Call number
523.01 TYS
Collection
Publication
W. W. Norton & Company (2017), Edition: 1, 224 pages
Description
"The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There's no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day. While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe"--… (more)
Media reviews
(Interview of Neil deGrasse Tyson by Stephen Colbert about the book, on YouTube).
User reviews
LibraryThing member publiusdb
Mostly harmless.
LibraryThing member nmarun
Let me just say this - I thoroughly enjoy reading/listening to Dr. Tyson. His deep understanding about even general Science allows him to explain even the complex things in really simple terms - hamburger is an oblate spheroid - absolutely brilliant, will remember that for a long time to come
Yes, there are some things repeated from his earlier book Death by a Black Hole, but I saw it as a revival of those concepts. I classify his book as easy-to-read, entertaining and enlightening.
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sir.Yes, there are some things repeated from his earlier book Death by a Black Hole, but I saw it as a revival of those concepts. I classify his book as easy-to-read, entertaining and enlightening.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
I’m no astrophysicist, but this was a quick glimpse into that world. His writing is engaging and so it kept me interested from start to finish.
LibraryThing member Doondeck
Tyson did a good job in trying to explain astrophysics but most of it is still beyond me.
LibraryThing member barbharris1
Neil deGrasse Tyson does an excellent job presenting concise, easy to understand concepts in astrophysics. He gives you just enough information to grasp many concepts in astrophysics and cosmology. You can then use this knowledge to explore the concepts in more depth elsewhere.
LibraryThing member rmckeown
First a disclaimer: I do not understand much of the intricacies of physics, let alone any algebra or math higher than the most basic of mathematics. But for most of m reading life I have been fascinated with outer space, which is increased every time new pictures from Hubble appear or photos from
Tyson is a most worthy successor to Carl Sagan. He explains difficult aspects of physics accessible to all readers who share my fascination. He begins by breaking down the steps of the Big Bang, beginning with one trillionth of a second after the event up to 1,000,000,000 years ago. My favorite chapter is “Between the Galaxies.” He writes, “In the grand tally of cosmic constituents, galaxies are what typically counted. The latest estimates show that the observable universe may contain a hundred billion of them. Bright and beautiful and packed with stars, galaxies decorate the dark voids of space like cities across a country at night. But just how voidy is the void of space? (How empty is the countryside between cities?) Just because galaxies are in your face, and just because they would have us believe that nothing else matters, the universe may nonetheless contain hard-to-detect things between the galaxies. Maybe those things are more interesting, or more important to the evolution of the universe, than the galaxies themselves” (62). This takes me back to the first time I peered through a department store telescope a looked at a blurry smudge that is the Andromeda Galaxy.
I flirted for a while with considering a degree in astronomy or physics, but the reality of my math skills slammed on the breaks. I have a weird inability to add, divide, multiply, or subtract more than two figures at a time. A hand calculator is now my necessary companion.
A hot topic in physics today is the mysterious “dark matter.” It appears as though the largest amount of matter in our universe is not made up of planets, asteroids, and stars, but rather it is composed of this invisible powerful force. Tyson says it took geniuses like Newton and Einstein to get us to where we are today. He wonders who will be the next Sheldon Cooper. Tyson writes, “We don’t know who’s next in the genius sequence, but we’ve now been waiting nearly a century for somebody to tell us why the bulk of all the gravitational force that we’ve measured is in the universe—about eight-five percent of it—arises from substances that do not otherwise interact with ‘our’ matter or energy. Or maybe the excess gravity doesn’t come from matter and energy at all, but emanates from some other conceptual thing. In any case, we are essential clueless. We find ourselves no closer to an answer today than we were when this ‘missing mass’ problem was first fully analyzed in 1937 by the Swiss-American astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky. He taught at the California Institute of Technology for more than forty years, combining his far ranging insights into the cosmos with a colorful means of expression and an impressive ability to antagonize his colleagues” (77). I enjoy the popular comedy, ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ immensely, and I wonder if a real Sheldon Cooper might be in school somewhere, and that I will hear of his discoveries in my lifetime.
If you have an interest in all things scientific—as I do—Neil deGrasse Tyson’s book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will have you gazing up into the night sky and wondering. 5 stars.
--Chiron, 6/21/17
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the far reaches of our tiny blue dot. My first look at Carl Sagan and his series, Cosmos, is the centerpiece of what I do know. Recently, Neil deGrasse Tyson became a source of amazement and wonder. Neil has written a marvelous book titled Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. I actually read this 208 page book in a single sitting. Tyson is a most worthy successor to Carl Sagan. He explains difficult aspects of physics accessible to all readers who share my fascination. He begins by breaking down the steps of the Big Bang, beginning with one trillionth of a second after the event up to 1,000,000,000 years ago. My favorite chapter is “Between the Galaxies.” He writes, “In the grand tally of cosmic constituents, galaxies are what typically counted. The latest estimates show that the observable universe may contain a hundred billion of them. Bright and beautiful and packed with stars, galaxies decorate the dark voids of space like cities across a country at night. But just how voidy is the void of space? (How empty is the countryside between cities?) Just because galaxies are in your face, and just because they would have us believe that nothing else matters, the universe may nonetheless contain hard-to-detect things between the galaxies. Maybe those things are more interesting, or more important to the evolution of the universe, than the galaxies themselves” (62). This takes me back to the first time I peered through a department store telescope a looked at a blurry smudge that is the Andromeda Galaxy.
I flirted for a while with considering a degree in astronomy or physics, but the reality of my math skills slammed on the breaks. I have a weird inability to add, divide, multiply, or subtract more than two figures at a time. A hand calculator is now my necessary companion.
A hot topic in physics today is the mysterious “dark matter.” It appears as though the largest amount of matter in our universe is not made up of planets, asteroids, and stars, but rather it is composed of this invisible powerful force. Tyson says it took geniuses like Newton and Einstein to get us to where we are today. He wonders who will be the next Sheldon Cooper. Tyson writes, “We don’t know who’s next in the genius sequence, but we’ve now been waiting nearly a century for somebody to tell us why the bulk of all the gravitational force that we’ve measured is in the universe—about eight-five percent of it—arises from substances that do not otherwise interact with ‘our’ matter or energy. Or maybe the excess gravity doesn’t come from matter and energy at all, but emanates from some other conceptual thing. In any case, we are essential clueless. We find ourselves no closer to an answer today than we were when this ‘missing mass’ problem was first fully analyzed in 1937 by the Swiss-American astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky. He taught at the California Institute of Technology for more than forty years, combining his far ranging insights into the cosmos with a colorful means of expression and an impressive ability to antagonize his colleagues” (77). I enjoy the popular comedy, ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ immensely, and I wonder if a real Sheldon Cooper might be in school somewhere, and that I will hear of his discoveries in my lifetime.
If you have an interest in all things scientific—as I do—Neil deGrasse Tyson’s book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will have you gazing up into the night sky and wondering. 5 stars.
--Chiron, 6/21/17
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LibraryThing member writemoves
I have seen Dr. Tyson on various programs and I always enjoy his insights and enthusiasm about various scientific issues. That being said, I may have understood about 20% of this book. I think for someone like myself who has a nonscientific background or education, this book cannot be read in a
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hurry. For someone who was familiar with the topic, I am sure that you found the book well written. However, there were a lot of terms and descriptions within the book that I had no idea about. I'll wait for the movie… Show Less
LibraryThing member gmmartz
I'd like to say I read 'Astrophysics for People in a Hurry' cover-to-cover and understood every bit of it, but sadly I bounced around quite a bit and comprehended considerably less than all. That being said, it's an enjoyable read (or skim) since Neil DeGrasse Tyson is such an excellent
If you're heavily into astronomy/astrophysics, you'll likely get a lot out of this one. If, though, you're like me and enjoyed high school physics and maybe had an astronomy course in college, you'll find a several topics that are interesting enough to explore and Tyson's writing will help you learn a little.
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communicator and interjects just the right amount of levity into some pretty deep topics.If you're heavily into astronomy/astrophysics, you'll likely get a lot out of this one. If, though, you're like me and enjoyed high school physics and maybe had an astronomy course in college, you'll find a several topics that are interesting enough to explore and Tyson's writing will help you learn a little.
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LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
“smat-ter-ing” noun — the smallest unit of knowledge, i.e. ‘factoid’, retainable by dense bodies when passing through a geeky science nebula.
I don’t know a lot about the universe other than that I’m in it, it’s very big, and I’m not. So I thought this popular book of science
The writing here is breezy and efficient. Each chapter tackles some astrophysical phenomenon and provides some sense of it and, usually, its discovery’s historical significance in the development of astrophysics. You’ll get the distinct feeling that you actually understand what is going on…until you close the book and attempt to enthuse to your significant other about the wonder of invisible light. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the journey. And I do feel almost one smattering bit more knowledgeable.
Gently recommended.
I don’t know a lot about the universe other than that I’m in it, it’s very big, and I’m not. So I thought this popular book of science
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popularized might be just the thing. A little amuse-bouche to whet my appetite for bigger things, or just one very big thing. It’s the kind of book where, without irony or risk of ridicule, sentences can begin, “Ever since the dawn of time…” And the great thing about this subject is that with the universe expanding at its current rate, my smattering of knowledge gleaned from this book will be, relative to all the knowledge possible, nearly as impressive as Mr deGrasse Tyson’s. (It’s a calculus joke, I think.) The writing here is breezy and efficient. Each chapter tackles some astrophysical phenomenon and provides some sense of it and, usually, its discovery’s historical significance in the development of astrophysics. You’ll get the distinct feeling that you actually understand what is going on…until you close the book and attempt to enthuse to your significant other about the wonder of invisible light. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the journey. And I do feel almost one smattering bit more knowledgeable.
Gently recommended.
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
series of essays by astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson read by the author who does a great job. I only listened to the book and did not have the actual book. I know that physics and quantum physics are not my strength. I like science but tend more toward the biology side of things. I like that in
It was a really quick listen and I may read (listen) to it again some day.
Rating 4
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physics, laws are laws and they are unalterable. I think this was a quick and dirty look at physics and I appreciated its brevity. I did like the author’s quote of the law of the speed of light, hopefully this is correct, remember I only listened, “The speed of light, not just a good idea, it’s the law.” And also his t-shirt that read “Obey gravity”. I think that would be a fun t-shirt to own. It was a really quick listen and I may read (listen) to it again some day.
Rating 4
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LibraryThing member bell7
Neil deGrasse Tyson, whom you might recognize from his podcast StarTalk as well as a myriad other projects, writes about a variety of topics in astrophysics, breaking down such heady concepts as relativity, dark matter, dark energy - basically life, the universe and everything.
The whole book is
The whole book is
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quite short and each chapter takes a different concept and explains it mostly very simply (I didn't take physics in high school and could probably follow about 80% of it). Accessible, mind-blowing reading. If you're at all interested in cosmology and astrophysics, I highly recommend this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member bcrowl399
I read this book on the advice of my brother and I'm glad I did. It's a very interesting subject and one which I wouldn't normally be attracted to. I thought it would be too scientific and parts of it were, but most of it was understandable even to a bumpkin like me. There are several sections that
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I will take notes from and the "cosmic perspective" notes I will post on my bulletin board. All humans should read this book and be better humans because of it. You will certainly gain a deeper appreciation of the world we live in and the world that surrounds us. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is nourishment for anyone who has ever looked at the sky and pondered what is out there. Dr. Tyson provides the perfect amount of information, getting into diverse and dense topics in such a way that anyone can understand them. The only caveat to that is the book
The best thing about the book is Dr. Tyson’s enthusiasm. He loves astrophysics and wants everyone else to love it too. He brings the topics down to a comprehensible level just so others love it as much as he does, and it works. He venerates the universe and its myriad mysteries, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Moreover, he explains why he loves it so much, and you totally understand his reasoning. After three short hours listening to Dr. Tyson speak about dark matter, the planets, elements, neutrinos, and the like, suddenly the universe holds vast appeal for you too.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry makes me lament my career choice and wish I had given the field of astrophysics another look in college. It provides an excellent broad overview of the field, enough to make you dangerous at parties, and piques your interest to learn more about various specifics. Dr. Tyson is a delightful narrator, as anyone who has ever heard him speak can imagine. I enjoyed listening so much that I wish it had been longer and will be looking at some of his other published works.
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operates under the assumption that you have at least heard of some of the topics already even if you have no idea what they are. While Dr. Tyson does satisfactorily explain everything, sometimes his explanations are brief, as befits the intention of the book.The best thing about the book is Dr. Tyson’s enthusiasm. He loves astrophysics and wants everyone else to love it too. He brings the topics down to a comprehensible level just so others love it as much as he does, and it works. He venerates the universe and its myriad mysteries, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Moreover, he explains why he loves it so much, and you totally understand his reasoning. After three short hours listening to Dr. Tyson speak about dark matter, the planets, elements, neutrinos, and the like, suddenly the universe holds vast appeal for you too.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry makes me lament my career choice and wish I had given the field of astrophysics another look in college. It provides an excellent broad overview of the field, enough to make you dangerous at parties, and piques your interest to learn more about various specifics. Dr. Tyson is a delightful narrator, as anyone who has ever heard him speak can imagine. I enjoyed listening so much that I wish it had been longer and will be looking at some of his other published works.
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LibraryThing member Berly
I listened to this rather than read it, and I think I would have enjoyed the latter better. There was just too much I wanted to hear again and I couldn't concentrate well enough in traffic. But it was still very fun and interesting. A look at how we have discovered space; named elements and
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planets; the composition of life; the expansion of the universe; what elements are most common; the upper limit of the speed of light...so many fun facts and explanations. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member JaredOrlando
Tyson makes even the lay person moved to look up.
There is no astrophysicist more excited than he, and even though the text of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry can be pretty dense and confusing, you tend to hold on, research a little more on your own, fascinated by how minuscule we are in the
Recommended for anyone who is tired of looking into screens and, instead, become curious by the star stuff they are made of.
There is no astrophysicist more excited than he, and even though the text of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry can be pretty dense and confusing, you tend to hold on, research a little more on your own, fascinated by how minuscule we are in the
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grand landscape of the universe. Recommended for anyone who is tired of looking into screens and, instead, become curious by the star stuff they are made of.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
As its name implies, Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is not an in-depth analysis of its topic. Nonetheless, it is quite informative and well-written, with a touch of humor. He covers, albeit with a broad brush, abstruse topics like dark matter and dark energy as well as
(JAB)
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basic concepts like the solar system, galaxies, and novae. It’s a breezy read, but well worth the effort of a couple hours with one of America’s favorite public intellectuals.(JAB)
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LibraryThing member jrthebutler
What is the nature of space and time? How do people fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within them? There's no better guide through these mind expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and bestselling author Neil deGrasse Tyson
LibraryThing member John_Warner
Noted physicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson has compiled a collection of essays on astrophysics and cosmology including the big bang, dark matter and energy, creation of elements and what lies beyond the solar system. He has a knack for making the unexplained explainable, e.g., to imagine the
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density of a pulsar, one should think about stuffing a hundred-million elephants into a ChapStick casing. A worthy book for those seeking an understandable survey of astrophysics. Show Less
LibraryThing member KamGeb
The first chapter was hard to get through, but after that it became much more interesting. It was such a fast read. There were nuggets of information that were really interesting or said in a way I had never heard before. My favorite line in the book is to understand how dense a pulsar is
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“imagine stuffing a hundred-million elephants into a Chapstick casing” However, the book really skims over everything. If you really want to get a good understanding of any of these concepts you are going to go to another, more comprehensive book. Show Less
LibraryThing member DanieXJ
There is a lot of science stuffed into this small book. And I believe that I at least understood the book while I was reading it. Who knows how long it'll stay there (I'm hoping a long time, but, one never knows), but, it made more than enough sense in the moment, and he totally managed to find a
Tyson is also a really good writer (the science aside), I mean, c'mon now, he managed to get a fart joke in the book. Heh, I love it. Not to mention all of his other sometimes hilarious asides.
It was not just a learning experience of a book, but it was quite the fun read too.
I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of W. W. Norton & Company.
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balance between, 'I have to explain everything because I think the readers aren't educated', and 'This is a Ph.D. class paper, what do you mean you don't understand this forty syllable term'. I think that the book struck the perfect balance between the two.Tyson is also a really good writer (the science aside), I mean, c'mon now, he managed to get a fart joke in the book. Heh, I love it. Not to mention all of his other sometimes hilarious asides.
It was not just a learning experience of a book, but it was quite the fun read too.
I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of W. W. Norton & Company.
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LibraryThing member ajlewis2
Easy to understand and enjoyable read. It's exactly as the title says.
LibraryThing member plappen
What is the nature of time and space? What is our place in the universe? Those are the sort of questions that this book attempts to answer.
Scientists don't know just what dark matter or dark energy is all about. It could be some new particle or new phenomenon, as yet undiscovered. Whatever it is,
Several thousand exoplanets have been discovered orbiting other stars. At interstellar distances, it is usually not possible to see the actual planet. Therefore, scientists have to focus their attention on a specific star, and look for a slight dimming of its brightness as a planet passes in front of it. It would be wrong to think that the space between galaxies, like the Milky Way, is just empty space. All sorts of things have been found, like runaway stars, gas clouds, x-ray emitting gas clouds, high-energy charged particles, dark matter and dwarf galaxies. Visible light occupies only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Mankind has started to look at the stars using detectors that focus on everything from ultraviolet rays to infrared to radio waves.
This is a gem of a book. It is very easy to read and understand, even for non-scientists. This book was made to be read on the commuter bus, or while waiting at the doctor's office. It is very much worth the reader's time.
Scientists don't know just what dark matter or dark energy is all about. It could be some new particle or new phenomenon, as yet undiscovered. Whatever it is,
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it accounts for the vast majority of the weight of the known universe. Scientists have been able to recreate conditions the tiniest fraction of a second after the Big Bang. They just can't get back to the actual moment of, or just before, the Big Bang.Several thousand exoplanets have been discovered orbiting other stars. At interstellar distances, it is usually not possible to see the actual planet. Therefore, scientists have to focus their attention on a specific star, and look for a slight dimming of its brightness as a planet passes in front of it. It would be wrong to think that the space between galaxies, like the Milky Way, is just empty space. All sorts of things have been found, like runaway stars, gas clouds, x-ray emitting gas clouds, high-energy charged particles, dark matter and dwarf galaxies. Visible light occupies only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Mankind has started to look at the stars using detectors that focus on everything from ultraviolet rays to infrared to radio waves.
This is a gem of a book. It is very easy to read and understand, even for non-scientists. This book was made to be read on the commuter bus, or while waiting at the doctor's office. It is very much worth the reader's time.
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LibraryThing member strandbooks
Starting my 2018 reading with a bang...a Big Bang.
I got lost in a lot of the science, for example the parts regarding the chemistry and the types of wavelengths and light because I was constantly thinking "but how do they know that? How did someone figure that out?" It makes sense that my favorite
I got lost in a lot of the science, for example the parts regarding the chemistry and the types of wavelengths and light because I was constantly thinking "but how do they know that? How did someone figure that out?" It makes sense that my favorite
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part of the book were the historical ones about various scientists and their work. I wish the very last chapter Reflections on the Cosmic Perspective had been the first chapter. It's Neil deGrasse Tyson at his best, explaining why we invest in science and why understanding the cosmos can make us better citizens of the earth. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jane-Phillips
This is a great introduction to astrophysics and a quick read for such an immense and incomprehensible topic. Some of the discoveries in regards to this are completely mind-blowing to me. but I think that even a basic understanding can help shape a personal view of an individual and their place in
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the universe and how connected everything actually is. Show Less
LibraryThing member knightlight777
A nice essay type book that covers the knowable universe from soup to nuts, or quarks to black holes. In Tyson's typical style easy flowing and thought provoking. He has a way of making the complex understandable in lay terms.
Once we put ourselves into perspective of what he tells us here we do
Once we put ourselves into perspective of what he tells us here we do
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seem insignificant in the scheme of things yet impact our own environment not unlike things from afar. Did I just write that? In any respect a good read and one to ponder in those quiet moments. Show Less
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2018)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2017)
Pages
224
ISBN
0393609391 / 9780393609394
Lexile
1250L