A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty [Hardcover]

Dave Goldberg (Author), Jeff Blomquist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0470496517 | ISBN-13: 978-0470496510 | Edition: 1

Answers to science's most enduring questions from "Can I break the light-speed barrier like on Star Trek?" and "Is there life on other planets?" to "What is empty space made of?"

This is an indispensable guide to physics that offers readers an overview of the most popular physics topics written in an accessible, irreverent, and engaging manner while still maintaining a tone of wry skepticism. Even the novice will be able to follow along, as the topics are addressed using plain English and (almost) no equations. Veterans of popular physics will also find their nagging questions addressed, like whether the universe can expand faster than light, and for that matter, what the universe is expanding into anyway.

• Gives a one-stop tour of all the big questions that capture the public imagination including string theory, quantum mechanics, parallel universes, and the beginning of time
• Explains serious science in an entertaining, conversational, and easy-to-understand way
• Includes dozens of delightfully groan-worthy cartoons that explain everything from special relativity to Dark Matter

 Filled with fascinating information and insights, this book will both deepen and transform your understanding of the universe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a large measure of humor and a minimum of math (one equation), physics professor Goldberg and engineer Blomquist delve into the fascinating physics topics that rarely make it into introductory classes, including time travel, extraterrestrials, and "quantum weirdness" to prove that physics' "reputation for being hard, impractical, and boring" is wrong by at least two-thirds: "Hard? Perhaps. Impractical? Definitely not... But boring? That's where we really take issue." Breaking up each topic into common sense questions ("How many habitable planets are there?" "What is Dark Matter?" "If the universe is expanding, what's it expanding into?"), the duo provides explanations in everyday language with helpful examples, analogies, and Blomquist's charmingly unpolished cartoons. Among other lessons, readers will learn about randomness through gambling; how a Star Trek-style transporter might function in the real world; and what may have existed before the Big Bang. Despite the absence of math, this nearly-painless guide is still involved and scientific, aimed at science hobbyists rather than science-phobes; it should also prove an ideal reference companion for more technical classroom texts. 100 b&w photos.
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Review

With a large measure of humor and a minimum of math (one equation), physics professor Goldberg and engineer Blomquist delve into the fascinating physics topics that rarely make it into introductory classes, including time travel, extraterrestrials, and "quantum weirdness" to prove that physics' "reputation for being hard, impractical, and boring" is wrong by at least two-thirds: "Hard? Perhaps. Impractical? Definitely not... But boring? That's where we really take issue." Breaking up each topic into common sense questions ("How many habitable planets are there?" "What is Dark Matter?" "If the universe is expanding, what's it expanding into?"), the duo provides explanations in everyday language with helpful examples, analogies, and Blomquist's charmingly unpolished cartoons. Among other lessons, readers will learn about randomness through gambling; how a Star Trek-style transporter might function in the real world; and what may have existed before the Big Bang. Despite the absence of math, this nearly-painless guide is still involved and scientific, aimed at science hobbyists rather than science-phobes; it should also prove an ideal reference companion for more technical classroom texts. 100 b&w photos. (Mar.) (PublishersWeekly.com, March 29, 2010)

"If you've ever wondered what happened before the big bang or where the universe is expanding, then the new book A User's Guide to the Universe is for you. A hilariously serious journey through all the big questions (Can I build a time machine?) with answers from real-life physicist David Goldberg and sly illustrator Jeff Blomquist, this indispensable window on modern science makes a great nonfiction companion to the beloved, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." (Christian Science Monitor)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470496517
• ISBN-13: 978-0470496510
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A skeptic is surprised, March 29, 2010

By 

Tim J (United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty (Hardcover)

As somebody who is no fan of pop-science books, I started reading this book expecting the usual mixture of one part science, thirty parts filler. Instead I got one part science, one part quirky fun. The humor worked here. It didn't feel like a perfunctory effort to make the reader laugh, it was instead a clever strategy to disarm the reader of their natural intimidation in the face of some of the most profound and profoundly confounding problems in physics. The book is laced with pop culture references (if anything you will be impressed that the author, having consumed so much pop culture, managed to become a physics professor). When I knew the references, it made the science all the more salient, and when I didn't, it didn't matter, as the explanations don't depend on the references. The drawings are goofy and manage to violate every single standard of scientific figure production known to humanity. I found my eyes drifting to them whenever my brain needed a moment to digest what I had just read. Whether they made me chuckle or groan (yes, some of them are boldly and unapologetically cheesy), the drawings perfectly match the attitude of the text--chill out and learn something.

Now if only these two would write a User's Guide to Graduate School :)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Romp through Space and Time, February 18, 2010

By 

Stephen J. Yenchik (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty (Hardcover)

I have a degree in English but I admit to a healthy fascination with the physical sciences. If A User's Guide to the Universe had been published when I was in high school, that fascination may have turned into a vocational choice. In the book, Goldberg and Blomquist inject the dreaded subject of Physics with a healthy dose of humor and awe. They deliver the material how it should be delivered, heavy on the fascination and light on the math (although I dare say the two could make math fun as well!). I've read a number of popular physics books, Hawking, Feynman, etc., but none have demonstrated an understanding of their audience's trepidation as much as A User's Guide. They know where we laymen stumble and they help us through it. If you want to truly understand more about the strange universe in which we live (and beyond) and have ball along the way, this book is for you.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literally the funniest thing I've ever read., February 19, 2010

By 

Courtney Slocum - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A User's Guide to the Universe: Surviving the Perils of Black Holes, Time Paradoxes, and Quantum Uncertainty (Hardcover)

I'm a physics major, and I actually found out about the book because Dr. Goldberg was my physics professor! I literally read the introduction and was hysterical laughing. This is almost like taking his class, except it's just in simpler words. If you have any questions about the crazy things of the universe, this is definitely the book to read. You'll not only get tons of information, but you'll get a laugh (or two, or three, etc. ) on every page.