Merlin's Tour of the Universe (Paperback)

by Neil de Grasse Tyson (Author) "UNLIKE MANY OTHER PLANETS in the universe, Earth is a dynamic place..." (more)
Key Phrases: metallic hydrogen, ten billion years, Milky Way, Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This is a collection of questions and answers from Star Date , a popular astronomy magazine. The answers to questions from the general public are supplied by Tyson, who has assumed the persona of "Merlin," an alleged visitor from the Andromeda galaxy. The material is clustered in 13 chapters; the first several deal with various parts of the solar system, and the others are concerned with topics such as stars, telescopes, and galaxies. The responses are generally terse but accurate; one or two of them appear not to deal with what the reader was asking. The author makes liberal use of humor, some strained; the Merlin character is rather pointless. Although hardly an essential work, this may be a useful acquisition for some public libraries.
- Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib . , Ann Arbor
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Through the fictional persona of Merlin, a visitor from another galaxy, an astrophysicist answers the most commonly asked questions about the universe and illuminates the ideas of the most important astronomers and scientists of the past. Reprint. Tour."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Main Street Books; 1 edition (July 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385488351
• ISBN-13: 978-0385488358
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #226,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent starting point for laymen/amateur astronomers, March 12, 1998

By A Customer

Professor Tyson has written a lucid, well-thought, and sensitive introduction the field of astronomy and astrophysics. He has presented the reader with intelligent questions and readable, highly understandable answers. Even questions one would not think of asking, but are nonetheless interesting are presented, and are given the same consideration as old hat questions such as how far is the sun from the earth, or how far away is the nearest star. I for one would like to hear more from Merlin, and hope that his next book comes out in the very near future.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome!, September 15, 2004

By	astrochick (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merlin's tour of the universe (Paperback)

i bought this book for my six year old son who loves astronomy. merlin, a wizard whose birthday coincides with that of the solar system, answers thought provoking questions about earth, the solar system, the universe, stars, etc. merlin's answers are written in tyson's usual writing style, down to earth and easy to understand. he even makes difficult concepts understandable. merlin is asked questions such as "what would happen if the earth stopped rotating?" and " why is the south pole colder that the north pole?" he gives theories as to why three of the nine planets rotate retrograde. i read a few questions to my son each night before he goes to bed and i continue reading it even after he's already asleep; it's hard to put down. i just love it and highly recommend it to anyone interested in astronomy, young or old.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Book from Dr. Tyson, April 1, 2009

By	M. J. Staley (Tombstone, Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have a kid who's interested in astronomy, this is a terrific buy. It's in a question/answer format, with Merlin answering the questions. Each question/answer is on its own page, and there is no order dependency. This means you can open the book to any page at all and just start reading. It's fun and informative.

As to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson - what can I say that hasn't already been said. When it comes to astronomy, Dr. Tyson writes the best stuff I've seen for non-scientists, puts in a language we can understand, and adds enough humor to make for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.