She Treads Softly: Cosmic Queries

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Cosmic Queries

Cosmic Queries by Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Trefil
3/2/21; 312 pages
National Geographic

Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going by Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Trefil is a very highly recommended informative, educational, and entertaining book explaining the universe.

"Cosmic Queries" is a popular part of the StarTalk series of shows where the questions fans ask on a topic are answered. Some of these questions require too deep or involved an explanation to be answered on the show so the book Cosmic Queries tackles those deeper, more philosophical questions in a conversational style that is informative, educational, approachable, and infused with some humor. The history of all related topics is included and assists readers unfamiliar with astronomy, astrophysics, and quantum mechanics to gain an understanding of the topics. Naturally the illustrations and photographs are beautiful and abundant.

In a well organized manner the chapters include:
What Is Our Place in the Universe?
How Do We Know What We Know?
How Did the Universe Get to Be This Way?
How Old Is the Universe?
What Is the Universe Made Of?
What Is Life?
Are We Alone in the Universe?
How Did It All Begin?
How Will It All End?
What Does Nothing Have to Do With Everything?

Each chapter then has talking points noted under the title. For example "Chapter 1: What Is Our Place in the Universe?" is followed by: Is the Earth a Planet?; Astronomy with a Stick; The Parallax Solution; How Big is the Solar System; Henrietta Leavitt & The Standard Candle; Galaxies; Billions & Billions; A Final Word. Interspersed throughout the text are copies of tweets Neil deGrasse Tyson sent out which span the gamete from philosophical to informational to humorous.

What really shines is the ability of Tyson to present difficult topics in an understandable manner. As someone who once answered the question "what boggles your mind?" with "the vastness of space," I appreciated the use of analogies and metaphors to explain complicated concepts. There are still many questions to be explored and answered and this book will likely encourage young scientist to consider a life devoted to the scientific endeavor of exploring the complexities of the universe.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of National Geographic in exchange for my honest opinion

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Purchase Links: National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

1 comment:

Sara Strand said...: Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours; May 21, 2021 at 8:31 PM

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.