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Buy The Edge of Infinity: Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe by Fulvio Melia available and for sale on Brightsurf
| View Larger Image | The Edge of Infinity: Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe
by Fulvio Melia
| | List Price: | $48.00 | | Price: | $32.30 | | You Save: | $15.70 (33%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 580856 | | Studio: | Cambridge University Press | | | Binding: | Hardcover | | Number Of Pages: | 158 | | Publication Date: | October 13, 2003 | | Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
This timely book is suitable for the general reader wishing to find answers to some of the intriguing questions now being asked about black holes. Although once recognized as the most destructive force in nature, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, the opinion of supermassive black holes has undergone a dramatic shift. Astronomers are discovering that these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation, planets, and even life itself. Fulvio Melia is Associate Head of Physics and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He is author of Electrodynamics (University of Chicago, 2001), and a forthcoming title, The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy (Princeton). |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 4 reviews)
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Very concise introduction to the field 
This is a very concise, well-written review of the research that has been done on supermassive black holes over the past few decades. The book is deliberately targeted at non-specialists; it didn't contain a single equation, as far as I can recall, and is written in a highly accessible style. I have absolutely NO scientific background, I never even took physics, but I found the book pretty easy to follow. Those with significant background in physics might be disappointed with the lack of mathematical exposition, but this book is a great place for novices to begin.
Melia focuses on a number of topics: the nature of supermassive black holes, how they were discovered and how they are detected, theories of how they are formed, their role in galaxy formation, their release of plasma jets, and their ultimate fate. The last chapter also contains a fascinating digression on whether our universe itself is a black hole; I found this to be the most technically challenging part of the book, but it was thought-provoking. I finished the book feeling very excited about the technological advances that are allowing cosmologists to peer deeper and deeper into the cosmos with increasing accuracy. Melia does a great job of explaining the instruments scientists use to detect black holes, and he discusses a number of projects that are likely to be completed in the next few years. Finally, the book contained a number of terrific images that really helped me to follow the narrative. In conclusion, this book is a great place to start for those who want to learn more about these fascinating celestial objects, and at 130+ pages, it is a fairly quick read.
May 16, 2007 | |
Darn good
O.k., so I didn't know what to expect, but I bought the book because I had heard that the 2005 Annual Issue of Astronomy magazine had chosen it as one of the best astronomy books of the year. I would have to agree with their choice. Melia introduces supermassive black holes in a novel fashion. Sure, we first came to know of their existence because of the weird behavior of some galaxies. But he shows how in the past few decades, they've come to represent a totally new and dominant category of objects throughout the universe. It now seems that many of them were here long before galaxies formed, and it looks like they were responsible for the formation of galaxies and structure in the universe. But the most amazing thing of all is what observational cosmology is now telling us. Is it true that the universe itself may be a giant black hole? Melia's book has the best discussion of this that I have yet seen. After reading this, I feel like I'm right on the edge of what astrophysicists know.
May 27, 2004 | |
Great Show!
Last week I was fortunate to hear Prof. Melia speak on the subject of his two new books, this title, and "The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy" and was so impressed I rushed out to get copies of both. I was not disappointed. Both books are very well written, and beautifully produced, with color images throughout. His style is similar to that with which he presented the subject at our amateur astronomy meeting---clear, lively, and thoughtful.
I am recommending these to all my friends and relatives. They're the best astronomy books I've read in years, and am looking forward to reading more from him in the years to come!
January 27, 2004 | |
Great Show!
Last week I was fortunate to hear Prof. Melia speak on the subject of his two new books, this title, and "The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy," and was so impressed I rushed out to get copies of both. I was not disappointed. Both books are very well written, and beautifully produced, with color images throughout. His style is similar to that with which he presented the subject at our amateur astronomy meeting---clear, lively, and thoughtful.
I am recommending these to all my friends and relatives. They're the best astronomy books I've read in years, and am looking forward to reading more from him in the years to come!
January 23, 2004 | |
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