Best Aeronautics & Astronautics
On a winter day in 1903 on the remote Outer Banks of North Carolina two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history The age of flight had begun with the first heavier than air powered machine carrying a pilot Far more than a couple of Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success Wilbur and Orville Wright were men of exceptional ability unyielding determination and far ranging intellectual interest and curiosity Two time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough tells the dramatic story of how these courageous brothers taught the world how to fly and how their devoted sister Katharine played a far more important role than has been generally understood Book jacket The 1 New York Times bestseller from David McCullough two time winner of the Pulitzer Prize the dramatic story behind the story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly Wilbur and Orville Wright On a winter day in 1903 in the Outer Banks of North Carolina two brothers bicycle mechanics from Dayton Ohio changed history But it would take the world some time to believe that the age of flight had begun with the first powered machine carrying a pilot Orville and Wilbur Wright were men of exceptional courage and determination and of far ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity When they worked together no problem seemed to be insurmountable Wilbur was unquestionably a genius Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen That they had no more than a public high school education and little money never stopped them in their mission to take to the air Nothing did not even the self evident reality that every time they took off they risked being killed In this enjoyable fast paced tale The Economist master historian David McCullough shows as never before how two Ohio boys from a remarkable family taught the world to fly The Washington Post and captures the marvel of what the Wrights accomplished The Wall Stree.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"David McCullough is one of the preeminent American historians of our times, the deft biographer of John Adams and Harry Truman, and in this book he brings his wonderful historical exposition and storytelling skills to the lives of the Wright brothers. If I have some minor reservations they are only in the lack of technical detail which could have informed descriptions of some of the Wrights' experiments and the slightly hagiographical tint that McCullough is known to bring to his subjects. Firstly McCullough who is quite certainly one of the best storytellers among all historians does a great job of giving us the details of the Wrights' upbringing and family. The Wrights' sister Katharine also played an integral part in their lives; they were very close to her and McCullough's account is filled with copious examples of the affectionate, sometimes scolding, always encouraging letters that the siblings wrote to each other. Lastly, McCullough does a fine job describing how the Wrights rose to world fame after their flight. McCullough's account of the Wright brothers, as warm and fast-paced as it is, was most interesting to me for the lessons it holds for the future. But perhaps what the Wright brothers' story exemplifies the most is the importance of simple traits like devotion to family, hard work, intense intellectual curiosity and most importantly, the frontier, can-do attitude that has defined the American dream since its inception."
"McCullough has written a serious and riveting review of the lives of Wilbur and Orville. FAMILY. McCullough makes it clear that the Wilbur and Orville were a product of their family environment. McCullough writes — “He was an unyielding abstainer, which was rare on the frontier, a man of rectitude and purpose— all of which could have served as a description of Milton himself and Wilbur and Orville as well.”. His strict values molded and focused the views of the three younger Wrights (Katherine, Wilbur, and Orville). I am sure that Orville and myself will do nothing that will disgrace the training we received from you and Mother.”. McCullough writes — “Years later, a friend told Orville that he and his brother would always stand as an example of how far Americans with no special advantages could advance in the world. the greatest thing in our favor was growing up in a family where there was always much encouragement to intellectual curiosity.’ ”. BUSINESS. McCullough records Wilbur’s thoughts on being in business in a letter to his brother Lorin in 1894: “In business it is the aggressive man, who continually has his eye on his own interest, who succeeds. … We ought not to have been businessmen.”. In 1911, Wilbur wrote: “When we think what we might have accomplished if we had been able to devote this time [fighting patent infringement suits] to experiments, we feel very sad, but it is always easier to deal with things than with men, and no one can direct his life entirely as he would choose.”. The Wrights never built, or even tried to build, an industrial empire as Ford or Edison or their Dayton neighbors John and Frank Patterson (National Cash Register) had done. Wilbur and Orville were superb engineers, though neither went beyond high school. For example, the wind tunnel had been invented thirty years before, but Wilbur and Orville developed it into a precise quantitative instrument. For example, McCullough writes — “In early 1889, while still in high school, Orville started his own print shop in the carriage shed behind the house, and apparently with no objections from the Bishop. To reinforce that point requires some expansion of that event or similar other defining events in the lives of Wilbur and Orville. One source of knowledge about the Wrights’ approach to aeronautics is the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton."
"Of particular interest are the Wright's struggles to actually fly at Kitty Hawk and how primitive a place that part of North Carolina was at the start of the 20th century. McCullough does spend a bit of time talking about Charles Taylor who was the Wright's mechanic and without whom they would not have flown. If you want to know more about the Wright's then this is a great place to start but a fuller biography/history might have been more fulfilling."
he #1 New York Times bestseller The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America's greatest achievements in space.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book is as much about the advances and science done at NACA and NASA as it is about the black women who were an integral part of this piece of history."
"Many movie goers who only see the movie will miss out on a number of opportunities to see more realistically Aunt Katherine's nature, attitudes, and life's perspectives on work, family, and race."
"Sure, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, et al are amazing, inspiring, and strong, but their own modesty over their roles in NACA/NASA history is telling: like many black pioneers of the Jim Crow era, they didn't step up for the attention or accolades. The portions of the book that were the most fascinating to me were those pertaining to the links forged by the black community in the Southern Virginia area, and how they intersected with employment and residency in Hampton as the 20th century progressed."
"I had no idea that black women played such a key role in our space program. HIDDEN FIGURES tells the story of four determined black women, who overcame numerous obstacles, and worked in the space program at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (now known as "Langley Research Center."). To give the reader an idea of how difficult it was for a woman--much less an African-American woman--to actually become a mathematician, the author notes these statistics: "In the 1930s, just over a hundred women worked as professional mathematicians." The likelihood of a black woman actually becoming a mathematician working on the space program was about zero: "Employers openly discriminated against Irish and Jewish women with math degrees. It was unusual for a woman to even be acknowledged as co-author of a report: "The work of most of the women, like that of the computing machines they used, was anonymous."
"But this book dealt particularly well with how black society dealt with segregation and all the attendant hardships and how it fought against them."
And when the mission is over―after the first view of the far side of the moon, the first earth-rise, and the first re-entry through the earth’s atmosphere following a flight to deep space―the impossible dream of walking on the moon suddenly seems within reach. Here is the tale of a mission that was both a calculated risk and a wild crapshoot, a stirring account of how three American heroes forever changed our view of the home planet. "Kluger, a science journalist, previously co-authored the best-selling book turned blockbuster film Apollo 13 , and his latest foray into space history overflows with similarly cinematic details . "― Scientific American "Kluger takes readers inside the capsule.... Every agonizing moment both prior to the mission and the mission itself unfolds in fascinating detail , and Kluger makes the reader more than just an observer while events transpire. Those familiar with the early history of NASA and the Apollo missions will love Apollo 8, and those who were born in later years will discover a full understanding of a tumultuous time and the fascinating people who helped make a dream a reality. ". "― Christian Science Monitor "Kluger has a knack for telling these stories of humans, machines and the cosmos in an engaging, cinematic manner.... Apollo 8 is a worthy addition to the space history catalog.... Kluger excels at recounting missions, seamlessly blending procedures with descriptions of what the astronauts saw and felt . "― Dallas Morning News "Relying on extensive interviews with all three NASA astronauts and former NASA officials, agency documents and the mission audio archive, the author paints an unforgettable picture of the dramatic, wildly successful lunar mission.... [Kluger] informs us in vivid, crisply written prose exactly how the United States recovered from its despairing doldrums and regained national pride.... "There is plenty of Apollo information and narrative out there for the interested reader, but it needs the discerning eye of a Kluger, who knows how to sift through it all to the essential detail and tell it. accessibly . “Drawing on historical transcripts and documents and his own extensive interviews with the leading players, Jeffrey Kluger paints a portrait of the U.S. space program and the first manned expedition to the moon so vivid that we feel ourselves riding in the hurtling rocket with the astronauts, taut with the thrill, the danger, and the cosmic meaning of the mission . Jeffrey Kluger colorfully captures the time, the people, and the mission of Apollo 8 with an entertaining and informative account of the stories of this historic adventure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Time Magazine, whom Kluger works for, wrote in the January 3, 1969 issue (the one with the three Apollo 8 astronauts on the cover as Men of the Year) that "the one person most responsible for the flight was a Vienna-born engineer named George Low". Low was uniquely qualified having been the first Chief of Manned Space Flight, the chairman of the committee that provided the analysis that led to Kennedy's challenge to go to the moon, and the person who took over as the Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager after the Apollo 1 fire."
"One thing that surprised me (and in hindsight I feel I shouldn't have been surprised after all) is how the men who flew Apollo 8 - all military men - viewed this mission as another critical Cold War mission, and themselves as loyal soldiers who had been given a mission that was as important as any combat mission back on Earth. This book is very well-researched, and Kluger does a great job of telling the story of this amazing mission in a way that held my interest throughout the book."
"This book brings to life each key character in the development of the Apollo missions without going into too much detail, striking an effective balance of historical information and real human emotions at NASA, on the Apollo spacecraft, in the White House, among Navy brass requested to find and rescue the capsule in the sea, and many more. I also enjoyed greatly the juxtaposition of the US space program with the Soviet program as both sides worked to outdo each other in space. Because Apollo 8 was such a historic and trailblazing mission, being the first to leave the Earth's orbit and travel 230,000 miles to the moon and back, it is understandable that the author repeatedly wanted to impress upon readers just how trailblazing it was. What would the brave astronauts of Apollo 1 who perished on the launchpad think about the USA mothballing NASA's manned space flight programs? This book is an excellent reminder of what once made us great as a nation - the spirit of exploration, and hopefully this 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 will reawaken our curiosity about what is out there in space waiting for us to fly there and discover it."
"This is a great true story about the first flight that went to the moon - not landed on, but orbited the moon."
"While so much concentrates on the missions that landed on the moon, Apollo 8 was just as important, if not more so, as it had never been done."
"Read the book in three days slipping it between “to do’s.” Well written and loaded with information on the complexity of developing the Apollo capsule and of the hard science and mathematics in an analog world when the slide rule was still in use."
Best Astronomy
The fourth edition has improvements over the 3rd edition in every chapter, including: This fantastically revised edition continues that tradition, but now includes sky maps for observers in the southern hemisphere and a guide to celestial phenomena up to 2018. Renowned author and astronomer Terence Dickinson took Grade 5 and 6 students from the [North Bay] area through the universe to make snowballs from water and ice particles that make up Saturn's rings, and visit the red liquid methane lakes of its moon, Titan.... "I'm hoping that they'll walk away with excitement about the universe," he said." New, better-quality photos; amped-up sections on astrophotography and using amateur telescopic equipment; and a new chapter on the skies visible from the Southern hemisphere. This fourth edition of the essential guide for amateur stargazers is newly updated, lavishly illustrated...and packed with facts...and a cosmic closet-full of other astronomical delights. It may be hard to justify upgrading from later printings of the third edition, but NightWatch remains one of the best sourcebooks to introduce beginning astronomers to the night sky -- and to keep them interested.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great for putting things into perspective and inspiring awe and deep interest in star gazing."
"I give is book away regularly."
"This is a beautiful book, as well as, well written information for kids and adults alike."
"Very well written and illustrated with a lot of good information for those getting into astronomy."
"A comprehensive beginner's handbook of the Night Skies."
"Very informative a lot of good things I didn't know."
"Everything you should know before spending lots of cash for a telescope."
"A great book to read for veiwing space."
Best Astrophysics & Space Science
How do we fit within the universe? “Tyson is a master of streamlining and simplification....taking mind-bogglingly complex ideas, stripping them down to their nuts and bolts, padding them with colorful allegories and dorky jokes, and making them accessible to the layperson”. - Salon. “With wry humor, keen vision, and abundant humanity, Neil deGrasse Tyson distills the big questions of space, time, and reality into short, insightful chapters you can enjoy with your morning coffee.”. - Discover.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My issue with this book is that I read it directly after reading his book "Death by Black Hole"...and A LOT of the content from that book is inserted into this one...word for word. I will always read his books but I don't like that there is very little original content in this one."
"I have read Origins, Death By Back Hole, and Space Chronicles before this one."
"The subject is not presented especially deep but it is useful for anyone wanting to get a better layman's understanding of the Big Bang (weird stuff), dark matter (weirder stuff), and dark energy (way weirder stuff)."
"Reasons: (1) it is a collection of magazine articles he wrote over an extended period of time some years ago, and (2) the knowledge base one needs for comprehension is beyond the layman in my opinion."
"Mr Tyson's voice is lovely to listen to, his emphasis on terms and words and enthusiasm is contagious, I loved hearing him talk about the things that excite him, like neighbouring galaxies."
"This book is made out to be an "astrophysics for dummies" but it's far more difficult to grasp than I'd imagined."
"Dr. Tyson's sense of humor and fluid style most definitely makes this ride through the universe entertaining rather than intimidating."
"Calibrating with humanity's understanding of dark matter, the universe, and everything in between makes appreciating science fiction so much more entertaining (instead of intuiting all these concepts from nonexistent astrophysics knowledge)."
Best Comets, Meteors & Asteroids
Taking a fresh look at the biblical text and drawing on the latest astronomical research, this beautifully illustrated volume will introduce readers to the Bethlehem Star in all of its glory. The Great Christ Comet is an absolutely astonishing triumph of interdisciplinary scholarship so rarely seen and so tremendously illuminating as to merit bright comparison with the very celestial phenomenon it describes. I regard it as the most important book ever published on the Star of Bethlehem and enthusiastically commend it.”. — Gary W. Kronk. , author, Cometography ; Consultant, American Meteor Society. “In this erudite, engrossing, and compelling book, Colin R. Nicholl painstakingly develops a new solution for the enduring mystery of the Star of Bethlehem, bringing together the biblical story and ancient descriptions of the sky with modern understandings of astronomy. The depth and breadth of learning that Nicholl displays is prodigious and persuasive, and all future studies will have to take its proposals most seriously.”. — Gordon Wenham. , emeritus professor of Old Testament, University of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. Colin R. Nicholl is eminently followable, using detective skills to assess the biblical, historical, and astronomical evidence that lead him to conclude that the ‘star’ of Bethlehem was a comet. A terrific read!”. — Donald A. Hagner , George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary; author, Matthew (Word Biblical Commentary). This work will be of great interest to astronomers, theologians, historians of science, and the general public, and will hopefully stimulate important new lines of scientific enquiry.”. — Mark E. Bailey MBE. , Director, Armagh Observatory; coauthor, The Origin of Comets. His comprehensive mastery of the data enables him to present a detailed scenario of the Magi’s initial sighting, subsequent observations, journey, and visit to the house in Bethlehem to view the newborn Christ child.”. — Edwin M. Yamauchi. , Professor Emeritus of History, Miami University. I strongly recommend his work on one of the most fascinating biblical mysteries.”. — Sir Colin Humphreys. , Professor and Director of Research, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge; author, The Miracles of Exodus. I enthusiastically recommend this eye-opening book!”. — John J. Hartmann. , former Assistant Lecturer of Greek, University of Cambridge; Pastor, New Reformation Church, St. Louis, Missouri. He has produced a readable and beautifully illustrated introduction to relevant fields of astronomy, and has laid out pertinent historical data with proportion, care, and integrity. The case Nicholl makes for the Star being a great comet is certainly worthy of serious consideration.”. — Martin Gaskell. , Department of Astronomy, University of California at Santa Cruz.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This stunningly illustrated work proves that the Star is a scientifcally explainable phenomenon. Leading astronomers around the world worked with Nicholl on this groundbreaking scholarship and have endorsed his conclusion. Proving that this legend, this iconic image recognized and acknowledged by cultures throughout the globe, has a basis in scientific fact, that it actually happened and we can now explain how -- this is a very proof of the existence of God."
"The book has a good understanding of the time and place where things took place, the language is simple enough for a none techie to understand and deep enough for the scholarly type, It keeps the faith of the believer and helps them dig deeper in to the word, for more understanding of the times, where our Savior was born."
"Seems to make a good case - super interesting."
"Inseparable from the narrative of Jesus’ birth is the “star of wonder, star of night / Star with royal beauty bright” that we sing about in our Christmas carols (and, of course, read about in the book of Matthew). What was that star? That star is the subject of Colin Nicholl’s new book The Great Christ Comet. The most prevalent views have been that the star was the triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces; that it was Jupiter; that it was a nova or supernova; or that it was a miraculous star created by God for the purpose. “In this book I offer what I am convinced is the solution to the age-old mystery of the Star of Bethlehem. What I propose is rooted in careful consideration of the relevant Biblical material and is, I believe, able to explain everything said about the Star in a natural and compelling way and in harmony with current astronomical knowledge.”. His conclusion is that the Star of Bethlehem was actually a comet. The Bible allows such a position, as the word for “star” is wide enough to account for a comet; astronomy demands such a position, as there is no other satisfactory way to account for the phenomena the Bible describes."
"An amazing coming together of astronomy and the bible."
"You don't have to be "into" science, astronomy, Bible study, the birth of Christ, signs, AND prophecy in order to enjoy this book; an interest in even just ONE of the above will be enough to keep you fascinated as you read. I recommend this book to people who like to learn and be stretched in their understanding, to people who are compelled to go deeper in their study of the Bible and than the average church-goer, and to people who desire to go deeper in their understanding of our galaxy than the average star-gazer."
"I really enjoyed this book."
"Great read!"
Best Mars
To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth. Amazon Best Books of the Month, August 2010 : With her wry humor and inextinguishable curiosity, Mary Roach has crafted her own quirky niche in the somewhat staid world of science writing, showing no fear (or shame) in the face of cadavers, ectoplasm, or sex.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A friend recommended this to me while I was visiting the Johnson Space Center."
"My youngest son's 8th grade English class had this book as an optional read."
"Really liked the bit of irreverence, was different than what I was expecting - more educational about Nasa studies which was very informative, but I was expecting a summary at the end describing the amount of food which would be consumed, the volume of waste generated, volume of clothing needed for 2 years, and the volume of wet wipes needed (since space showers don't work)."
"After working at Kennedy Space Center (and other facilities mentioned in this book) & retiring from the concept to completion of the Space Shuttle & Space Station programs I smiled at the remenensing this writer's thorough fact-finding research & sense of humour afforded me."
"A few years ago when I saw Mary Roach on John Stewart's Daily Show talking about her (at the time) new book, Packing for Mars, she was so entertaining and funny that I thought I've got to read this book. The author spent hours pouring through old flight transcripts, interviewing astronauts and NASA personnel and even going for a ride into weightlessness on the Vomit Comet, a low orbital flight that provides a nearly weightless environment in which to train astronauts and conduct research. She asks the questions that you want to know the answers to but won't find in any Science magazine or NASA publication. And what did they do for a toilet on the Apollo and earlier missions and how bad did that space capsule smell after two weeks?"
"A great read for science/space geeks and for people just looking for an interesting and entertaining read."
"In Packing for Mars, Mary Roach takes a look at the less heroic aspects of manned space flight, considering such topics as what happens to shed skin particles when an astronaut doesn't bathe for weeks, the hazards of vomiting in one's helmet during a space walk, and, most memorably, the logistics of zero-gravity defecation."
"BUT, although Ms. Roach does write with some humor, for the most part it is so snarky and her tone is so condescending about most of the people she encounters, it made for a difficult read."
Best Solar System
Au revoir , Pluto! Kindergarten-Grade 3-Fans of Dr. Seuss's favorite feline will enjoy learning through rhymed couplets and cartoonlike illustrations similar to the originals.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very fun book the kids love."
":( But I guess Pluto is no longer a Planet!"
"except the Vallery Malllory nighty nine nickels part, the story line is great and easy for toddler to follow and to soon recognize the planets names, colors, specifics and shapes."
"My father is very highly into space and since my nephew lives many states away from all of us, I figured we could impress upon him things that Grandpa likes so he can grow up as if we were all around."
"As with all Dr Seuss books, rhyme time and the grandson enjoys that as well as the space theme."
"Another great Dr. Seuss book."
"You gotta love Dr. Seuss no matter where he is!"
"I guess when children can read books, accuracy is important, you can't fake it anymore to cover up errors."
Best Telescopes
Any amateur astronomer who is interested in astrophotography, particularly if just getting started, needs to know what objects are best for imaging in each month of the year. This book focuses on what northern latitude objects to image at any given time of the year to get the most spectacular results. … The book’s intent is to provide a visually compelling list of the 100 most interesting deep sky objects from the perspective of a digital imager, more precisely of the CCD user. I was particularly impressed at how well some deep sky objects can now be imaged even with the full moon in the sky.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have collected many lists of astronomy targets. With a fair section of the book telling you the basics of how to take pictures (equipment, S/W, techniques)."
"Great book!"
"The book starts out with some basics about astro photograpy and CCD imaging and moves on to a little equipment guide, covering mounts, OTA's, CCD camera's and autoguiding for Astro photography."
"Gives all the stuff you want to know, scope used, exposure time, imager used, processing techniques - and best of all these are all done at medium exposure times so no 30 minute sub exposures (and the $$ mounts needed to do it) to get similar results. Although calibrating, stacking, SNR, ... 'processing images' is a theater all it's own - too often it's time spent on one object only to find on others a very different proceedure required."
"I can feel just one slight "bottle neck" (maybe, it would mean some improvement for the second edition): what a difference can be seen on the same target using different cameras. This "CCD-test" was not the goal of this book, it is obvious, but it could have been a secondary but, at the same time, very useful "added value" mainly for beginners who are the vast part of the readers I think... (Maybe CCD producers could sponsor the book...). All in all, this is a fantastic guide for astrophotography, it is no doubt."
"Each target has a full color full page photograph with the all the information necessary to photograph it."
"This book concisely lays out the equipment best suited for each object: telescope type, exposure times, filter choices, and much more."
Best Star-Gazing
The fourth edition has improvements over the 3rd edition in every chapter, including: This fantastically revised edition continues that tradition, but now includes sky maps for observers in the southern hemisphere and a guide to celestial phenomena up to 2018. Renowned author and astronomer Terence Dickinson took Grade 5 and 6 students from the [North Bay] area through the universe to make snowballs from water and ice particles that make up Saturn's rings, and visit the red liquid methane lakes of its moon, Titan.... "I'm hoping that they'll walk away with excitement about the universe," he said." New, better-quality photos; amped-up sections on astrophotography and using amateur telescopic equipment; and a new chapter on the skies visible from the Southern hemisphere. This fourth edition of the essential guide for amateur stargazers is newly updated, lavishly illustrated...and packed with facts...and a cosmic closet-full of other astronomical delights. It may be hard to justify upgrading from later printings of the third edition, but NightWatch remains one of the best sourcebooks to introduce beginning astronomers to the night sky -- and to keep them interested.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As I was getting closer to retirement, I followed a lifetime desire to learn more about the cosmos."
"I started to learn the star names and positions, and now I don't see just a maze of white lights in the night sky."
"Great for putting things into perspective and inspiring awe and deep interest in star gazing."
"I give is book away regularly."
"This is a beautiful book, as well as, well written information for kids and adults alike."
"Very well written and illustrated with a lot of good information for those getting into astronomy."
"A comprehensive beginner's handbook of the Night Skies."
"Very informative a lot of good things I didn't know."
Best Cosmology
In addition, to heighten understanding of complex concepts that readers may have found difficult to grasp despite the clarity and wit of Professor Hawking's writing, this edition is enhanced throughout with more than 240 full-color illustrations, including satellite images, photographs made made possible by spectacular technological advance such as the Hubble Space Telescope, and computer generated images of three and four-dimensional realities. "Hawking has succeeded in writing two intertwined books, one a highly readable and popular account of the role of time in physics, the other an in-depth review—What makes all this so interesting is Hawking's ability to convoy the essential physics in words alone. "In his first work of popular science, Stephen Hawking proves himself to be a master of vivid clarity—It's difficult to think of anyone else living who could have put these mathematically formidable subjects more clearly. "The famous theoretical physicist best known for his inquiries into the nature of black holes—turns out to be as skilled a popular writer as he is a mathematician—The result is probably the best single book on astrophysics for the common reader.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Having read and understood all of the words in this book, I just do not have a firm grasp on much of what Mr. Hawking presents."
"Having this available on Audible is very welcome!"
"An illuminating peek into the minds of Hawking, Einstein and other physicists on their attempts to explain the universe with mathematics and the laws of physics."
"a wonderful read and the book is exactly as shown."
"Read this book and compare the real science with the so called Intelligent Design Theory ..."
"Surprisingly accessible for the amateur/layman cosmologist."
"It is a study of the beginning of the universe and goes into the scientific background of chemical makeup of matter and how they evolved from the Big Bang and how it might end withe the Big Crunch."
"The man is a genius .. what can I say .."