ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY HUMANIST GALAXY OF SECULAR BRAIN SCIENCE STARS October 29, 2019 [Book #1] WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSE: An Astrophysical Tour by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott. Princeton University Press, 2016 (470 pages) AUTHOR NOTES, SUMMARY, AND BOOK DESCRIPTION AUTHOR NOTES = Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was born in New York City on October 5, 1958. Interested in astronomy since he was a child, Tyson gave lectures on the topic at the age of 15. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and was the editor-in-chief for its Physical Science Journal. After earning a B.A. in Physics from Harvard in 1980, Tyson received an M.A. in Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983. He earned his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia in 1991. Since 1996, Tyson has held the position of Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at Manhattan's American Museum of Natural History. In 2001, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry. In 2004, Tyson joined the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. He has hosted PBS's television show NOVA scienceNOW since 2006. Tyson can also be seen frequently as a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Tyson has written many popular books on astronomy, and he began his "Universe" column for Natural History magazine in 1995. In 2009, he published the bestselling book The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet to describe the controversy over Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet. Tyson was recognized in 2004 with the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, and Time named him one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2007 – Bowker Author Biography SUMMARY = Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all — from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel. It describes the latest discoveries in astrophysics, the informative and entertaining narrative propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space. BOOK DESCRIPTION = How do stars live and die? Why did Pluto lose its planetary status? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and why is its expansion accelerating? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Answering these and many other questions, the authors open your eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, sharing their knowledge of how the universe works. The book is breathtaking in scope and stunningly illustrated throughout. It is for those who hunger for insights into our evolving universe that only world-class astrophysicists can provide. BOOK REVIEWS LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW = This work presents the content of an undergraduate astrophysics course taught by the authors, former or current Princeton faculty members. Astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author Tyson (director, Hayden Planetarium) begins by explaining the basics of our solar system and other star systems. Michael A. Strauss (astrophysics sciences, Princeton Univ.) follows with more details about galaxies, unique star types, and the larger structure of the universe. In the final third, J. Richard Gott (astrophysics sciences, Princeton Univ.) has the difficult task of tackling the more mind-bending topics of black holes, warp drives, and time travel in an accessible way. It's this final section that may cause readers' eyes to glaze over, though some may find their imaginations captured by the quantum weirdness of the galaxy. While the book is written for nonscientists, equations with basic algebra concepts are explained and manipulated throughout. The authors remind us that even though people are not the center of the universe, we are an intelligent species able to measure, theorize, comprehend, and explore the limits of knowledge. VERDICT An excellent introduction that will equip readers to follow current astronomical discoveries or more readily enjoy hard sf.-Wade M. Lee, University of Toledo Library. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW = Tyson (The Pluto Files), Strauss, and Gott (Time Travel in Einstein's Universe) reprise the introductory astronomy course they co-taught at Princeton, offering a crash course on the universe-no science background required. They start by laying out basic physical principles, filling each single-author chapter with simple analogies, great illustrations, and bits of personal flair. Reading through is akin to receiving a private museum tour from an expert scientist; the exhibits include Newton's laws of motion, what will happen after our sun dies, how the space between stars is measured, quasars and black holes, time travel, why the "Big Bang model is far more than 'just a theory,'" and the possibility of other life in the galaxy. The authors present challenging content in accessible prose as they lead readers from our solar system to the edge of the visible universe, getting into the how and the what of just about everything there is to know about the cosmos. Along the way they discuss such pioneering scientists as Nicolaus Copernicus, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Edwin Hubble, Henrietta Leavitt, and Isaac Newton. As Tyson, Strauss, and Gott explain the cutting-edge physics of multiverses, superstring theory, M-theory, and the benefits of colonizing space, even seasoned science readers will learn something new. BOOK LIST REVIEW = The universe is truly an impressive, confusing, and complicated place. We live within it, trying to understand it using a variety of theories, concepts, and mathematical models. In this book, three distinguished scientists attempt to explain the mysteries of the universe in a way that nonscientists will be able to understand. Based on a course taught at Princeton University, the authors present the latest thinking on topics such as stars and planets (including why Pluto is not a planet); the evolution of galaxies; black holes; general and special relativity; string theory; time travel; and the future of everything. The text is written in an informal and approachable style, referencing many popular-culture icons. Although it presents some complex mathematical concepts, very little math is required by the reader. This book will open up some of the newest and most sophisticated concepts in astrophysics to a general audience, helping all of us better understand the universe we live in.--Tyckoson, David Click or Tap Link for Book #2: Book #2: ONE UNIVERSE: At Home in the Cosmos Click or Tap on Star to Return to List: HUMANIST GALAXY OF SECULAR BRAIN SCIENCE STARS produced by Infinite Interactive Ideas™