Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Original price was: $18.95.$7.97Current price is: $7.97.
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Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold.
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.
From the Publisher
ASIN : 0393609391
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date : May 2, 2017
Edition : First Edition
Language : English
Print length : 224 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780393609394
ISBN-13 : 978-0393609394
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 7.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Astrophysics & Space Science (Books) #1 in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Customer Reviews: 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (37,392) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
9 reviews for Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
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Original price was: $18.95.$7.97Current price is: $7.97.
Crenshaw –
I’m an idiot and I get it.
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is an eye-opening read for someone like me just starting to learn about space. The way he explains big, complicated ideas in simple language makes it exciting instead of overwhelming. I never felt lost, and each chapter left me curious to know more. It feels like the perfect first step into understanding the universe, both approachable and inspiring at the same time.
Kenneth L. Matheny –
Fun book by a scientist with a great sense of humor
This book is exactly what its title suggests: astrophysics for people in a hurry. It is a brief, clear, concise overview of the current.state of astrophysics, covering everything from the Big Bang to the evolution of the universe, the development of planets and stars, the evolution of life on earth, astrophysics and chemistry, asteroids, comets, the whole shebang. And, it’s wonderful! Over the last couple of decades, we have been blessed with a number of books by eminent scientists who clearly explain the latest findings and theories in physics, astronomy, and biology. These books have helped those of us who majored in the liberal arts (i.e. people who can’t do math) to attain basic literacy in the hard sciences. For anyone who hasn’t read a book that introduces complex scientific theories and discoveries to the average person, Professor Tyson’s book is a wonderful place to start. Professor Tyson has a gift for making very complex concepts and theories comprehensible to the layperson. There are other scientists who have written similar books, and I’ve read all or most of them, but I believe that when it comes to clarity and ease of comprehension, Professor Tyson’s books might be the best available. For anyone who thinks that this book might be dry and dull, I can assure you it’s not. It’s a lot of fun, and Professor Tyson has a GREAT sense of humor. This is a quick read, and I learned a lot. But most of all, as the book’s last chapter illustrates, it’s very important for us to have the “cosmic perspective.” To understand the vastness of the universe, to appreciate its wonder and its terror, the cosmic perspective helps us to realize how precious and beautiful our own little part of the universe is and the importance of our caring for it and preserving it for future generations. Professor Tyson does a wonderful job of explaining how we are not only part of the universe; the universe is part of us. He helps us to understand that our short, fleeting participation in a universe filled with such wonders is cause for rejoicing. Great book. Buy it; read it. You’ll love it.
Billy, Rachel & Fam… –
Greatly enjoyable…
I see one or two star reviews because this is difficult to understand for novices or passers-by looking to glean some basics about the cosmos. I believe this is because people read the title and expect the book to contain basic, introductory information. Here the title may be interpreted as a ‘Astrophysics for Dummies’ or ‘Astrophysics 101’ type of study, but the book’s title, and more so the book’s epigraph, (“For all those who are too busy to read fat books yet nonetheless seek a conduit to the cosmos”) suggest that a lot of information is presented in a concise read with a plethora of details shortened in summary. And so it is.Some low to middling reviews lament Mr. Tyson’s glazing over topics with less detail than would be preferred. Here I believe the brevity offered for each topic is exactly what the title promises: a quick, detailed read with an assumption that the reader has a basic understanding of math and science that informs astrophysics. And so the 12 chapters, each broken in to smaller, quick-burst summaries, provide history and present-day knowledge of the topics that explain mankind’s understanding of the universe.Granted, I am not an astrophysicist, nor am I of much value to any form of science or math in general, being that I’m massively right-brained, more a musician, poet, satirist, writer, philosopher.But I love the cosmos! I find a beauty in the universe that quickens my heart, inflates my lungs, consumes my mind, floods my spirit, and allows deep fascination to etch itself within my soul. The unfathomable expanse in which this little blue planet upon which we live exists, like a infinitesimal Lilliputian in a Brobdingnagian sea, is simultaneously mesmerizing and terrifying. In the beauty of what appears to be chaos is actually scientific principle governed by concrete, scientifically sound laws. I find peace and am stilled by the possibilities. Also, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s approach to the universe, and his intense interest in things which affect our daily lives on earth but aren’t particularly relevant to astrophysics, is unique, funny, easily interactive, and deeply moving.So, yes, I read this book, I understood the basic principles of science, the bases of mathematical models, all concepts absorbed by my artistic lens which is informed by my penchant for learning as an autodidact. I’m greatly pleased! Our universe is gorgeous and the laws that govern its existence are enjoyably complex but herein adroitly explained.
aurorajq –
Feeling insignificant!
A great read with so many eye opening facts about ourselves and the universe we exist in. An excellent addition to all of his books. Can’t wait to read all that he writes. Plus, watch his Startalk videos!
Bernabé –
Mi hijo es un adolescente que le fascina la astronomía, ha quedado fascinado con esta obra.
Sebastian –
Ontzettend interessant voor mensen met interesse in astronomie en / of astrofysica. Helder en duidelijk uitgelegd door de welbekende Amerikaanse astrofysicus Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Atris –
Very interesting easy to read book, I liked it so much I bought my dad a copy too.
Loopylou –
A good read, well written.
Javier Teran –
Fun bookNeil has a great sense of humor!