In southern California, nearly a half century ago, a small band of researchers -- equipped with a new 200-inch telescope and a faith born of scientific optimism -- embarked on the greatest intellectual adventure in the history of humankind: the search for the origin and fate of the universe. Their quest would eventually engulf all of physics and astronomy, leading not only to the discovery of quasars, black holes, and shadow matter but also to fame, controversy, and Nobel Prizes. Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos tells the story of the men and women who have taken eternity on their shoulders and stormed nature in search of answers to the deepest questions we know to ask.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Unexpected discoveries, seething rivalries and inspired guesswork are all in a day's work for modern cosmologists, several of whom are profiled here. "Overbye's personal narrative makes complex realms of conflicting theory and observation accessible to the layperson," said PW. Photos.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Modern cosmology--the science of superstrings, wormholes, and Grand Unifications Theories--has been popularized in such recent books as Stephen Hawking's semitechnical A Brief History of Time ( LJ 4/15/88) and David Darling's fanciful Deep Time ( LJ 5/15/89). Overbye, the editor of Discover magazine, focuses on the people who contributed to contemporary theories of the universe. Through interviews and personal anecdotes, Overbye presents an insider's view of the lives, works, and personalities of such legendary figures as Hawking; John Wheeler, the "father of the black hole"; and Alan Guth, architect of the "inflationary universe" concept. This approach depicts science as a human process and, in a sense, brings cosmology with all of its rarefied concepts "down to earth." For more formal biographical and technical information on the work of a greater number of leading cosmologists, see Alan Lightman and Roberta Brawer's Origins: The Lives and Worlds of Modern Cosmologists ( LJ 6/1/90).
- Gregg Sapp, Mon tana State Univ. Lib., Bozeman
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Gregg Sapp, Mon tana State Univ. Lib., Bozeman
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent biographical history,
By
This review is from: Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Story of the Scientific Quest for the Secret of the Universe (Paperback)
A history of cosmology, somewhat dated now, that is structured around biographies of some of the major players. Allan Sandage, Stephen Hawking, Alan Guth, Beatrice Tinsley, James Peebles, Marc Aaronson, etc. I have to tip my hand and say that this is one of my favorite books about astronomy and cosmology. Maybe I like the biographical aspect, or the fact that Overbye is just a great storyteller, and this is one great story. You gain an inside track into the transition of power between Hubble and Sandage. I don't think I really understood the inflation theory until I read Overbye's presentation (better even than Guth's book "The Inflationary Universe). If you like to read biographies of astronomers, this book will be right up your alley. If you like to read about cosmology and astrophysics, you may be distracted by Overbye's approach, but you'll still find the book worthwhile.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow! What a Story!,
By John Bernhardt (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Story of the Scientific Quest for the Secret of the Universe (Paperback)
This is the only book I have read where, halfway through, I said, "God, don't let me die suddenly before I finish this book!" The book is so beautifully written, especially the first half. Although I think the Big Bang Theory and Guth's sealing-wax fix to that theory are sadly erroneous, this book gives a dramatic impulse to the story of the develpment of Big Bang cosmology, from Hubble to Sandage. The story as the author presents it is exciting, like a race, and you will not want to put it down. I was concerned by another review, however, that there were inaccuracies in the book. As a layman, I could not detect these, if present. All I know is, whew! What a book! Hats off to Dennis Overbye.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Mystery of the Universe,
By Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Story of the Scientific Quest for the Secret of the Universe (Paperback)
Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos is the greatest book every written about the search for ultimate answers about the universe. But the science is secondary to the gallery of scientists who are revealed in all their pettiness, persistence and ultimately greatness. The story of Allan Sandage - from boyhood dreamer to discoverer of mysteries - could be a book in itself. This is a book of almost poetic prose - a real page-turner that I couldn't set down. Get it today
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Few men are handed the keys to heaven, but Allan Sandage was one. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
doing cosmology, prime focus cage, unbound universe, false vacuum energy, big bang calculations, neutrino universes, cosmology group, redshift velocity, redshift velocities, cosmic censor, big bang radiation, giga electron volts, massive neutrinos, cold dark matter, redshift survey, primordial fireball, giant elliptical galaxies, galaxy counts, deceleration parameter, galaxy formation, local supercluster, standard candles, oldest stars Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mount Wilson, Milky Way, Santa Barbara Street, Santa Cruz, Mount Hopkins, Texas Symposium, Nobel Prize, Allan Sandage, United States, Kitt Peak, University of California, New York Times, Bell Labs, New Jersey, American Astronomical Society, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Texas, Johns Hopkins, Las Campanas, Los Angeles, North Pole, Physical Review, Royal Society, Ursa Major, Los Alamos New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Few men are handed the keys to heaven, but Allan Sandage was one. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
doing cosmology, prime focus cage, unbound universe, false vacuum energy, big bang calculations, neutrino universes, cosmology group, redshift velocity, redshift velocities, cosmic censor, big bang radiation, giga electron volts, massive neutrinos, cold dark matter, redshift survey, primordial fireball, giant elliptical galaxies, galaxy counts, deceleration parameter, galaxy formation, local supercluster, standard candles, oldest stars Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mount Wilson, Milky Way, Santa Barbara Street, Santa Cruz, Mount Hopkins, Texas Symposium, Nobel Prize, Allan Sandage, United States, Kitt Peak, University of California, New York Times, Bell Labs, New Jersey, American Astronomical Society, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Texas, Johns Hopkins, Las Campanas, Los Angeles, North Pole, Physical Review, Royal Society, Ursa Major, Los Alamos New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 18
books:
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68
books
cite this book:
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- The Realm of the Nebulae (The Silliman Memorial Lectures Series) by Edwin Hubble on page 5, and page 34
- The First Three Minutes: A Modern View Of The Origin Of The Universe by Steven Weinberg on page 119, and page 225
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking on page 253, and Back Matter
- The Early Universe (Frontiers in Physics) by Edward Kolb in Back Matter
- Voyage To The Great Attractor by Alan Dressler in Back Matter
See all 18 books this book cites
- The End Of Science: Facing The Limits Of Knowledge In The Twilight Of The Scientific Age by John Horgan on 5 pages
- The Hidden Face of God by Richard Elliott Friedman in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson on page 12, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Bye Bye Big Bang: Hello Reality by William C. Mitchell on page 97, page 248, and Back Matter
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson on page 12, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
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