Origins

Starred review from September 27, 2004
This is the most informative, congenial and accessible general look at cosmology to come along since Carl Sagan's Cosmos
27 years ago—and, like Cosmos
, it's a companion to a PBS series, in this case a Nova special (to air on September 28 and 29). But Tyson (The Sky Is Not the Limit
, etc.), who's director of Manhattan's Hayden Planetarium, and Goldsmith (Connecting with the Cosmos
, etc.) are no Sagan clones; they bring a distinct point of view and tone to this title. The point of view surfaces right away, both with their concerted effort to draw in numerous branches of science to explain the story of cosmic evolution, and with the statement that "science depends on organized skepticism." The authors continually refer to the reach and limits of science, explaining, as they offer a chronological tour of cosmic history, just what they think science can tell us and what it can't (as they end the journey, focusing on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, they deliver several sharp blows to true believers of UFOs). The tone is informational, aimed at high clarity, and laced with giddy humor: "A hundred billion years from now... all but the closest galaxies will have vanished over our horizon of visibility. Enjoy the view while you can." Beginning at the beginning, Tyson and Goldsmith tackle the origin of the universe and its nature—from antimatter to dark matter and dark energy to the possibility of multiverses; how the universe became organized; the origin of stars; a fascinating look at the periodic table; the origin of planets, including a vivid discuss of planets outside our solar system; and the origin of life. Much of this material will necessarily be familiar to regular readers of popular science, but even they will benefit from Tyson and Goldsmith's incorporation of the latest cosmological developments, from string theory to recent thinking on dark energy; and if this book breaks out, as it has real potential to do, general readers of every stripe will benefit from the authors' sophisticated, deeply knowledgeable presentation. If the casual book buyer purchases one science book this year, this should be the one.

September 1, 2004
Since Carl Sagan's book-and-television package " Cosmos" (1980), astrophysicists have discovered that the universe will probably expand for eternity and have found planets orbiting neighboring stars. That's reason enough to update and redo the Sagan concept. Tyson and Goldsmith's book is allied with their four-hour PBS " Nova" special, which will air September 28 and 29. This book's popularity is thus ensured and, in effect, introduces the vibrant general-interest literature about individual post-Sagan advances in astronomy and cosmology, which includes Goldsmith's " Worlds Unnumbered " (1997). The authors adopt a colloquial, even conversational style suited to readers new to the ideas and vocabulary of big-bang cosmology; they make comprehensible the connections between subatomic physics and the structure of the universe. With that as background, the authors then flit between the epoch of infinite density and temperature and the contemporary eon of galaxies, and they sign off with ruminations on extraterrestrial life, though they look askance at UFO devotees. Aiming for mass appeal, Tyson and Goldsmith cover the whole celestial block. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

Starred review from September 1, 2004
Scientists are achieving a new understanding about the origins of our universe as the disciplines of geology, biology, and astrophysics bleed into one another. Astrophysicist Tyson is the director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium; Goldsmith is an astronomy writer with more than 20 books to his credit. Together, they have crafted a terrific historical perspective on humanity's pursuit of answers that offers insights into the recent findings that have both expanded our knowledge and raised even more intriguing questions. Amateur astronomers--in fact, any reader who enjoys popular science--will find fascinating information presented in clear but never patronizing language. The mysteries of the cosmos have wide appeal, and this reader-friendly title, timed to coincide with the four-part Nova series on PBS in late September, is highly recommended for small academic and all public libraries.--Denise Hamilton, Heritage Christian Sch., Ridge, NH

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.