Welcome to the universe: an astrophysical tour – by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott,

Welcome to the universe: an astrophysical tour – by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott, 425 pages (2016)

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What I liked about this book

I liked the way these unbelievably skilled astrophysicists – moonlighting as very talented authors – were able to take the cosmic novice into a (mostly) reader-friendly journey of a world most us only knew tidbits from television shows like Star Trek or the  Jetsons. We are able to grasp how the universe began (with a Big Bang – boom!), what has taken place since the Big Bang, and what we can expect to occur between now and…whenever it all ends.

What I learned from this book

I learned that when we become 31 years, 251 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes, and 54.7843 seconds (not adjusted for Leap Years), we have lived on this earth for exactly ONE BILLION SECONDS!  Dr. Tyson shares a personal tale from years ago when he stopped what he was doing at this moment and drank a nice, long swig of champagne to celebrate his milestone.  His point was that very few of us experience this number in any form – so, it may be worth our while to stop and recognize the “accomplishment.”  I really appreciated learning this fact!

What I disliked about this book

There was nothing. It was one of the most comprehensive books I’ve come across in any field of science.  All three authors did a tremendous job in relaying a very complex subject matter into something of which most readers should be able to gain a basic understanding (at least, in general).

To whom would I recommend this book

I would recommend this book to anyone who has any curiosity in space (there are many).  Judging by the popularity of some of the recent series either broadcast on network television or streaming online like Dr. Neil Tyson’s Cosmos, I would imagine there are new generations of “space geeks” surfacing each and every day.  Welcome!

Any thoughts?

-A.N.