One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos

In ONE UNIVERSE: At Home in the Cosmos, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, Charles Liu, an astrophysicist at the Museum, and Robert Irion, a contributing editor and correspondent to Astronomy and Science, make it clear that what happens in our kitchens and backyards are simply variations on cosmic processes.

In straightforward language and everyday analogies, the authors take us on a journey through the universe, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, stopping along the way to explain these grand and simple connections. We come to see that the force of gravity that finally lands a home-run ball in the bleachers keeps the moon in orbit. Or that the crystal in the window that breaks light into sparkling colors is just another version of the crystal scientists use to understand light from galaxies billions of miles from Earth.

Three basic concepts--motion, matter, and energy--lie at the heart of our understanding of the universe. With these three principles in mind, we can expand our knowledge of the universe because we can see how the physics of our world mirror the same physics of our universe. No wall separates the Earth from the rest of the universe. To illustrate the elegance of this concept, ONE UNIVERSE draws on a glorious album of space photographs, some seen here for the first time, and diagrams and illustrations drawn especially for the book. The book is being published in conjunction with the opening of the new $200 million Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History. The centerpiece of the Rose Center is the new Hayden Planetarium, the first 21st-century planetarium.

This 224-page book includes an illustrated timeline of the major advances in astronomy and astrophysics, a glossary, 400 illustrations, full color throughout, and an index.

See supernovae, eclipses, and the end of the universe in all its quiet glory--but just as your eyes are drawn to the pretty pictures, your mind will seek out the explanations and elaborations accompanying them. Tyson is well known as the director of the Hayden Planetarium and has a brilliant knack for exciting people about astronomy without condescending or diluting; in fact, his respect for the public's intelligence is one of the best features of One Universe. Whether you want to get the latest on time and space, inspire students, or (dare we say it) show off your coffee table, this is well worth checking out. --Rob Lightner

Tyson, Liu, and Irion introduce readers to 'the' golden age of astronomy (Right here. Right now) and explain the principles that govern our everyday lives, as well as the workings of the cosmos. That's quite a lot to accomplish in a book that is also a visual feast (400 full-color illustrations). However, the authors are well-suited to tackle the job. Neil de Grasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Charles Liu is an astrophysicist at the Museum. Robert Irion is a free-lance journalist, and a contributing editor and correspondent to Astronomy and Science.

Using everyday analogies (as opposed to mathematical formulae), the authors take us on a journey through our universe, from the infinitesimal to the infinite. Here is an example illustrating Newton's second law of motion:

"Imagine standing behind two people wearing roller skates. One is a 90-pound ballerina, and the other is a sumo wrestler who weighs five times as much. If you push on each person with equal force (and tact), you will accelerate the ballerina five times more quickly. That ratio holds true in space as well."

"One Universe" includes an illustrated timeline of the major advances in astronomy and physics, from Democritus to Hale-Bopp.
November 19, 2002