Review by Choice Review
Tyson, an astrophysicist and director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium, was the narrator for the recent PBS Nova series with the same title, and the book, like the TV series, is successful in conveying abstract concepts in a manner that is often breezy and whimsical but always authoritative. The book explores five different "origins": of the universe, of galaxies and cosmic structure, of stars, of planets, and of life. Tyson and Goldsmith, a writer, are particularly authoritative when discussing the first three fields, and they write about them with an insider's perspective. A typically wry and insightful comment: "... if no one knew in advance that stars exist, front-line research would offer plenty of convincing reasons why stars could never form." This is an unusually good introduction to the interconnectedness of these diverse cutting-edge fields. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates. T. Barker Wheaton College (MA)
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Since Carl Sagan's book-and-television package Cosmos0 (1980), astrophysicists have discovered that the universe will probably expand for eternity and have found planets orbiting neighboring stars. That's reason enough to update and redo the Sagan concept. Tyson and Goldsmith's book is allied with their four-hour PBS Nova0 special, which will air September 28 and 29. This book's popularity is thus ensured and, in effect, introduces the vibrant general-interest literature about individual post-Sagan advances in astronomy and cosmology, which includes Goldsmith's Worlds Unnumbered 0 (1997). The authors adopt a colloquial, even conversational style suited to readers new to the ideas and vocabulary of big-bang cosmology; they make comprehensible the connections between subatomic physics and the structure of the universe. With that as background, the authors then flit between the epoch of infinite density and temperature and the contemporary eon of galaxies, and they sign off with ruminations on extraterrestrial life, though they look askance at UFO devotees. Aiming for mass appeal, Tyson and Goldsmith cover the whole celestial block. --Gilbert Taylor Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This is the most informative, congenial and accessible general look at cosmology to come along since Carl Sagan's Cosmos 27 years ago-and, like Cosmos, it's a companion to a PBS series, in this case a Nova special (to air on September 28 and 29). But Tyson (The Sky Is Not the Limit, etc.), who's director of Manhattan's Hayden Planetarium, and Goldsmith (Connecting with the Cosmos, etc.) are no Sagan clones; they bring a distinct point of view and tone to this title. The point of view surfaces right away, both with their concerted effort to draw in numerous branches of science to explain the story of cosmic evolution, and with the statement that "science depends on organized skepticism." The authors continually refer to the reach and limits of science, explaining, as they offer a chronological tour of cosmic history, just what they think science can tell us and what it can't (as they end the journey, focusing on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, they deliver several sharp blows to true believers of UFOs). The tone is informational, aimed at high clarity, and laced with giddy humor: "A hundred billion years from now... all but the closest galaxies will have vanished over our horizon of visibility. Enjoy the view while you can." Beginning at the beginning, Tyson and Goldsmith tackle the origin of the universe and its nature-from antimatter to dark matter and dark energy to the possibility of multiverses; how the universe became organized; the origin of stars; a fascinating look at the periodic table; the origin of planets, including a vivid discuss of planets outside our solar system; and the origin of life. Much of this material will necessarily be familiar to regular readers of popular science, but even they will benefit from Tyson and Goldsmith's incorporation of the latest cosmological developments, from string theory to recent thinking on dark energy; and if this book breaks out, as it has real potential to do, general readers of every stripe will benefit from the authors' sophisticated, deeply knowledgeable presentation. If the casual book buyer purchases one science book this year, this should be the one. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Scientists are achieving a new understanding about the origins of our universe as the disciplines of geology, biology, and astrophysics bleed into one another. Astrophysicist Tyson is the director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium; Goldsmith is an astronomy writer with more than 20 books to his credit. Together, they have crafted a terrific historical perspective on humanity's pursuit of answers that offers insights into the recent findings that have both expanded our knowledge and raised even more intriguing questions. Amateur astronomersAin fact, any reader who enjoys popular scienceAwill find fascinating information presented in clear but never patronizing language. The mysteries of the cosmos have wide appeal, and this reader-friendly title, timed to coincide with the four-part Nova series on PBS in late September, is highly recommended for small academic and all public libraries.ADenise Hamilton, Heritage Christian Sch., Ridge, NH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Companion volume to a PBS Nova special takes a look at the origins of life, the universe, and everything. Hayden Planetarium director Tyson and popular science writer Goldsmith (The Hunt for Life on Mars, 1997, etc.) begin with the earliest time science is capable of describing, milliseconds after the Big Bang. Essential features of our universe were laid down in that unique moment, some of which--e.g., the minuscule excess of matter over antimatter--science is still at a loss to explain. Others, including the prevalence of so-called dark matter and dark energy, have only recently come to notice. After a period of cooling, the debris began to resemble the universe we now see. Gravity, light, and matter became predominant, with galaxies and stars taking shape. The authors give clear explanations of the processes involved as far as they are understood; Tyson and Goldsmith are not afraid to admit ignorance. Within the stars, originally composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, the other elements of the periodic table have been synthesized by nuclear fusion and spread about the galaxies in supernova explosions. From these stellar ashes, planets and the other bodies that orbit stars have been formed. The authors give useful updates on the progress in discovery of extra-solar planets (over a hundred are currently known) and of possible abodes of life in our own solar system (Mars, Europa, and Titan are now considered the best candidates). They end with a look at current thinking on the origins of life, a question made more complex by the discovery of extremophiles, creatures that live comfortably in environments formerly considered hostile to life. An accessible and extremely well written exploration of the deep waters of cosmology, astrophysics, and exobiology. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
