Book Report - "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Despite not writing a book report post since "Jekyll & Hyde" back in November, I have continued reading. Quite a bit actually. Unfortunately, that left me with a sort of indecision about which book to write on. In reading order, I have since finished:
"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry"
"The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories"
"Jane Eyre"
"The Hero with a Thousand Faces"
"The Hobbit"
"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"
"The Old Man and the Sea"
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
I am currently working on "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," and at this point, I think it might be better if I hit all of Tolkien's stuff in a single post once I finish the last of the trilogy. As for "The Chronicles of Narnia," my book club at work is tentatively working on finishing that entire series, so that is another I'll probably hold off on, at least for now.
Beyond those, I'm left with Hemingway, Campbell, Bronte, Lovecraft, and Tyson. Spoiler, I actually enjoyed all of those, so expect a positive opinion once I do get around to addressing them. For the first book report in a few months, though, I decided it best to go with Tyson’s cursory piece on astrophysics.
“Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” written and read by the man himself Neil deGrasse Tyson, was every bit as enthralling of a read as I expected it to be. I love reading and watching media on space, astronomy, and astrophysics, even if I’m not very good at retaining the information. The best comparison I can give for Tyson’s small volume here is that it reminds me of reading and perusing through wikipedia pages on space-related topics, but in a more structured format with a logical flow. If that’s something that appeals to you, you’ll probably love the book. If you aren’t so interested, you might want to pass.
The difference between Tyson’s book and my comparison is that his written work is less organic, but more informative. By organic, I mean it gives less opportunity for the reader (listener, in my case) to explore topics at their leisure. Don’t get me wrong, Tyson covers the topics and ideas in a very natural format, but if you wanted to sidebar for some information on one particular thing that he mentioned, you might be waiting a few chapters for him to get back to it and explain more thoroughly.
I say that Tyson is more informative, and consequently easier to digest, because he starts from a very basic level and elaborates on individual topics a little bit at a time. He gives relatable examples, and takes logical steps such that it is very easy to follow his direction. If you want to supplement the book with a quick Google search for some outside information, you can, but he gives enough information that you’ll never be lost.
This book is appropriate for the reader who has some curiosity in astrophysics, but not a deep understanding. If you have a degree in the field, none of this will be new to you. Even if you’re just pretty well read on recent astronomical discoveries and ideas, most of this might be content you’re familiar with. However, the book is chock full of interesting trivia, and Tyson explains it phenomenally well. If you wanted a crash course in what astrophysics is, and what some of the high points are, this is the book for you.
"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry"
"The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories"
"Jane Eyre"
"The Hero with a Thousand Faces"
"The Hobbit"
"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"
"The Old Man and the Sea"
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
I am currently working on "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," and at this point, I think it might be better if I hit all of Tolkien's stuff in a single post once I finish the last of the trilogy. As for "The Chronicles of Narnia," my book club at work is tentatively working on finishing that entire series, so that is another I'll probably hold off on, at least for now.
Beyond those, I'm left with Hemingway, Campbell, Bronte, Lovecraft, and Tyson. Spoiler, I actually enjoyed all of those, so expect a positive opinion once I do get around to addressing them. For the first book report in a few months, though, I decided it best to go with Tyson’s cursory piece on astrophysics.
“Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” written and read by the man himself Neil deGrasse Tyson, was every bit as enthralling of a read as I expected it to be. I love reading and watching media on space, astronomy, and astrophysics, even if I’m not very good at retaining the information. The best comparison I can give for Tyson’s small volume here is that it reminds me of reading and perusing through wikipedia pages on space-related topics, but in a more structured format with a logical flow. If that’s something that appeals to you, you’ll probably love the book. If you aren’t so interested, you might want to pass.
The difference between Tyson’s book and my comparison is that his written work is less organic, but more informative. By organic, I mean it gives less opportunity for the reader (listener, in my case) to explore topics at their leisure. Don’t get me wrong, Tyson covers the topics and ideas in a very natural format, but if you wanted to sidebar for some information on one particular thing that he mentioned, you might be waiting a few chapters for him to get back to it and explain more thoroughly.
I say that Tyson is more informative, and consequently easier to digest, because he starts from a very basic level and elaborates on individual topics a little bit at a time. He gives relatable examples, and takes logical steps such that it is very easy to follow his direction. If you want to supplement the book with a quick Google search for some outside information, you can, but he gives enough information that you’ll never be lost.
This book is appropriate for the reader who has some curiosity in astrophysics, but not a deep understanding. If you have a degree in the field, none of this will be new to you. Even if you’re just pretty well read on recent astronomical discoveries and ideas, most of this might be content you’re familiar with. However, the book is chock full of interesting trivia, and Tyson explains it phenomenally well. If you wanted a crash course in what astrophysics is, and what some of the high points are, this is the book for you.
It is a very short read. The audiobook was only three and a half hours, and most people read to themselves faster than listening to a reader. But Tyson’s voice is just buttery smooth, and it is a pleasure to listen to him discuss his own field of expertise with a passion and enthusiasm. Of all the audiobooks I’ve listened to so far, I think Tyson rivals John Lee as my favorite reader, regardless of the text.
Either physical book or audiobook, I highly recommend this piece if you have even a fleeting interest in astronomy. At best, you’ll learn something and scratch the itch to discover something new. At worst, you’ve only wasted a few hours of your time.
Resources:
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Blackstone Audio, Inc., 2017. Audiobook, 1 compact disc.
Either physical book or audiobook, I highly recommend this piece if you have even a fleeting interest in astronomy. At best, you’ll learn something and scratch the itch to discover something new. At worst, you’ve only wasted a few hours of your time.
Resources:
Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Blackstone Audio, Inc., 2017. Audiobook, 1 compact disc.
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