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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
So I thought this was going to be a chatty, conversational explanation of black holes, but this was actually incredibly lyrical. The writing was beautiful, but kind of opaque, especially since it's dealing with so much high-level math and science, that I don't know if I really do understand more about black holes than I did before starting. I feel like this would need multiple rereads to get everything she's talking about. Also it was surprisingly grim. Like she talked in depth at multiple points about the variety of ways in which your body and your information and everything that makes you you would be destroyed once you've crossed the black hole's event horizon and I wasn't really expecting that. Lia Halloran's artwork was absolutely gorgeous though. It definitely added a lot to the book as a whole.
Fascinating introduction to black holes and many related concepts. At its best when it’s philosophical - these parts of the book are really thought provoking and almost awe inspiring. Lacking a degree in physics, the more dry and scientific parts are hard to follow, even in the undoubtably simplified way they are presented.
I can picture Matthew McConaughey's character in Interstellar kicking back with this book, reading about black holes and quantum entanglement for fun. And it is a fun read (if you like epic prose and cold scientific facts interwoven with beautiful artwork and a sprinkling of existential dread)! I highlighted several passages for their turn of phrase alone. How often do you read a book that uses "denizens of the astronomical galactic nucleus" and "hot mess" in the same sentence? Author Janna Levin is a master of phrase-turning, describing her own fascination with space in this gorgeous manner: "Frustrated by the fact of the heaviness of my feet on the Earth, striding at the base of sky, restless to be let in."
Although I share her first name, I do not share the author's desire to escape the bonds of solid ground. I don't even like venturing out in deep lakes or oceans where I can't see the bottom. But I found myself floating with her imagined astronauts, hovering at the edge of event horizons, wondering what could possibly lay within. She perfectly captures the mystery of black holes, simultaneously lifting the veil to describe what we do know, what is currently hotly debated, and what is most likely to be discovered in the near future. She speaks with well-earned authority about which sides of the debates she falls on, but only time will tell if the current theories about the as-yet-unknowable center of a black hole are accurate.
This "survival guide" should be handed out to high schools and colleges across the country to help spur inquiring young minds into studying the next great wave of exploration. It was as informational as a textbook, without being intimidating or cold. Lifelong learners of any age will surely find something new in this quick but deep read! Fans of Doctor Who, Stephen Hawking, Douglas Adams, and Ender Wiggins will all feel right at home in these pages.
Although I share her first name, I do not share the author's desire to escape the bonds of solid ground. I don't even like venturing out in deep lakes or oceans where I can't see the bottom. But I found myself floating with her imagined astronauts, hovering at the edge of event horizons, wondering what could possibly lay within. She perfectly captures the mystery of black holes, simultaneously lifting the veil to describe what we do know, what is currently hotly debated, and what is most likely to be discovered in the near future. She speaks with well-earned authority about which sides of the debates she falls on, but only time will tell if the current theories about the as-yet-unknowable center of a black hole are accurate.
This "survival guide" should be handed out to high schools and colleges across the country to help spur inquiring young minds into studying the next great wave of exploration. It was as informational as a textbook, without being intimidating or cold. Lifelong learners of any age will surely find something new in this quick but deep read! Fans of Doctor Who, Stephen Hawking, Douglas Adams, and Ender Wiggins will all feel right at home in these pages.
Let's not kid ourselves. She's basically a black hole apologist.
Her excuse is that you can get way closer to a black hole than a star like the sun before you perish*.
The title is fake news. She obviously doesn't care about all the black hole victims (past and future). Like a shark conservationist. These people focus not on the danger, but what the danger source might know, what it might tell us about the world or ourselves. Danger sources always have information, you see! Or maybe not. We're not sure. Not even Stephen Hawking knew.
Read if you want to know what Hawking radiation is. That stuff will blow your socks off. What time is the event horizon? Read to find out.
4 stars because the first 3/4 of the book really set the bar high for clarity, and that level wasn't maintained in the last 1/4 (when it came to holograms and firewalls). A little more elaboration in the last couple of chapters would have been perfect.
Black Hole sUN
Black Hole sUN
*if the black hole has the same mass as the sun
Her excuse is that you can get way closer to a black hole than a star like the sun before you perish*.
The title is fake news. She obviously doesn't care about all the black hole victims (past and future). Like a shark conservationist. These people focus not on the danger, but what the danger source might know, what it might tell us about the world or ourselves. Danger sources always have information, you see! Or maybe not. We're not sure. Not even Stephen Hawking knew.
Read if you want to know what Hawking radiation is. That stuff will blow your socks off. What time is the event horizon? Read to find out.
4 stars because the first 3/4 of the book really set the bar high for clarity, and that level wasn't maintained in the last 1/4 (when it came to holograms and firewalls). A little more elaboration in the last couple of chapters would have been perfect.
Black Hole sUN
Black Hole sUN
*if the black hole has the same mass as the sun
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
fast-paced
a quick and approachable book, includes the clearest and most understandable explanations of the quantum mechanics involved in Black Hole Science™️ i've read to date :)
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Levin's writing style is very fun even as she tackles topics that I don't understand even after reading the book. I think that tiny books like these make confusing subjects more approachable, and the illustrations were beautiful. Several of the chapters went over my head, especially because it seems even the scientists aren't exactly sure what is going on. Did you know that if you were inside of a black hole, you would be able to see out?
funny
informative
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this book. Levin’s project is not just to explain black holes but to make thinking about them second nature, using analogies and thought exercises that really help the reader visualize how they work. Even so, you may need to stop and take the time to grasp what you’ve read before moving on to the next point. All in all fun and illuminating.