Humans have long sought to comprehend the enormities of cosmic space and time. Here, best selling science writer Timothy Ferris tells the story of that quest. He interweaves the majestic themes of astronomy, physics, religion, and philosophy with fresh and lasting portraits of the men and women who created what has been called our society's most precious treasure - its conception of the universe at large. Whether you're a scientist or a recreational stargazer, you'll delight in this compelling look at our search for understanding.
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"Ferris takes the reader through the history of the physics, from the Greeks to Newton, to the sun and the Milky Way, and then to the edges of space and time. Ferris was a great choice for an introductory tutorial, even though I stumbled on to him randomly at the used book store. The best part of this book was his description of the four fundamental forces ("interactions" he calls them as they always involve two or more "things") and how these relate to the evolution of the basic physical components of the universe (quarks, atomic nuclei, atoms, stars and galaxies). That evolution begins in the intense (actually, beyond intense) heat of the Big Bang that was necessary in the first fractional seconds of time to bind together the initial particles of matter. It's quite a story, and I'm positive I don't really understand most of it. But that's not the real point of this book. Ferris has a way of capturing the magnificance of the subject matter, and inspiring the reader to learn more." — Bob (4 out of 5 stars)
"Ferris takes the reader through the history of the physics, from the Greeks to Newton, to the sun and the Milky Way, and then to the edges of space and time. Ferris was a great choice for an introductory tutorial, even though I stumbled on to him randomly at the used book store. The best part of this book was his description of the four fundamental forces ("interactions" he calls them as they always involve two or more "things") and how these relate to the evolution of the basic physical components of the universe (quarks, atomic nuclei, atoms, stars and galaxies). That evolution begins in the intense (actually, beyond intense) heat of the Big Bang that was necessary in the first fractional seconds of time to bind together the initial particles of matter. It's quite a story, and I'm positive I don't really understand most of it. But that's not the real point of this book. Ferris has a way of capturing the magnificance of the subject matter, and inspiring the reader to learn more."
" Timothy Ferris is a PhD with an amazing ability to translate quantum physics, high level astronomy, and cosmology into plain english. Not only can you understand the concepts, but his narrative style makes it a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in how the universe we are in was formed. "
" I struggle with the rating on this one. The author is inaccurate and dismissive on questions touching on religion and inaccurate and incomplete on matters of women's contributions to science. The book is frustrating in the earlier historical parts because of this. It gets better in the third part, where he waxes rhapsodic about physics, but he's also not nearly as eloquent as he thinks he is. That said, the parts about the "stairway to heaven" describing conditions going back to fractions of a second after the Big Bang and the scale of the universe were pretty good. A decent read but there are much better science books out there that cover similar material. "
" A thoroughly enjoyable read. Ferris has a knack for condensing and articulating our voluminous and complex scientific journey. "
" Very readable, I recommend it. However beware of some factual errors (which are not core to the plot): the author states that Portugal is the southernmost point of Europe, and states that a musical octave is a the golden ratio. Both wrong. "
" Lovely general history of cosmology--the study of the universe. "
" Brilliant and delightful. The accessible history of science, the breakthroughs, the cultural contexts, the implications, the mysteries, all woven with compelling narratives of thinkers like Newton, Einstein, Bohr, Rubin. "
" This is an accessible history of cosmology and astronomy, substantially told through brief biographies, written by a popular science author who has won several awards for his work. "
" Well written introduction to cosmology and physics. The author covers the development of theories in both fields and the personalities of the scientist and inventors who made important discoveries from ancient days to the present. Very good. "
" Ferris tells the story of the human race finding it's place in the universe. From the Ptolemaic planetary system, parochial and geocentric, to the dicovery of the expanding universe. Ferris writes easily about the misconceptions, the blind alleies and the magnificent discoveries. "
" Not a new book, 1988, but a wonderful book in concept and execution. "
" Where we come from. How we got here. Who discovered it all along the way. What we still don't know. What's happened and what's going to happen. Well written and fascinatingly told. IMO best one-volume start to astronomy and cosmology. "
" excellent read , literally shows you the place the universe holds for us "
" Wow! This book is awesome. It covers a lot of science and the history is really interesting. Timothy Ferris does a great job explaining even the most complex concepts. What really impressed me was his writing. His writing is poetic and witty and really fun to read. "
" If you have even a passing interest in astromomy or history, this is a rewarding book. The author put a lot of thought and love into the editing and the end result is a very readable and interesting book with a high concentration of information and context. "
" An entertaining survey of astronomers throughout history. "
" Very interesting history of cosmology/physics "
" Timothy Ferris gets my vote for being the best writer alive -- in any genre. This book, a history of Western science, is a dazzling romp, and exquisitely written. Thanks to the chapter on Einstein, I was able to dispense with any further reading on Einstein -- the book is that good. "
" One of the best history of science books i've read! "
" I'm not saying I understood every paragraph, not being of a scientific mind; but Ferris' lucid prose, his well-organized thoughts, and of course the very subject has made this one of my favorites. "
" Easy to read and very informative and interesting. "
" A fascinating history of cosmology/astronomy "
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