Big-Bang

Karen Fox has made unexplainable explainable. She has taken a very tough subject and made it accessible to the lay reader. I highly recommend this book. I also had the good fortune to see her discuss her book at a local independent book store. She was great. If her book tour comes to your city, don't miss it.

Karen Fox has the freshest of writing styles and a complete grasp of her subject. Her voice is, at once, playful and intimate. Readers will follow her anywhere. With a winning, light touch, she presents just the right details to give such characters as Plato, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton memorable personalities, and places their accomplishments in the context of a greater story. Inspiring work. An irresistible read.

Karen Fox has a unique ability to explain difficult scientific concepts to lay people, and has done so brilliantly in her new book explaining current theories of the origin of the universe. She is to be highly commended for putting these theories in perspective, telling us what appears to be supported by compelling evidence, yet letting us know how much uncertainty still exists. We can only hope that Ms. Fox will continue to expand our scientific horizons in language that one does not have to be a PHD to understand.

Explains ths story of the cosmos with sophisticated gorgeous illustrations. Clearly and concisely explains both fundamental concepts & great phenomena.
Double-page spreads that explore a topic and richly illuminate it w/ color photos and drawings.
Three parts: I. Creation of the Universe--explains relativity,
space and time, quantum theory
II. The Grand Design--galaxies and stars, black
holes,pulsars and quasars
III. The Living Universe--Future life, life on
other planets
A high schooler or college student would love the layout.

Ok, say its time to curl up on the couch with your favorite book on the cosmos. You go over to the fridge grab a 40 oz, stop by the tomb of knowledge and browse your selections. This book is the bomb on all that is UNI. You pick this little baby up and jump on the couch with a your drink and get ready to go on a tour of everything observable. This book is just cool. I have checked it out of the library many times. And now I am making it my own. Charts, numbers, stuff. It's all in there.

The book is divided into three easy to follow parts,each with many color photographs and color drawings.This book is an exciting tour of; yesterday, today, and the possible tomorrow of our universe.

A bigger difference than between this book and "History of Greek fire and gunpowder" can hardly be imagined. "The big bang" is written like a history book and therefore much easier to read that professor Partington's book. It describes the history of all explosives, from black powder to the H-bomb. It is surprisingly complete. The book treats, among others, black powder, smokeless powder, cordite, ballistite, nitroglycerin, dynamite, gun cotton, TNT, ANFO, picric acid, safety fuse, detonators, the A- bomb and the H-bomb. It is clearly an historical account, not a recipe book. The writer not only describes the technical- and chemical aspects of explosives but also tells the story of the persons, production methods and companies that have played a role. Also he gives information on the application of explosives in military use, mining, demolition and quarrying and on all the problems that have occurred in the course of time. Even the "gunpowder machine" (predecessor to the steam engine) is mentioned. Obviously the writer is from Britain, which shows in his discussion of the patent controversy between Alfred Nobel and the British government concerning the production of Cordite. Generally, however, he takes a very objective position. The writer has also placed the development of explosives in the broader context of social development and a number of interesting facts are mentioned. It seems that the publication of the Balfour declaration (which led to the founding of the state of Israel) was very much due to the fact that it was a Jewish chemic (Chaim Weizmann, the later president of Israel) who found a solution to the shortage of acetone in England during the First World War, thus helping the war effort. Acetone is essential for the production of Cordite, the main propellant for the British guns. Also controversial characters like Fritz Haber and Robert Oppenheimer feature in this book besides large industries like Dupont de Nemours and Kynoch. The development of explosives is not only important to the war industry and mining but also plays a vital role in the realization of important, prestigious public works like canals, tunnels and railroads. The explosives industry stands at the basis of much of the modern chemical industry. All in all "The big bang" is an excellent book to learn the history of this very specialized and sometimes controversial subject.

THE BIG BANG a History of Explosives was written by George I Brown, and not by Adam Hart-Davis. Adam Hart-Davis is an exceptionally fine presenter, with the BBC. He has a programme called LOCAL HEROES, and is an ex professor of a university, in the UK(I'm sorry I can't remember which one). Adam Hart-Davis writes a foreword of one page long. Mr. George Brown wrote the other 256 pages, and a wonderful piece of work he wrote. If you want to kill people, then your looking @ the wrong book, move along. Other than that the Title says it all really.

The book is a thematic history of explosives. The largest coverage is for gun powder detailing the history of its use in guns, bombs, rockets and mining. Then the further advances of explosives are covered up to and including nuclear explosives.

The author presents a technical work easily understood by this non-chemist. He also gives the very human background of the various inventors and users of the explosives.

What was most interesting to me is the fact that many of our most famous chemical producing companies started with the production of explosives.

Also interesting was the history of the development of safe explosives both for war and for mining purposes.

The book is well illustrated and easily accessable for the layperson and for the professional.

This book is an excellent tour through history of astronomy and astronomers quest to uncover our place (and time) in the universe. Ferris goes into quite a bit of detail and does not treat his readers with kid gloves. There are many interesting anecdotes about various astronomers and Ferris sometimes gives mini biographies of the more interesting/eccentric of them. Ferris starts with the greek astonomers such has hypocratus, goes through copernicus, kepler, galileo, newton, and then onto the astronmers of the last 200 years. But in his final section, he also talks about how the geosciences, and the theory of evolution began to give us a better perspective of where we fit in the universe not just in space but in time. The last chapters are devoted to the cutting edge of science - quantum physics. Ferris reports discoveries up to the point practically that this book was published! All in all, a good read for anyone interested in science and particularly in Astronomy.

This book is an excellent tour through history of astronomy and astronomers quest to uncover our place (and time) in the universe. Ferris goes into quite a bit of detail and does not treat his readers with kid gloves. There are many interesting anecdotes about various astronomers and Ferris sometimes gives mini biographies of the more interesting/eccentric of them. Ferris starts with the greek astonomers such has hypocratus, goes through copernicus, kepler, galileo, newton, and then onto the astronmers of the last 200 years. But in his final section, he also talks about how the geosciences, and the theory of evolution began to give us a better perspective of where we fit in the universe not just in space but in time. The last chapters are devoted to the cutting edge of science - quantum physics. Ferris reports discoveries up to the point practically that this book was published! All in all, a good read for anyone interested in science and particularly in Astronomy.

Great book! I finished this 500+ pages book in a week, a record for a slow like myself. "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" tells us how our concept in astronomy and cosmology changes and evolves, how man struggles to understand the universe through diligent research, and what will the future of SETI be. Timothy Ferris tells us how, for example, we develops the idea that earth is spherical from simple observations of Eratosthenes from Alexandria, and that measuring the distance of earth to sun accurately is an endeavour that takes hundreds of years and take hundreds of scientist globe-trotting to observe transit of Venus (the passing of Venus in the sun's disc), which will be an accurate method to determine the earth-sun distance. In short, this books tells us how human can gain all the knowledge that is now a popular knowledge to everybody.

The titles suggest that we, human, are just becoming of age in our universe. Young, passionate, eager to face the world, but brash and hold many future. In the final chapters, Timothy Ferris introduces us to the concept of galactic beacon that will hold all our profile so that it can be transmitted to other civilizations in other stars.

The book ten, Nine, Eight was about a young girl who is getting ready for bed and counting things on her way. The book used pictures to show the numbers one-ten and to help young kids incorporate the counting with pictures. The reading level for this book is pre-school or kindergarten, someone just learning to read or count.

this book is helpful for young children trying to read and count!

...Ten, Nine, Eight is perfect in all aspects: the African American characters can help my children relate to the book because the characters look like them; the father who puts his daughter to bed speak volumes for those who want to see an Afican American MALE in a positive role; and the short, simple story encourage children to read even if it is only from memory.

In my family, my son is the third child to enjoy this book. This book is one to be treasured and passed down.

This is a detailed book. Almost too detailed. As a Professor of International Business in Tokyo's Sophia University the author is in a prime position to detail the woes of the Japanese financial system. And maybe that's where the problem with this book lies. He is a professor and not a writer. His insistence on using the expression "Big Bang" started to become a little annoying.

His main emphasis is to point the finger at the Ministry of Finance, the government department which is supposed monitor the economy, regulate the banks and other duties as well. But the Bank of Japan, Tokyo University, private banks, gangsters, construction companies and everyone else are included where necessary.

But the main problem with the book is that it is fairly technical and dry. As I am not an economics student, I had trouble understanding a lot of the financial terms and expressions used through out the book. There is little in the way of explanations or a glossary or index for the average reader to use.

For the parts that I could follow, it paints a dire picture of the continuing Japanese economic malaise. Even though the book is a few years old now, the indications presented in the book and the remedies are still valid today because reform in Japan is a slow moving beast.

This is the best available book there is to bring you up to date on Japan's current reforms. I had the author for Money nad Banking last year as an exchange student in Sophia and he helped to show me how Western logic does not apply to the Japanese system. It has its own logic which he explains. He shows how the Bubble occurred, how it wrecked Japan's financial houses and ordinary investors as well. He brings the tale right up to date by showing the costs and benefits of the mergers and acquisitions sweeping the market and the chances the foreign concerns operating in Tokyo have for ultimate success.He cuts through the hot air and mists of the Japanologists and shows you the real economy and the real people beneath it. If you are interested in learning about the real, modern Japan, read this book.

This is a very good book. Prof. Hayes explains everything about Japan's business very well. Sometimes his English is hard to follow for me (I am Japanese) but his argument is not. It starts at the beginning about the marriages and mergers between Japanese and non Japanese companies. It tells that there are too many Japanese working in stupid jobs - like construction (10% of all Japanese workers, shops sales (another 10%)) and so on. It explains why this is silly, what Japan is doing to change it and the other problems. Prof Hayes is a gaijin but he understands Japan very well. I like this book very much.

I am a college student, well versed in mathmatics and physics, and I stand in awe of the manner in which Hawking presents the most difficult concepts of science in a way that a layman can understand. This book should be required reading for all students of astronomy, physics, astrophysics, and even geology. Hawking's ability to explain abstract concepts in a clear, concise manner, without resorting to higher mathmatics is uncanny.

If you have ever wondered about the nature of our universe,and thought that it was beyond you, then this book is a must read.

For someone like me, who is lazy, but interested in physics, this book is superb. It does away with all the mathematical nitty-gritty to leave the mind-bending ideas intact. In this way, one can get a grip on how the universe works without needing to know hard maths which would take years to learn.

Reading this book gives you a powerful insight into the most fundamental aspects of existence, such as what is the universe's eventual fate, and does there need to be a god to create it? If you're interested in big issues like this, Stephen Hawking gives you ample food for thought. He is like a supplier of hard fact into the realm of philosophy, which is otherwise completely theoretical. With these hard facts and well thought out scientific theories, big questions like the meaning of life and the existence of god can be more meaningfully discussed; actual scientific evidence can be cited to support arguments about whether a Creator God is needed in this universe. With the t! heories Hawking writes about, maybe one day the creation of the cosmos could be attributed to a natural force, say, like gravity. A creative force. But then, that leads onto the question, what created the creative force?.....

Whatever, A Brief History of Time is a brilliant achievement, containing fascinating large-scale science that piques the reader to think of 'higher things'. Absolutely fantastic!

When i first got this book, I thought i would never understand a single word he is saying but at last i realise that his book was so simple yet so powerful.I brought me to realise the universe is nothing yet it is so vast.

Cartoon History presents a large amount of information at a rapid clip and keeps you laughing the whole time. Topics that may have seemed boring in history class (or weren't addressed at all) will suddenly spark the imagination and leave you wanting to read more. Thick history presented in the exact opposite of dry textbook style, all high school and college students should own a copy of this book! (Gonick doesn't pull punches about the graphic violence and bizarre sexuality of our history, so parents should exercise discretion about handing this book to younger students.) Gonick also shows intriguing perspectives that you won't get in the average, mainstream textbook market; and he especially gives women a voice they normally do not have. Hopping all over the globe for more than white man's western civ, this book and its sequel open up history in a startling and energized way. I highly recommend keeping a copy on your reference shelf.

Want to read about history without reading about history? Buy this book! Not only does is serve up science in a way to keep you awake but it slices up history into easy to swallow portions too. If you find chapters or subjects that pique your interest beyond that provided by the witty cartoon panels, the book has the most extensive bibliography (with reviews!) you could ask for. I bought my copy many years ago and it drove me to reread all those Greek Classics that I slept through while I was in school! It is apparent that portions of the Ancient Greece section was drawn earlier when Mr. Gonick was developing his style. His wit is trenchant in all the chapters in a way to make the reader think. Summary: I wish I had this book when I was in school...

A seminal work. Simply a fun great account of the history of man. This book does a great job telling the story of civilization from the dawn of man to Moses and the Greeks. A very accurate and funny story that illuminates the essentials of western civilization in many pages of hilarious cartoons. A great gift.

Astrophysics today is required to observe the infinitely small, in order to find answers for the big picture.
In this view the book explores particle physics before plunging into astronomy. It retraces the history of discoveries, starting from the ancient greek concept of the atom, all the way to the latest theories and discoveries made through modern particle accelerators.
The book does not propose answers; it limits itself to presenting the accepted theories, and does so with an everyday language. I would say the book is at such a level that anybody with high a school level of education will be able to understand it.
I would criticize the fact that the authors don't make questions that invite the reader to be more curious about the universe. We know there are inconsistencies in the existing theories but this aspect is not explored. Too bad because I think astrophysics make a very fascinating research.

Reviews the major developments in science relating to the inner structure of the atom and quantum physics, and the efforts to understand the nature of the stars, galaxies and the universe. Easy to read and accompanied by clear diagrams and photographs, as well as comments on the scientists. Packed with information, making very complex ideas understandable. If you have any interest in what is happening on these frontiers of science, start with this book.

This is an exceptional book because of the way the information is organized and for it's wonderful use of graphics.From quarks to Black Holes--it's all in there. I am not a nuclear physicist nor do I hold an MS--I am just interested in knowing more about subatomic particles and the gasses in the gallexies. That's why I love this book's approach which enabled me to absorb the new information and gain some understanding of the world of quantum mechanics. Gratefully, I can report that the authors have managed to make this material accessible and fun! I give extra cudos to whomever designed the book because it is a visual treat which begs to be read.

The book is a debate between two well-informed philosophers who debate the implications of big bang cosmology on the issue of God's existence. I recently re-read the book and was amazed at what I missed the first time around. The technical nature of the book will make it difficult to understand for those who are unfamiliar with both philosophical argument and big bang cosmology. I recommend one read Robert Jastrow's _God and the Astronomers_ and Hugh Ross' _ Creator and the Cosmos_ before embarking on this heavy dose of technical philosophy. I consider Craig's Kalam cosmological argument for God's existence to hold more weight than Smith's interesting but weak cosmological argument for God's non-existence.

According to Big Bang cosmology, the universe began to exist about fifteen billion years ago with an explosion called `the Big Bang'. But was this explosion created by God, or did it occur without cause? In Part I, Christian philosopher William Lane Craig defends the theistic interpretation of Big Bang cosmology. In Part II, atheist philosopher Quentin Smith defends the atheistic interpretation. Part III contains Craig's and Smith's interpretations of Stephen Hawking's cosmology, and its implications for the existence of God.

An excellent scholarly resource for anyone interested in the debate over Big Bang cosmology. Readers unfamiliar with Big Bang Theory may wish to consult other works before reading this one.

This is not the easiest book in the world to read. Then again, its subject matter is recondite enough to warrant its difficult essays. It is recommended that anyone who wishes to take on this monster first be acquainted with philosophy as well as contemporary 20th century cosmology. Stephen Weinberg's "The First Three Minutes" and Timothy Ferris' "The Whole Shebang" would be good places to start before attempting to read this book. It would also be helpful for one to have read at least one book on quantum mechanics ("Taking The Quantum Leap" by Fred Alan Wolf would be a wise choice) as a pre-requisite. Even having read these books beforehand, this is STILL not an easy book.

What this book deals with is the First Cause argument which St. Thomas Aquanis borrowed from Aristotle & then modified for Christianity. The question it confronts is "Why is there something rather than nothing?" The Creationist's answer is that the answer lies with God, the cause of all things. The atheists counter that this does nothing but push the question back, as then one must ask "where did God come from?" (if, indeed, the universe "came" from anywhere at all). If one cannot answer this, then why not just skip a step and say that nobody knows where the universe came from? (as opposed of taking the seemingly superfluous step of inferring a God or gods). William Craig Lane defends the theistic side of the argument while Quentin Smith takes the helm for the atheists. Both are quite erudite & it makes for a very good match.

In the 20th century, scientists used to adore the "steady state" theory, which was invented by Sir Fred Hoyle, the famous Cambridge astronomer. Why? you ask. Well, in the 1920s Edwin Hubble confirmed what Einstein's theory of Relativity had already predicted: the universe was either expanding or contracting (expanding, as it turns out). Due to the redshift, if one were to "run the film backwards" the universe must have been at a single point sometime in the remote past. However, if this were true, it would suggest that the universe had a beginning. However, if this were true, one could say that that was the moment of "creation" that Aristotle & St. Thomas Aquanis were talking about. This became known as the Big Bang theory.

Enter Hoyle. Hoyle speculated that there must constantly be matter "created" (for lack of a better term?) that "fills in the gaps" between galaxies as they rushed away from each other. This became known as the "steady state theory." The theory was very ad-hoc, but it did preserve an infintely old universe and was adopted by over 90% of the scientists on the planet.

The story took a decided turn in the mid 1960s when Arno Penzias & Ralph Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which was radiation left over from the first instants of the incredibly hot Big Bang. Almost overnight, Big Bang passed the steady state theory in the HOV lane. Today, steady state is a dead theory.

To many scientists' horror, they once again had to grapple with the First Cause argument as applied to a finite universe. Sir Arthur Eddington once said "I find the idea of a beginnig to the universe repugnant. I should like to find a genuine loophole." Oscillating universe theory became the favorite "loophole" of atheists. However, it suffers from significant faults (as William Craig Lane describes in this book).

This is a wonderful book as the polemics of the First Cause argument are presented on the battlefield of cosmology rather than straight-philosophy these days. That is as it should be. The book is filled with paradoxes of infinity as well as the possiblity of the entire universe being a quantum fluctuation (virtual particle) gone awry. Although the book dabbles with the Anthropic Principle a wee bit, it is primarily focused on the question of causation. Did God create the universe? Or is it, as they say, turtles all the way down? Or did the universe LITERALLY appear out of nowhere (and nothingness)? Read this book & you will be much more informed to decide for yourself.