Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This very short, very accessible book on astrophysics, or, more accurately, astronomy with a bit of physics thrown in, is written in Tyson’s easy-going style. It is dumbed down to the point where even I can understand it. There’s relatively little scientific jargon, although one cannot escape basic terminology. The author seems to be trying to accomplish a few specific things: give readers confidence in the scientific method (and scientific establishment), an appreciation for how insignificant we humans are in the universe, and an understanding of the value of basic scientific research. Most readers will be accepting of these viewpoints and those who are unaccepting, such as some fundamentalists, probably won’t read this book. As one might expect in such a short book covering such a vast topic, it skims over a lot of complicated things and skips from topic to topic without any obvious pattern. I learned a few new factoids that I will never put to use outside a crossword puzzle, perhaps, but it’s a quick, pleasant enough read.