tact), you will accelerate the ballerina five times more quickly. That ratio holds true in space as well."

"One Universe" includes an illustrated timeline of the major advances in astronomy and physics, from Democritus to Hale-Bopp.

Rating:
Summary: A book that should be in every home
Review: The beauty of this book is apparent as soon as you open it. It is filled with wonderful pictures that help to explain the valuable information that is contained in this book. Neil De Grasse Tyson has taken the information that most of us find to difficult to understand and brought it to a level that makes it not only understandable, but exciting to read. The pictures give us a visual understanding of the dynamics of all the things around us. This is a book for all, young and old. I especially found it to be a great way to stimulate the minds of our youth, who seem to have lost interest in many of the sciences. This book breathes new life into a subject that affects all of us.

Rating:
Summary: Our Universe-At Home in the Cosmos by Tyson, Liu, Irion et.
Review: This work would make a wonderful gift for a student in
grammar school or early high school. It has a thorough
explanation of the color band, motion and energy.
Major Newtonian laws are explained and demonstrated. The author
demonstrates comparative orbital forms; such as, the arch,
ellipse, parabola and hyperbola. He explains how changes
in matter are a function of temperature, pressure and density
factors. The work concludes with some important theories of
an expansive universe. The book is challenging-intellectually.
The science is firmly grounded in classic theories of
Sir Isaac Newton and a host of other important mathematicians
and physicists.

Rating:
Summary: Grand Tour of the Universe
Review: Want to know what a supernova, neutron star or black hole is, explained in everyday language? If so then this is the book you are looking for. Simply put, it's the perfect source for easy to understand explanations about all facets of astronomy and astrophysics. Find out how astronomers know the universe is expanding, how they determine how far away other galaxies are, or how a supernova happens. Learn about energy and particle physics, all explained in an intelligent yet easy to understand fashion. Learn about the different states of matter, about energy and Einsteins theory of relativity. Nicely formatted with stunning graphics, I highly recommend this book, especially to those with no background in the sciences who are looking for a simple, easy to understand yet intelligent explanation of science.