Rating: 
Summary: This book covers the whole....well, you know
Review: Although he taught English and Journalism at the university of California, Berkeley, Timothy Ferris is one of the more knowledgeable fellows on the planet when it comes to cosmology. And this is, in fact, an extraordinary work on cosmology.As a pre-requisite to Ferris' book, I would recommend "The First Three Minutes" by Stephen Weinberg. Although Weinberg's book is 20 years old (published, 1979), it is nonetheless still a classic in the cosmology field. It is also rather terse - only 150 or so pages in & out. Ferris brings us up to to date on many of the "happenings" in cosmology since 1979. He discusses such diverse areas of physics as gravity waves, the mystery of singularities, why black holes have no hair and quantum weirdness (although the latter is an understatement...). I actually preferred this book over the much more famous "A Brief History In Time" by the Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking. Hawking's prose is a bit more dry than Ferris' and "Brief / Time" does not go as in depth into many important concepts as this book. So, for those of you who wonder (like me) how in the world the universe began (or, perhaps, how in the universe the world began), this book is for you. Ferris can't answer all your questions, to be sure. But you can learn an awful lot in the process of engaging what we don't know. Also, in addition to this book I would recommend the PBS home video "The Creation Of The Universe" which is hosted by Ferris. It is the best video cosmological documentary I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few). It, too, is available at Amazon.com
Rating: 
Summary: A good overview of all aspects of cosmology
Review: I took a short, on-line course in cosmology this past month for which Timothy Ferris' book, The Whole Shebang, was the required text. Although I have a strong interest in physics and cosmology, I am by no means what I would call "good" at it. With only a rudimentary understanding of things like quantum mechanics, relativity physics and string theory, I still found the text readable. I felt that it was clearly enough written for the lay person that I was able to recommend it to a friend with little physics background who had enquired about the subject. This was especially the case as the text covers almost every aspect of cosmology, even in its final two chapters the question of God and the universe. Covered also are the concepts of the speed of light and "seeing" the past of the universe, the expansion of the universe and the question of its fate, the first few moments of the universe and the creation of matter, the possibility of other universes, the possibility of other dimensions beyond the four we experience, the evolution of the large scale structures of the universe, the anthropic cosmological principle, and for those with a special interest in the topic of religion and philosophy vis a vie physics and cosmology, a discussion of God and the universe. Although there are several books which give a more in depth account of each of these topics, this one is an excellent compendium, which is probably why it was chosen as the text for the class. The bibliographic notes to the text are all a little old, being mostly primary sources. This is good from the historical perspective, as it makes the reader aware of the underlying research in support of the author's text, who did it, what it was, and when it was done. However, it doesn't give the reader many of the more current titles with which to follow up his/her own interests. All in all a good starting point.
Rating:
Summary: A good overview of all aspects of cosmology
Review: I took a short, on-line course in cosmology this past month for which Timothy Ferris' book, The Whole Shebang, was the required text. Although I have a strong interest in physics and cosmology, I am by no means what I would call "good" at it. With only a rudimentary understanding of things like quantum mechanics, relativity physics and string theory, I still found the text readable. I felt that it was clearly enough written for the lay person that I was able to recommend it to a friend with little physics background who had enquired about the subject. This was especially the case as the text covers almost every aspect of cosmology, even in its final two chapters the question of God and the universe. Covered also are the concepts of the speed of light and "seeing" the past of the universe, the expansion of the universe and the question of its fate, the first few moments of the universe and the creation of matter, the possibility of other universes, the possibility of other dimensions beyond the four we experience, the evolution of the large scale structures of the universe, the anthropic cosmological principle, and for those with a special interest in the topic of religion and philosophy vis a vie physics and cosmology, a discussion of God and the universe. Although there are several books which give a more in depth account of each of these topics, this one is an excellent compendium, which is probably why it was chosen as the text for the class. The bibliographic notes to the text are all a little old, being mostly primary sources. This is good from the historical perspective, as it makes the reader aware of the underlying research in support of the author's text, who did it, what it was, and when it was done. However, it doesn't give the reader many of the more current titles with which to follow up his/her own interests. All in all a good starting point.
Rating: 
Summary: Six-Pack Theology
Review: Like so many of his colleagues, Mr. Ferris just can't resist telling us about God. As usual, this occurs in the last chapter of until then was a very good book. His grasp of the philosophical and theological arguments for God's existence--an issue which he should have steered clear of--is less than satisfactory. Just consider his responses to the ontological argument. He claims Kant, [with his baggage of categorical imperatives] put the argument to bed. What of Leibnitz and other thinkers who to this day wrestle with the argument? And then he stops short of other thinkers--Whitehead, Bernard Lonergan and others who address many other scientific issues along with the problem of God. Early in the book Mr. Ferris would
put a wall between science and religious issues. He should have stayed on his side of the wall. Scientists just don't do well when it comes to matters of philosophy or theology and Mr. Ferris is no exception to the general rule. A good book until the Afterword. If Mr. Ferris thinks God remains silent it may be becaue he simply hasn't listened very well.
Rating:
Summary: The Book of the UNIVERSE
Review: Now there is a plenty of the books of the authors of every possible calibers from various schools and predecessors. All of them are good in own way. However offered book is laborious work of the author giving to generalize and to inform to us in the form the unique summary of a basis cosmology. And so it is time to begin to understand with this cosmology. Please, take and read this book. It will be useful both schoolboy, and student, and pensioner.
Rating:
Summary: an enlightening journey
Review: one of the best science books i have read. a must for anyone interested in uderstanding some of nature' secrets.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning summary of the Cosmos
Review: The Whole Shebang is a marvelous book that expertly explains the working of the universe in a simple and understandable manner, which almost ever reader will comprehend. Whether you're an amateur cosmologist, or just an average Joe (or Joe-Ann) who wants to learn a little about the universe, this book is for you! Ferris does a wonderful job of explaining all the basics of the universe, in a loose and fluid writing style, without overwhelming the reader, making the book a lighter read then some of its counterparts. Does this sound too much like a commercial? Well, if it does, I'm sorry. But this book is by far the best educational literature I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on cosmology available
Review: This book is a must for anyone interested in the history of the universe. It gives a detailed description of the predominant models of the universe presently used by scientists (with the exception of Superstring theory). It also goes in depth into the factors that come into play which determine why astronomers and physicists think the way they do about the origin & evolution of the cosmos. This book covers much the same material as Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History In Time" but I think Ferris' book is a bit more lucid and easy to read. His writing style is also not as dry as Hawking's. This is certainly not the only cosmology text out there, but I believe it's one of the best. People interested in this book should also consider purchasing the PBS Home Video "The Creation Of The Universe" (also available at Amazon.com) which is hosted by Ferris.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars is Too Few
Review: This book was written for anyone to understand the mysteries of space and what a job Timmothy Ferris did, such a complicated issue explained so clearly. A great book for everyone to read I recommend it for all.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning summary of the Cosmos
Review: This is an absolutely stunning summary of the leading edge theories of advanced physics in an easy to read and entertaining format. Although nobody can understand a physics book without at least a modicum of knowledge about the basics, Ferris' work manages to remain easy reading until the end. It addresses everything you always wanted to know about quantum physics, cosmology, space-time, unified theories, superstring theory, etc. More importantly, instead of shoving a long, historical introductory chapter into your face (like most other books in this genre tend to do) it sneaks in the relevant historical facts in the form of small, captivating and humorous personal stories that pepper every chapter. It is getting outdated, of course, as the years go by, but I still haven't seen anything that would be better while remaining just as comprehensive and readable. It is in roughly the same genre as "The Cosmic Code" or "The Dancing Wu Li Masters", but without any pretentious mumbo-jumbo. Finally, it shows much more respect to religion than other works, which is refreshing.
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