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Reviews
Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution by Donald Goldsmith, Neil deGrasse Tyson
lunarblade0's review
4.0
So much info here to process and retain. I've really been intrigued by astrophysics lately and find myself reading more on the subject (and still find it a bit overwhelming) I plan on reading this one again!
laphenix's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting, and undoubtedly informative, though it feels like Neil tried to cram in everything he thought people should know.
mattbrosseau's review
4.0
I was expecting this book to me more along the lines of Nye or DeGrasse Tyson's other works and break down largely complex scientific topics into very simple terms. This book is not that.
This book is wildly complex, and I had to revisit several parts in order to comprehend what was being said.
I even had to stop completely at some points in order to go do a bit more research in order to completely understand the concepts.
Overall, it's a great book, but if you're looking for a very high-level overview of broad topics you should look elsewhere.
This book is wildly complex, and I had to revisit several parts in order to comprehend what was being said.
I even had to stop completely at some points in order to go do a bit more research in order to completely understand the concepts.
Overall, it's a great book, but if you're looking for a very high-level overview of broad topics you should look elsewhere.
pharmdad2007's review
5.0
Neil deGrasse Tyson makes mind blowing science not quite so mind blowing. His casual style belies the complexity of the subject matter, so you are almost tricked into understanding hard things like string theory and particle physics. Highly recommended to anyone interested in deep science.
asteroidbuckle's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the complexity of the subject matter, this book was very understandable. That is one of the strengths of Neil DeGrasse Tyson's writing (and that of his writing partner in this project, Donald Goldsmith). That being said, much of the material covered in the book was still beyond my comprehension. However, since I am very interested in the "stuff" out there in the cosmos, I really enjoyed this book.
As the title implies, the book covers topics from the very beginning of the universe to now and beyond. A lot of it is, by necessity, theoretical, though strongly based in logic and backed by mathematics. And most of it is simply amazing. For instance, regarding the very first moments of the universe:
Like I said, amazing. Those with more of a science and math background (or those who don't believe in the big bang) may not find this particularly impressive, but from this layperson's perspective, it was fascinating.
Traveling methodically through the last 14 billion years, the authors endeavor to explain everything from the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy to how planets form to how life on Earth began to the probability of other life in the universe. The verdict? We're very probably not the only ones. Why? 'Cause the universe is just that big and it's unlikely we're the only ones out there.
One of my favorite excerpts comes in the next to last chapter, "Searching for Life in the Milky Way Galaxy." It deals with why no advanced alien life forms have contacted us yet (UFO sightings do not count as scientific evidence):
If nothing else, this book really puts our significance in perspective. It's not saying we're not important. But our importance needs to be measured on a much smaller scale than the entire universe. There is so much out there to still be discovered, so much left to learn. To think we're the most interesting things out there is to limit imagination.
And the photos included in the book are absolutely amazing, too.
As the title implies, the book covers topics from the very beginning of the universe to now and beyond. A lot of it is, by necessity, theoretical, though strongly based in logic and backed by mathematics. And most of it is simply amazing. For instance, regarding the very first moments of the universe:
The inflationary era lasted from about 10 to the -37 second to 10 to the -33 second after the big bang. During that relatively brief stretch of time, the fabric of space and time expanded faster than light, growing in a billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second from one hundred billion billion times smaller than the size of a proton to about 4 inches. Yes, the observable universe once fit within a grapefruit.
Like I said, amazing. Those with more of a science and math background (or those who don't believe in the big bang) may not find this particularly impressive, but from this layperson's perspective, it was fascinating.
Traveling methodically through the last 14 billion years, the authors endeavor to explain everything from the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy to how planets form to how life on Earth began to the probability of other life in the universe. The verdict? We're very probably not the only ones. Why? 'Cause the universe is just that big and it's unlikely we're the only ones out there.
One of my favorite excerpts comes in the next to last chapter, "Searching for Life in the Milky Way Galaxy." It deals with why no advanced alien life forms have contacted us yet (UFO sightings do not count as scientific evidence):
Why should they? Just what about our planet makes us special to the point that we merit attention from extraterrestrial societies, assuming that they exist? On this point more than any other, humans have consistently violated the Copernican principle [that we're not the center of the universe]. Ask anyone why Earth deserves scrutiny, and you are likely to receive a sharp, angry stare. Almost all conceptions of alien visitors to Earth, as well as a sizable part of religious dogma, rest on the unspoken, obvious conclusion that our planet and our species rank so high on the list of universal marvels that no argument is needed to support the astronomically strange contention that our speck of dust, nearly lost in its Milky Way suburb, somehow stands out like a galactic beacon, not only demanding but also receiving attention on a cosmic scale.
If nothing else, this book really puts our significance in perspective. It's not saying we're not important. But our importance needs to be measured on a much smaller scale than the entire universe. There is so much out there to still be discovered, so much left to learn. To think we're the most interesting things out there is to limit imagination.
And the photos included in the book are absolutely amazing, too.
anywiebs's review against another edition
I can't give this a rating or a review really. Mostly because it was not a good idea to listen to this, way too many numbers and information. Also I couldn't always follow the vocabulary and form the calculations in my head.
It is well read, but I guess you have to have more knowledge on the subject than I have. (Also remember I'm not a native speaker, maths and physics without images are hard to do in a second language.)
It is well read, but I guess you have to have more knowledge on the subject than I have. (Also remember I'm not a native speaker, maths and physics without images are hard to do in a second language.)
professor_x's review
5.0
2nd reading: I decided to listen to the audiobook my second time around and it was great. Nothing beats learning about star formation or immense galaxy structures at 6 a.m. on the way to work! The book is a wonderful combination of humor and science, making it fun to listen and to learn. The narrator Kevin Kenerly does a great job, speaking clearly and concisely. Like I mentioned in my first review, there are sections with math that I found difficult but I came better prepared this time around so I was able to understand just a little bit. Highly recommended!
Ah... Astronomy. One my favorite subjects to read about! I love looking up at the stars and absorbing as much knowledge as I can about cosmology so it was only natural for me to pick up this book. Plus, if you've seen the show Cosmos then you should be familiar with the host and author Neil deGrasse Tyson, a very knowledgeable astrophysicist.
The book goes into detail about different parts of our universe, from the absolute colossal size of galaxies and the theory of how they formed to the infinitesimal atoms and neutrinos. The creation of planets and stars are theories that are also touched upon. In the last chapter Neil talks about the possibility of life on other planets.
Tyson does a great job of explaining everything in Laymen's terms and sprinkles humor in there as well. I do recommend however that you have some knowledge of astronomy and physics because some jargon is used here. About two or three chapters get really mathematical and it made it difficult to follow so I felt I had to trudge through that information. I almost knodded off a couple of times.
There is also another version that was recently released called "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" which is the same book but a shortened version.
I loved the book! I'll admit that there is some bias because I am a lover of science and I look up to Tyson as well as Carl Sagan!
Ah... Astronomy. One my favorite subjects to read about! I love looking up at the stars and absorbing as much knowledge as I can about cosmology so it was only natural for me to pick up this book. Plus, if you've seen the show Cosmos then you should be familiar with the host and author Neil deGrasse Tyson, a very knowledgeable astrophysicist.
The book goes into detail about different parts of our universe, from the absolute colossal size of galaxies and the theory of how they formed to the infinitesimal atoms and neutrinos. The creation of planets and stars are theories that are also touched upon. In the last chapter Neil talks about the possibility of life on other planets.
Tyson does a great job of explaining everything in Laymen's terms and sprinkles humor in there as well. I do recommend however that you have some knowledge of astronomy and physics because some jargon is used here. About two or three chapters get really mathematical and it made it difficult to follow so I felt I had to trudge through that information. I almost knodded off a couple of times.
There is also another version that was recently released called "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" which is the same book but a shortened version.
I loved the book! I'll admit that there is some bias because I am a lover of science and I look up to Tyson as well as Carl Sagan!
forkdogforkfruit's review against another edition
4.0
A well written (and recorded/ spoken) book. The subject of the book is both wide ranging and comprehensively and is covered well. This is a book I may actually go back and read a physical copy of as, for me, the jury is still out for me whether I am into audio books.