by Rich Sherman

A Brief Welcome to the Universe

by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael Strauss, and J. Richard Gott

Published 2021
Grade: A

$9.54, Paperback, at Amazon.com
248 Pages

It has been a busy year for me. And summer in southwest Florida provides very few opportunities for observing/imaging I haven’t had the chance to take new astrophotographs nor time to process images for many months. So, it started to feel like I was losing touch with this hobby that we all enjoy.

That said, I have time to read on airplanes, so I was happy to tuck “A Brief Welcome to the Universe” into my backpack a couple weeks ago. The paperback copy is only about six inches tall and costs less than $10 which is perfect for travel. And, I welcomed the chance to maintain “contact” with our hobby.

The book is easy to read, while still covering many topics: from Planck’s distribution to dark energy, and from the well-trodden Drake equation to the quantum tunneling science behind a theoretical multiverse.” Dr. Tyson is known as an adept translator of complex topics for the average astronomy buff, and this book shows his skill. He seems to know when “enough is enough” and that keeps the reader turning the page.

If you are looking for a deep dive into astrophysics and theoretical physics, this would not be the book for you. But if you are someone like me that enjoys a punchy read from time to time, then I recommend, “A Brief Welcome to the Universe.” At $10, it is a steal, and I think it would make a great gift this holiday season.