If you have ever looked at the night sky and wondered what was out there, or just wanted to impress your science-savvy friends, give Neil deGrasse Tyson’s new book, “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” a read.
The Bill Nye for explaining the Universe, Tyson brings his trademark dry wit and easily understandable language to the world of astrophysics. The result is a book that, as a whole, goes a long way toward unraveling the mysteries of Earth and outer space to a layperson.
Will you feel as though you can converse with Tyson himself about the intricacies of dark matter and quarks? No. Will you be able to answer that trivia question about the periodic table? Probably.
The book is fascinating to anyone who likes and does not have the time or inclination to read Tyson’s much longer book, “Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour.”
His dedication says it all: Tyson’s book is “For all those who are too busy to read fat books yet nonetheless seek a conduit to the cosmos.”
Tyson guides his readers through the seconds, minutes and millennia after the Big Bang, explains what dark matter is and reassures readers that even Albert Einstein made mistakes.
In fact, he may fit too much information in to too-tiny pages. As the book goes on it can feel like information overload and, if the reader is not reading carefully, it can take several attempts at a passage or a chapter to understand what phenomenon Tyson is tackling.
The humor and wit with which he approaches his subjects, however, keep the book from being dull—even if it remains a challenge to consume. His light tone makes astrophysics more relatable to those who have not had the pleasure of rocketing into space or spending years studying the Milky Way.
Tyson’s science-nerd humor goes a long way in his explanation of the job of cosmologists, not to be confused with cosmetologists, as he anticipates the common, simple questions most readers will have and eloquently gives them the answers without prejudice for the science-challenged.
While it may take a read or two to fully understand, the interesting facts one can pick up just from the first chapter alone makes this book a go-to to anyone who has a want for knowledge and a low tolerance for technical language. And at no more than 230 pages, it truly is for people in a hurry.
schulzek@indiana.edu
@kas_schulze
