Astronomy - David J. Eicher
"This book will keep you fascinated with succinct and dynamic explanations of a wide variety of astronomical topics. A winner that every astronomy enthusiast should have on the bookshelf!"
Salon
"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"
Hackernoon
"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will blow your mind....it is awesome."
Forbes
"Tyson manifests science brilliantly....[his] insights are valuable for any leader, teacher, scientist or educator."
GoodReads
"Engaging and illuminating."
BBC
"This may have been written for people in a hurry, but I urge you to take your time. It will all be over far too soon."
BookPage
"Infectiously enthusiastic, humorous and, above all, accessible....reading Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is both a humbling and exhilarating experience."
Vanity Fair - Sloane Crosley
"Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a big bang with Astrophysics for People in a Hurry."
BBC’s Sky at Night
This may have been written for people in a hurry, but I urge you to take your time. It will all be over far too soon.”
Times Literary Supplement (London)
Tyson’s dramatic device of announcing the passage of time every few pages works well, giving a sense of scale and drama…[Tyson is] the world’s best science communicator.”
Booklist
Even readers normally adverse to anything to do with physics or chemistry will find Tyson’s wittily delivered explanations compelling and disarmingly entertaining.”
Vanity Fair
Tyson makes a big bang with Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.”
Astronomy
This book will keep you fascinated with succinct and dynamic explanations of a wide variety of astronomical topics. A winner that every astronomy enthusiast should have on the bookshelf.”
AudioFile
What we don’t know about the universe is as fascinating as what we do know, especially when Tyson is our guide. Tyson’s well-known narrative skills are used to full effect explaining concepts such as the big bang, quarks, dark matter, and unseeable light.”
LibraryReads
Exactly what the title promises, a basic understanding of a deeply fascinating subject.”
Discover
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.”
Library Journal
05/15/2017
Author and astrophysicist Tyson (director, Hayden Planetarium, New York) has revisited, modified, consolidated, and, in some cases, updated a number of essays from his Universe column from Natural History magazine. Twelve independent chapters address topics such as the origin and development of the universe, dark matter and dark energy, and how both technology and location (spatial and temporal) influence our understanding of the cosmos. The astrophysicist's enthusiasm and sense of humor remain undiminished; few other science popularizers would think of writing, "I don't know about you, but the planet Saturn pops into my mind with every bite of a hamburger I take." Tyson is promoting this book as a quick and convenient introduction to the universe for people with scant free time, although readers will benefit from prior exposure to the physical sciences. Subject coverage overlaps unavoidably with the author's acclaimed Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour (cowritten by J. Richard Gott and Michael A. Strauss), but this newer title is more literary. VERDICT Those seeking pleasure reading—Tyson fans and newcomers alike—will enjoy this caper through the cosmos. [See Prepub Alert, 11/21/16.]—Nancy R. Curtis, Univ. of Maine Lib., Orono
School Library Journal
08/01/2017
Celebrity scientist Tyson's profound intellect is matched by his charm and wit. In this slim title, he attempts to explain some of the most complex astrophysics concepts in layman's terms. Readers should be prepared for a challenging yet edifying experience from the get-go: "In the beginning…all the space and all the matter and all the energy of the known universe was contained in a volume less than one-trillionth the size of the period that ends this sentence." Tyson riffs on topics such as gravity, the speed and makeup of light, the shape of space, and dark matter, maintaining as chatty a tone as possible as he tries to make these important principles comprehensible to the uninitiated. VERDICT Likely to resonate the most with those with a scientific bent, but Tyson's pop culture appeal expands the audience somewhat.—Jamie Watson, Baltimore County Public Library
JUNE 2017 - AudioFile
One thing that emerges from this thoughtful and entertaining study of space and time by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, is that what we don't know about the universe is as fascinating as what we do know, especially when Tyson is our guide. Tyson's well-known narrative skills are used to full effect explaining concepts such as the big bang, quarks, dark matter, and unseeable light. Though most of the material goes down smoothly, a few nuggets may require hitting the rewind button. The final chapter is a plea for humanism and science because without nations whose governments value people and science, we wouldn’t be able to celebrate this cosmic view of life. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
