The Universe and Beyond

For the layman who is often intimidated by the scope of astronomy and science in general, this book is the ideal place to get started. I've been fascinated by the universe and outer space for as long as I can remember. There is nothing that is quite as majestic and beautiful in the physical world we observe as the unimaginable grandeur of the universe. The book starts out with a good general overview and then starts out from home (Earth) and then gradually moves out towards other objects in the Solar System, the nearby stars, our Milky Way galaxy, and ultimately out to the farthest reaches of the universe (quasars, galaxies out in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field), examining the deepest cosmological questions. The writing is non-technical and is easy for the uninitiated to understand. There are plenty of the latest breathtaking photos from the Hubble Telescope as well as clear illustrations. I bought a copy for my mother who has never delved into astronomy and she advised me that the book has been most enjoyable and that it opened her eyes to the wonders of space that she had never known about. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in astronomy but never had the chance to really dig in for whatever reasons. I also recommend this book to the experts who want to encourage their loved ones and friends to appreciate the universe as well. It makes a great gift to high school students, parents, and friends as well. It's one of those books that people will refer to over and over again and contemplate our place in this amazing structure we know of as the universe.

A friend and I are taking an intro to astonomy course and this is one of the recommended texts. I can certainly see why. It's a very clearly written work with a heavy emphasis on planetary and solar astronomy and a lucid discussion of stellar objects visible with personal telescopes, subjects that the noviate astronomer is most likely to find of interest. The author also dedicates two chapters to the subject of theoretical astrophysics at the very basic level of cosmology, ie) the theory of the origin, the possible ultimate destiny of the universe, and the liklihood of the existance of coevil universes parallel to our own. Dickinson also throws his lot in with those who would believe in UFOs, to the extent that while he doesn't believe in the sightings people report--however well meaningly--he does believe that intelligent life is out there and may well already know of our existance. He gives a thorough and lucid outline of why he believes this to be the case. He also summarizes the SETI project and the ultimate change in position on this topic of high visibility astronomers like the late Carl Sagan, Iosif Shklovskii, and Ben Zuckerman. A very interesting book, and one that whets the appetite for further information.

Excellent, highly readable book about the various aspects of the universe. Presented with fabulous photos, images, and illustrations. An absolute must-have for anyone interested in astronomy. So fantastic, it will even inspire those NOT interested in astronomy. Suitable for elementary school kids (for the photos) on up. Dickinson has an absolute talent for writing about astronomy in a clear, concise way without talking down to you or relying on too much technical jargon and does all that and makes it fascinating too. Wonderful.

Terence Dickinson has out done himself with his latest work. Not since Sagan's Cosmos has the universe been explained in such a exciting and dymanic way. This is a wonderful merging of science fact, theory and imagination. The mental visualizations of journeys into the center of the Milky Way galaxy, over the event horizon and into a black hole and into the cosmic ocean of space and time stretch the human mind. Combine this fluid and engrossing text with the latest astronomical images and art work and this book stands out like bright supernova. I hope that all who are even remotely interested in astronomy will read this.

If you have a passing interest in the universe this book is a great introduction. Dickinson's writing is flowing and brings truly mind boggling discussions into everyday perspective. The production quality is excellent and is in the format of a coffee table book with incredible Hubble photographs. I purchased this book as an introduction and have read it at least five times it's that good. Read it at night and have some really good dreams.