2013 Reading: Death by Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson

death by black holeDeath by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse Tyson

This book was the September selection for my Reading Liberally Book Club. And while I guess there won’t be too much to discuss, I expect everyone will like it. I sure did.

The book was constructed from Tyson’s columns in Natural History. As a result, there is some repetition and there is no narrative thread that holds the book together. No matter, each chapter is a morsel of fascinating information about the cosmos. I still can’t say I really understand what a black hole is, and there were a number of other chapters that were difficult for me to comprehend, but on the whole (I almost said “hole”), Tyson’s approach makes this book valuable for anyone, no matter how limited your understanding of science is.

We recently also read Carl Sagan’s Varieties of Scientific Experience, which I also enjoyed. But this book is more up to date, and Tyson’s prose style is even clearer than Sagan’s.

A terrific read for anyone who wants to come closer to understanding the cosmos.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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