Prisons of Light - Black Holes [Hardcover]

Kitty Ferguson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521495180 | ISBN-13: 978-0521495189 | Publication Date: September 13, 1996

In this jargon-free review of one of the most fascinating topics in modern science, acclaimed science writer Kitty Ferguson examines the discovery of black holes, their nature, and what they can teach us about the mysteries of the universe. In search of the answers, we trace a star from its birth to its death throes, take a hypothetical journey to the border of a black hole and beyond, spend time with some of the world's leading theoretical physicists and astronomers, and take a whimsical look at some of the wild ideas black holes have inspired. Prisons of Light--Black Holes is comprehensive and detailed. Yet Kitty Ferguson's lightness of touch and down-to-earth analogies set this book apart from all others on black holes and make it a wonderfully stimulating and entertaining read.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One can't mention black holes without mentioning Stephen Hawking and the rather baffling phenomenon of A Brief History of Time. Baffling because it's hard to believe that there were really that many trade book buyers who really understood it. If justice has not been eternally trapped within an event horizon, then those book buyers who were still bemused at the end of (or even the beginning of) A Brief History will buy this explanation by Ferguson, the British author of Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything. Even if you've forgotten gravity, relativity, thermodynamics, let alone quantum mechanics and Heisenberg's slippery uncertainty principle, you will understand several of the more difficult notions in astrophysics. Through astute use of definitions, stories, illustrations and verbal imagery, Ferguson describes how gravity might overwhelm the exclusion principal of certain larger stars to create a black hole; what a visit to a black hole might turn up (with all due respect to the improbability of ever returning from such a trip); how black holes hide and what traces give them away; as well as major candidates and how they have been smoked out. The reader willing to apply a modicum of concentration and curiosity will be amply rewarded not only with knowledge, but also with the humor, fantasy, poetry and awe Ferguson brings to the subject.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The reader...will be amply rewarded not only with knowledge, but also with the humor, fantasy, poetry and awe Ferguson brings to the subject." Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"Ferguson succeeds in explaining...black holes at a level that will be inviting to those with little or no prior knowledge. Her writing style is lucid, her analogies good. Just when you thought it was all over, black holes are back." John Barrow, New Scientist

"...an enjoyable, informative read for all." The Bookwatch

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 13, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521495180
• ISBN-13: 978-0521495189
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,966,353 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Explanation for Non-Scientists, September 8, 2002

By 

Fredric Pierce (Huntington Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prisons of Light - Black Holes (Paperback)

Kitty Ferguson has an amazing gift for translating incredibly difficult concepts from modern physics into language that anybody can grasp. "Prisons of Light" is a great example. If you want to understand black holes, but you know nothing of calculus or quantum dynamics, than this is the book for you. It is enjoyable reading and informative in the extreme. It is the place to start in this subject area. Highly recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book., January 12, 2002

By 

slidinjac (sussex, england) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prisons of Light - Black Holes (Hardcover)

This is for those who failed to read 'Brief History of Time'. It explains complex theories with a clarity that astounds.

I read through the whole thing in less than 2 days, it was compelling as a novel. This is indeed a great book that makes complicated physics as easy as pie.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book yet on Black Holes!, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Prisons of Light - Black Holes (Paperback)

Have you ever wanted to persue reading about black holes, yet didn't feel like having to read it over and over to understand what is really being said? Well this is the exact book you should perchase. It is one of the most easy to read book and it trys to avoid all of the astronomical jargin that can get some people confused. And at the same time it teaches you so much in so little time. I know I was on page 79 before I knew it. I just could not put it down! Make sure you get it!