The Big Bang to Now: A Time Line [Paperback]

Terry Herman Sissons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2006

The history of the universe in a time line, this is a fun little book about when and what has happened in all of time beginning 13.7 billion years ago when scientists estimate our universe began. Each time entry is just a page, with a facing page bulleting important points and ongoing questions. The great surprise is that this fascinating read is so easy to understand.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Terry Herman Sissons is a cognitive psychologist who majored in anthropology and received her Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research. She has applied her research findings into the way the human mind learns to understand numbers to create a book that makes the daunting universe of time comprehensible to most people. Dr. Sissons has held a tenured position at Montclair State University, taught at Bard College in upstate New York, and was the principal on a children’s educational television series in New York. The recipient of several teaching awards, the author has published articles on cognitive development and written a successful text book on creating effective learning environments. She now divides her time between the United States and England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (April 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419632256
• ISBN-13: 978-1419632259
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > History > Middle East > Syria

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This No-Nonsense Presentation of the Universe is Fun, November 11, 2006

By 

J. Johnston (Cumbria, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Bang to Now: A Time Line (Paperback)

This exciting version of the whole of time divides time into about 100 eras and gives a one page, wrily factual account of each.
The opposite page of each section, has a thought-provoking commentary on the era.
It is an inviting, easy read suitable for anyone from early teens to ancient.
But, no, it is not trivial. The brief summaries of each era are soundly based on the up-to-date knowledge of 2006- with a clear reminder that science is what we know now and will surely change as time goes by. That is a good lesson for anyone to learn, and this book is an easy way to learn it.
A compulsive book for the dipper-in, there are plenty of pointers to further reading on any age that grabs.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "We are made of stardust... We live in Mystery...", August 3, 2006

By 

Maureen D. Mcgowan "Maureen McGowan - Writer" (Larchmont, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Big Bang to Now: A Time Line (Paperback)

This little book will delight, educate but above all amaze those readers who are fortunate enough to find it. I was attracted by its beautiful cover, its paperback format and attractive size, but even as I picked it up I felt my fear of "science..." - I was totally unprepared for the excitement, the mental and spiritual stimulation the book provides. The holistic, individual-page presentation leads past fear and soon I was completely absorbed, savoring the quality of the writing itself, and fascinated by the story of "all of time."

The book is a page-turner that can be read at a sitting, as a seamless whole - or that can be put down when the baby cries or the telephone rings and perhaps not picked up again for days. Nothing will be lost. There is no sense of disconnection, nor any need to keep in mind all that went before as a prerequisite for understanding. The premise of the book is that there is no disconnection--that our amazing truth is that we are all connected, bit by physical bit, moment by preceding moment, to each other and to the source of all, whatever it is. And the author emphasizes that scientific exploration is not in conflict with religious belief; that there are "both scientists and non-scientists who believe in God, and equally those who don't" (p. 11).

I would recommend that this book be put into the hands of as many high-school-age people as you know, to inspire them to take up the study of science without fear of its being "too hard" - to let them know that, instead, it is a fascinating journey, and one that interweaves with all the other ways in which we seek to enjoy and understand our world, e.g. history / literature / art / environmental and global studies. It would make a great gift for friends of all ages as well. I have enjoyed it immensely, and will keep it near at hand in my reading space, to pick up at any time - on any page - to further my own education. I wish this little book great good fortune as it circulates through time!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Bang Made Easy, July 25, 2006

By 

Robet Bellarmine - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Bang to Now: A Time Line (Paperback)

I am familiar with almost all the events described in The Big Bang to Now, but I still found it compulsive reading. The author succeeded in weaving the major events of time into a coherent whole that the reader can comprehend. The bookis not overwhelming in detail or scientific jargon or discourse about the latest findings, which might be why I understood more about how our universe is unfolding than before I read it.

Since discovering this book, my list for birthday, graduation, and Christmas gifts has been greatly simplified. I am giving it to anyone old enough to care about our planet or who wonders where we fit into the Great Scheme of things. I can even give it to someone who already has everything. They won't have anything like this yet.

Robert Bellarmine