The Little Book of the Big Bang: A Cosmic Primer (Little Book Series) [Hardcover]

Craig J. Hogan (Author), M. Rees (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0387983856 | ISBN-13: 978-0387983851 | Edition: Corrected

"Hogan compresses the fifteen-billion-year history of the Universe into a pleasurable evening. In a very direct way, he answers the questions everyone asks." -MARGARET GELLER, HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS "This delightful little primer brings you right up to the cutting edge of modern cosmology." -GEORGE SMOOT, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, COBE AND AUTHOR OF WRINKLES IN TIME "An excellent bridge by which the layperson can enter the domain of the Cosmos with understanding." -ROBERT WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR, SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: "The explosion of data and theory in cosmology has led to a profusion of books about modern cosmology written for non-experts. Craig Hogan's cosmic primer ranks among the best: it is a gem." NATURE "… A book for those who already know something about the subject and want to be reminded of how all the jigsaw pieces fit together. And it is a priceless window into the mind of one of the major players in present-day cosmology." New Scientist  

About the Author

Craig J. Hogan is Professor and Chair of the Astronomy Department at the University of Washington, Seattle. Author of more than 100 research articles in astrophysical cosmology, he has held postdoctoral prize fellowships at Caltech and the University of Chicago, and a faculty appointment at Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona. He lives in Seattle with his wife and three children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 195 pages
• Publisher: Springer; Corrected edition (March 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387983856
• ISBN-13: 978-0387983851
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, informative, and manageable., April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Little Book of the Big Bang: A Cosmic Primer (Little Book Series) (Hardcover)

I'm not a physicist but do read much of this "popular" science. I found this book readable and informative. The last full chapter on the inflationary universe (repulsive gravity) is particularly fascinating.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fine little book, December 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Little Book of the Big Bang: A Cosmic Primer (Little Book Series) (Hardcover)

Well worth the money. More precise explanations could have been used in the definition of "coupling" between matter and energy. Hadrons are not defined.Quantum fluctuations are glossed over but then, I have never seen them satisfactorily explained in any popular book. Also, why not say that the number of primeval neutrons is less than that of protons because the former are unstable and decay? A good book with few flaws.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coherent, understandable explanations of big-bang-cosmology, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Little Book of the Big Bang: A Cosmic Primer (Little Book Series) (Hardcover)

An excellent book for readers with basic knowledge and interest in physics and "physical thinking". It gives a complete, understandable picture of cosmic evolution and the theories which (try to) describe it, and it took away my idea of cosmology as some kind of mysterious physics.