Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is the current title-holder of America's most beloved scientist. He is a frequent guest on TV and radio shows explaining the universe in a way that is accessible to most, and he also has a knack for humor and embraces his celebrity with genuine modesty. Director of the famed Hayden Planetarium, Dr. Tyson continues the legacy left behind by astronomer Carl Sagan as the go to person for guiding the average person across all 13 Billion years of the history of our universe. "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" is a brief and breezy introduction to everything from astrophysics, to the laws of gravity and motion, general relativity to the origin of the periodic elements. He starts with an explanation of the big bang that was easy to digest for anyone with a moderate interest in science. As the book progresses he narrows down to the formation of gas clouds and early super massive stars. Then Dr. Tyson begins to explain how stars like our sun were formed and how scientists are able to measure distance between stars. He goes on to explain the various theories that have been suggested over the centuries about how the universe is constructed and behaves. Finally he delivers a narrative of how our planet was formed, how the solar system was slowly discovered by scientist over the last 250 years. Dr. Tyson uses language that most people who made it through high school chemistry or physics would be able to understand. There is no high concept ideas that make most people's heads spin, or loose talk about string theory or multiverses; he keeps it relatively simple, only alluding to the many "exotic" theories about the universe and its origins. He often injects humor through his footnotes, and yes there is even one instance of a fart joke (for science!). Much in the vein of Bill Nye his passion for science and his desire for understanding comes through in a relatable and genuine way. My reason for reading this book was based mostly on the fact that I have always shared Dr. Tyson's fascination with the cosmos and have asked myself the questions many people ask him when given the chance: What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? Is time travel possible? This book is useful because it makes big, huge, expansive ideas like these small enough to make sense, even if just for a few moments. It's both a guidebook to the universe, and a reference book to be called upon later. It's funny and awe-inspiring. Its author is both brilliant and an everyman. I was entertained and informed, and it only made me want to know more.

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.

This book did exactly what it said it would do - give people who have little understanding of astrophysics in the fastest possible. It was a download about a science that spans the known universe. What it did well: There was a lot of really good information. I learned things I never knew about the universe and it helped me to understand some of the chatter I hear in other media better. It improved my understanding of the scientific discipline, what they had accomplished to date and what the current areas of focus were. It was a true, high level primer. What it could have done better: The hardest part of the book to comprehend were the first two chapters. I had to read, pause, think, reread, pause, reread, then just keep going hoping that the additional context later in the book would help me to decipher what the author meant. To be fair - it worked. The later parts of the book did make those early parts more clear and I left the book feeling like I had a solid understanding of what the book was about and what it was saying. I did skip the last chapter because, honestly, it strayed into personal philosophies of the author instead of the science which was just less interesting overall. Overall I really liked it. I would read it again and recommend it to others.

A short and accessible introduction to many of the mysteries of the universe. Did you know, for example, that: 1) we still don’t know what dark matter is, but we do know that it is responsible for holding the Universe together; 2) that dark matter comprises 27% of all mass-energy in the universe, that the equally mysterious dark energy is responsible for a whopping 68%, and that the ‘regular’ matter that makes up our known world accounts for just 5%; 3) that a hundred billion neutrinos from the Sun pass through every thumbnail square of your body every second, without a trace of interaction with your body’s systems; 3) “A single breath of air draws in more air molecules than there are breathfuls of air in the Earth’s entire atmosphere. That means that some of the air you just breathed passed through the lungs of Napoleon, Beethoven, Lincoln, and Billy the Kid;” 4) “There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on any beach [and] more stars than seconds have passed since Earth formed;” 5) the universe is expanding rapidly and its galaxies are hurtling away from each other. That means “in a trillion years or so, anyone alive in our own galaxy may know nothing of other galaxies. Our observable universe will merely comprise a system of nearby, long-lived stars within the Milky Way”. The book contains many more interesting nuggets and mind-boggling insights into our weird and amazing universe. All food for thought and philosophical introspection. A quick and enjoyable read.

I loved this book. It is well written, easy to follow, and keeps you engaged. There is no extravagant astrophysics language so it is perfect for someone interested in the field. I am not a reader but this book was wonderful, I couldn't put it down.

I picked up this book recently since I was curious what were the latest discoveries in science were and figured that Neal deGrasse Tyson would be a good intro. Used to keep up with all the science discoveries when I was younger, but have not lately. This book was the right one for just such an update. The chapters are fairly brief most of the time and he lets one idea develop before transitioning to another. You do not feel overwhelmed (most of the time) with facts and discoveries and can reflect on the material as you go along. The personal asides are a nice touch, like the one about the hot cocoa and using science to prove that someone had made a mistake. This is one of the things that makes it feel not like a science textbook, but a science conversation with him. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was when you are reading it, you feel like he is standing there talking to you and that it is not just written words. After finishing the book, I put on Cosmos hosted by Neal deGrasse Tyson and it felt the same as when I was reading the book which shows his style is the same for both mediums. Each chapter usually will have a personal aside which makes it less of a scientific recital as a conversation between people and a real teaching experience. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to catch up on the recent discoveries in science and wants a way to understand the terms you hear thrown around on TV and the Internet. This book does an excellent job of bridging the gap between those who are science knowledgeable and those who need it explained in more everyday terms in order to understand what is going on in the world today.

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.

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Kindle Edition by Neil deGrasse Tyson (Author) This Kindle e-book was approximately 208 printed pages and sold for $8.91 at the time of writing this review. This short book attempts to put in layman's terms, the exotic subject of how the universe began and how we got to where we are today... with a plethora of tangents along the way. Astrophysics is a daunting subject even when presented in bite size pieces by one of the leading authorities on the topic, Neil deGrasse Tyson (NdGT). And even then it comes close, on several occasions, of overwhelming the reader. Case in point, I found the first chapter, IMHO, extremely advanced and difficult. So much so that I considered giving up right there. However I persevered, and I'm glad I did. The points NdGT makes are well explained and if you're paying attention, make sense. But there in a nutshell is the secret of getting the most out of this small work... you must give it your undivided attention. Contrary as the title suggests, if your one of those 'people in a hurry', your likely to get very little out of this book. The concepts presented are advanced and require an open mind that's willing to accept and question thoughts and ideations that are new to most of us. I found that if my mind wandered just a bit, I could easily lose the train of thought for the entire chapter. In the 'Preface' NdGT writes... 'you will earn a foundational fluency in all the major ideas and discoveries that drive our modern understanding of the universe. If I’ve succeeded, you’ll be culturally conversant in my field of expertise, and you just may be hungry for more.' Hmmm... 'culturally conversant in my field of expertise', well I read the book and I'm not sure that I'm at that advanced level. But what I can say is that I learned things that I had no inkling of previously and even gained a better understanding of a few things that I'd vaguely heard of before. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to have read this book and even more important (and satisfying), I actually got more out of it than I had hoped. As it is... 5 Stars Ray Nicholson @ralannicholson

Without knowing much about science and physics, the author still managed to make me understand the universe.

Fantastic book if you want to know more about what has happened before life on earth. Well written but it is not a quick book to read. There are a lot of facts that need to be absorbed. It explains Space for beginners and for those who don't have a degree in Science. This book would be good for a Senior in highschool who has interest in Astrophysics or just has a lot of questions about our galaxy. Some of the facts were hard for me to comprehend such as Saturn rotates at 22,000 m/hr at its equator where we rotate at 1,000 m/hr at our equator. This book has piqued my interest to learn more so I will be purchasing another book by Neil deGrasse Tyson soon.

I recently started reading Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it this much! I’m not quite finished with it yet, but I’m really glad I picked it up. Even though it’s about space and big scientific ideas, it’s written in a way that’s easy to understand—even for someone like me who is 10. The chapters are short, which makes it perfect if you don’t want to read for too long at once, and each one explains something really interesting about the universe, like how stars are born, what black holes are, and how everything is connected. What I like most is how it makes you feel small but also kind of special at the same time. It makes me think about how huge the universe is, but also how amazing it is that we get to learn about it. Some parts made me go “wow” because I never thought about space that way before. It’s definitely interesting and totally worth buying, especially if you’re curious about space or just want to learn something cool without it being boring or too complicated. I would recommend it to kids and adults because it’s fun, smart, and makes you think. Overall, even though I haven’t finished it yet, I already think it’s an awesome book and I’m really glad I started reading it! 🌟

Great book, the things are easily explained and it has good quality.

Such a greatly immersive book. Written in a well mannered tone with some light humour makes sense topics a lot lighter and understandable. I highly recommend it.