The Simple Universe: Apogee Books Space Series 41 - Softcover

Brewster, Ian; Shiwram, Ken

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1894959116 ISBN 13: 9781894959117

Publisher: Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc., 2004

Synopsis

This guide is an everyman's introduction to topics from atomic physics to astronomy, with colorful graphics and understandable text.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Many books dealing with this subject include very few graphic illustrations, but provide pages and pages of words that make a tough subject tougher. Other books of this type will give you the feeling that subatomic physics and astronomy are only about cataloguing the universe, or explaining it all away, and therefore of no interest (unless you're a scientist). The authors of The Simple Universe show you that the universe is not just evolving around us, but is also within us. Very philosophical; and perhaps this is the most important part of this book. Many authors discuss physics and religion together with either a creationist or atheist agenda, but fortunately, this book is not spoiled by personal prejudice. The authors discuss why some believe that God is inseparable from the universe, and why others believe that random chance alone may have created the universe, both without preaching to the reader. Instead, the authors seek to enlighten you by providing the all-important historical context of humanity's never-ending quest to understand the "big questions". What may indeed matter most is our human desire to understand the universe, our place in it, and our relationships with one another. The authors of The Simple Universe skillfully highlight what the world was like before and after Galileo's abservations of the skies, providing an historical and cultural perspective, without attempting to prescirbe any answers. The authors provide you with the elegant and valuable insight - that we are part of the universe - by giving you a degree of empathy for Galileo and a new perspective. They have shown you the door that leads to enlightenment, but you are the one who must walk through it.

We are mainly listeners, and The Simple Universe uses excellent graphics to generate perspetive. The graphics help you to understand the concepts and transform a subject that is very dense and theoretical into something that we can all relate to. The graphic images will endure in your mind, and you will begin to reexamine the world around you, as you begin to see new shapes, structures a patterns. Rather than lose the reader deep in the subatomic forest, the authors have considerately provided a colourful appendix. There's even a glossary for quickly finding definitions of unfamiliar terms. You can read this book in a single afternoon, but I don't recommend that you do. Take your time; read a few chapters each day, and reflect on what you've learned. Share your new knowledge with a friend, and you'll learn more yourself. I hope this experience will be another great step towards your own understaning of the universe and our place in it. Mark McGovern Ph.D.

About the Author:

Ian Brewster is a science enthusiast and freelance writer.

About this edition

• Publisher: Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc.
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1894959116
• ISBN 13: 9781894959117
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 108