The Skinny
(aka Back of the Book Summary in a Sentence)
The entertaining astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how the universe works in an easy-to-understand way.
Nutritional Value
(aka What’s Good)
To commemorate SpaceX’s awe-inspiring rocket launch yesterday, I decided to review a book about space. The start of the book is about the start of the universe. Pretty logical move there by the author. It’s a very fast-paced chapter about the Big Bang and how matter came to exist.
I learned a lot of new words I never even heard of before, like leptons and antineutrinos. Maybe that’s what I get for not taking AP Physics back in high school.
Freezer Burn
(aka What’s Bad)
This was a bit too fast-paced for me. I get that this book is meant to be fast, since even the title says that it’s for people in a hurry. But I’m pretty sure it’s also supposed to be for non-physicists, which I definitely am, and I could not handle the waterfall of facts in this chapter. Maybe I’m just an extra low level of non-physicist. I had to reread a bunch of sentences just to comprehend them, and rereading stuff kind of defeats the whole efficiency thing this book is going for.
Lingering Aftertaste
(aka My Prediction)
I’m predicting that this book will not only teach astrophysics, but also how astrophysics relates to us. In this chapter, Tyson explains that each of our atoms comes from the Big Bang and that we’re literally stardust. I’m happily expecting a lot more of this.
Taste Test Verdict
(aka Would I Read More?)
After reading about all the things that had to happen for the universe to form and for Earth to be created the way it is to be able to support life, I feel extremely fortunate to even exist. If our planet were not in the Goldilocks zone, and if the dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, then I would never have been born and I would not be typing this review right now. I would definitely keep reading this book just to get more of this feeling of gratefulness to be alive.
Memorable Morsel
(aka Quotable Quote)
Neil deGrasse Tyson is so efficient at teaching astrophysics that he even has time to add in a burn.
One thing quarks do have going for them: all their names are simple—something chemists, biologists, and especially geologists seem incapable of achieving when naming their own stuff.
What kind of science are you guys into? Sound off in the comments below!
Get Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Gwen thinks that it’s as close to magic as humans can get when a blank Word document is filled with groups of letters, and those groups of letters turn into lines, and those lines turn into a whole new world.
When Gwen isn’t reading or writing, she’s drinking boba milk tea and singing along to Steven Universe. You should sing along with her.
One Reply to “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson Chapter Review”