From the Big Bang to Planet X: The 50 Most-Asked Questions about the Universe ... And Their Answers [Paperback]

Terence Dickinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0921820712 | ISBN-13: 978-0921820710

• What exactly is the Big Bang Theory?
• How do we know the universe is expanding?
• What is a black hole? Does a Planet X exist?
• What came before the Big Bang?
• How many galaxies are in the universe?

These are just six of the 50 questions answered in this fact-filled guide to the latest findings and theories in astronomy. Concise yet authoritative, it is the perfect reference for the thoughtful reader who doesn't have the luxury of time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Terence Dickinson] has succeeded in writing a useful, enjoyable and eminently readable book. (Science Books and Films )

About the Author

Terence Dickinson, one of North America's leading astronomy writers, has been asked just about every astronomy question there is. In this book, he has selected the 50 most-asked questions as a foundation from which to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos in the down-to-earth style that has made him a best-selling author with over one million books in print.

He has received many national and international science awards including the New York Academy of Sciences Book of the Year Award and the Royal Canadian Institute's Sandford Fleming Medal.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Camden House (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0921820712
• ISBN-13: 978-0921820710
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,291,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The trivial astronomy question every one asks! answered, January 12, 2002

By 

M. A. ZAIDI "Ali Zaidi" (Karachi; Pakistan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From the Big Bang to Planet X: The 50 Most-Asked Questions about the Universe ... And Their Answers (Paperback)

The author has succeeded in writing a useful, enjoyable, and eminently readable book. The questions range over the whole domain of astronomy and include those concerned with current areas of astronomical research. . . . In addition to giving answers that are accessible to a general audience, the author often uses easily visualized models to describe, for example, the relative size of the solar system or the thickness of Jupiter's rings. The diagrams and photographs (many taken by the author himself) add significantly to the explanations. Obviously, in a book of this length that covers so wide a range of topics, it is not possible to go into great depth on any particular subject. However, the author has wisely included an extensive reading list for further study, organized question by question.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, December 25, 2000

By 

Kristy (Missouri, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From the Big Bang to Planet X: The 50 Most-Asked Questions about the Universe ... And Their Answers (Paperback)

I love astronomy, but most of the books I read about it are long and drawn-out, and too difficult and advanced for a high schooler to read. However, this book is easy enough for elementary schoolers to read. It's very informative, explained very well, and even has pretty pictures for those who are too lazy to read the whole book. :) I definitely recommend it!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners, Outdated for Everyone Else, January 5, 2010

By 

Avals Sher "Gambit" (FL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From the Big Bang to Planet X: The 50 Most-Asked Questions about the Universe ... And Their Answers (Paperback)

This book goes to great lengths to provide straight forward answers to the most basic questions asked. The author has written an easy to read and informative book with information up to date when the book was published. However, that was in 1993. Given the scientific advances of the last 15 years, however, a lot of the information is out of date. Astronomy has seen an explosion of exploration and new data in the last 15 years and this book just doesn't cut it anymore for anyone but the very beginners. While the fact that Pluto is still a planet in the book can be overlooked (as even today many scientists are not too happy with the change for sentimental reasons), the fact that the search for planets around other suns was just beginning in 1993 cannot be. Since the book's publications, hundreds of planets have been found, and this book only mentions a couple with the expectations for types of planets to be discovered being woefully out of date. Information about black holes is also a bit out of date. These are just the few things. Reading the book 15 years later, it really does read a bit quaint, so fast has astronomy moved forward in such a short time. For kids, however, might still be a good fit. On a separate note, I was a bit taken aback by the author's seemingly constant plug for his NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe, which, while a great resource (now in its 4th 2006 edition), didn't need to have another book written as advertisement for itself. While I may be a bit hyperbolic, but after the fifth reference to the book in the text, it got a bit tiring.