Welcome to the Universe

So many things to learn

I have read scores of books on the physics of the universe ranging from the very large to the minuscule and yet have found something new and enlightening in every chapter of this book. The educational quality of the book is exceptionally high on account of the limitation of prior knowledge on the part of the reader, the authors assume. The methodology of building up to the grand conclusions from simple prior knowledge through the use of analogy and thought experiments proves very effective in conceptualization and visualization of the ideas shared. There are still several places where the reader may feel a little list and wanting a second reading but in the whole, they are sure to walk away with an appreciation for the enormity of the universe and how much we humans have learnt about it in spite of our limited means, in the short time that we have been studying it.

19 of 19 people found this review helpful

Excellent

The comments about advanced formulas almost scared me away but it wasn't as bad as the reviews made it out to be. Most of the formulas are told so as to illustrate a relationship and are fully explained. Overall this is an excellent book for anyone with a basic physics background and a love for all things space!

17 of 17 people found this review helpful

Terrible listen

Far too much dependency on advanced formulas and equations to make a good audio book for normal listeners, even a listener like me who is very interested in the subject matter.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Makes you wonder!

Good book. Took me back to astronomy 101 in my undergrad days many many years ago. While the explanations made sense the second time around, the equations did prove difficult to follow in audible form. The later chapters we're good exercises in theoretical thinking. You did have to pay attention or you would've gotten lost. Better to have this book in print form so you can look at the tables and figures for the visual learners out there.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Wow more than i can take in!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This was a great listen but way over my head. I learned so much and now want to learn more!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Need to review charts and formulas

This is best with downloaded material. This is not an audio book to listen to while walking or exercising. Great authors but you need to be able to handle equations also.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Not for the layman.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who are actually interested in pursuing a career in astrophysics or well educated individuals.

What was most disappointing about the authors’s story?

Too dry and mathematical. Not for the layman

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Michael Butler Murray?

Seriously!?!? NEIL Degrasse Tyson!!!!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

bordom

Any additional comments?

If you're a layman don't get this! I listened and continue to listen to Neil's Astrophysics for people in a hurry and it is AMAZING for people who love science but aren't mathematical geniuses... You need to have a math degree to enjoy this... I felt way out of my league. Only bought it after listening to Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Waste of a free book!!!

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Math, read out loud

Man... I wanted to love this book. I love NdT and was looking forward to the book, but... then they started to read the equations and, well... there were a lot of equations. Got through a couple hours of it, but, the assault of verbal math just doesn't translate well for an audio book.

Would have benefited from Tyson's own voice too, probably.

Bummer.

29 of 34 people found this review helpful

too many diagrams and formulas

The narrator fights a brilliant fight and almost manages to make the math formulas make sense, but in the end I struggle being told numbers (raised German number pronouncements works in stupid new ways which means neither German nor English carries meaning) so trying to visualise a formula fails dismally.

The other thing, diagrams, also fails. Sure they are available for download but I listen while driving in my car... I'd love to look at something cross-eyed to make it pop into three dimensions, but that car beside me makes me not want to pick up my phone to take a look even more.

So far great book, but after ~2.5 hours I had to give up because it does not work for me. Strongly recommended to people who can look at the diagrams though, although other books are covering the same 'story'...

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

All About What We Know About the Universe - ALL

Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour, by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, and read by Michael Butler Murray. A survey of all we know about astronomical and quantum science. What we know of the universe from the expanses of the heavens to the smallest elemental particles of energy and mass. Everything! I love studying the universe, both large and small. Did I love this journey? Jump to the last paragraph of this review.

This is a study for the layman. But the layman it was created for were undergraduates at Princeton preparing to either study cosmic astronomy or be associated with astrophysics business. You will need sufficient basic knowledge of mathematics, and the advances of cosmic science, to read and understand fully this work and enjoy its merit. You had better know of and know how to use electromagnetic formulas previously devised by Newton, Maxwell, Hubble, and Einstein., because the authors instruct the history of the cosmos using those formularies.

The story starts with a history of scientific milestones from Greek and Roman times to the Victorian Age. If you didn’t have respect for Sir Isaac Newton, this tomb will cure that malfeasance on your part. There is competition between the professors as to whether Newton or Einstein was the greatest scientific genius.

The authors start the course by telling us that 30% of the population (presumably that is the American population since the professors teach at Princeton) do not know the earth spins or ellipses around the Sun. So I evaluate this book as a political theory text not just a scientific course because with that explanation the professors have explained the presidential results of 2016.

Yes, I know I may have bagged the book's success by explaining how very difficult it is to follow the mathematical techniques to explain the cosmos as used in the book. But let me explain clearly. Even with that encumbrance, this was a good listen. The was a full explanation of where the science of outer space stands today. A good listen but better promoted as a primer for astronomy students entering college, not a pleasure read.

28 of 35 people found this review helpful