by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith
This work makes a nice follow-up to the earlier book on the history of everything reviewed by my good friend Spir_itz. It was written as a companion to the PBS Nova television special with the same name, but stands alone as a very readable and comprehensive text. The contents are aptly summarized by the subtitle: "Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution". It takes the reader, in a logical and comprehensive sequence, from THE BEGINNING, through the ages of formation of the structure of the universe, to the story of life.
The fundamental framework, of course, is based on the findings and speculations of science, especially physics, cosmology and biology, but it avoids the kind of intimidating jargon that might bewilder those without a hard scientific academic background. This is not surprising since the senior author, as a spokesman and popularizer for science, has become the Carl Sagan of today.
The book provides a thoroughly enjoyable journey for those of us curious about the whats and hows of the cosmos; there are only two or three pages devoted to the whys (specifically the anthropic principle), but that topic is probably best suited for theological or philosophical works.
Review by Ken West
The fundamental framework, of course, is based on the findings and speculations of science, especially physics, cosmology and biology, but it avoids the kind of intimidating jargon that might bewilder those without a hard scientific academic background. This is not surprising since the senior author, as a spokesman and popularizer for science, has become the Carl Sagan of today.
The book provides a thoroughly enjoyable journey for those of us curious about the whats and hows of the cosmos; there are only two or three pages devoted to the whys (specifically the anthropic principle), but that topic is probably best suited for theological or philosophical works.
Review by Ken West
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