Product Description
“One of today’s best popularizers of science.”—Kirkus Reviews Loyal readers of the monthly “Universe” essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson’s talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and childlike enthusiasm. Here Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining just what would happen to your body if you fell into one, while “Hollywood Nights” assails Hollywood’s feeble efforts to get its night skies right. Tyson is the world’s best-known astrophysicist, and he’s at his best here, as a natural teacher who simplifies the complexities of astrophysics while sharing his infectious excitement for our universe. .

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 81 reviews)

greath book ( but dont' be misled by the title ) by Salman Al-mahfoudh

4 Stars
September 17, 2009
the book talks about alot of facts focusing much on the big bang. But if your thinking it's about black holes no. you are mistaken. In fact he dedicated one chapter at the end of the book to talk in specific about black holes titled ( death by black holes). though, he mentioned them alot in other chapters just because the context requires that. again don't be misled by the title. but still it's really a great book. and yeah as others said he rambles too much and that's why my rating is 4 not 5.

Don't be misled by the title. by Lance B. Hillsinger (San Luis Obispo)

4 Stars
July 27, 2009
Death by Black Hole contains forty-one essays on astronomy and related topics by Dr. Neil Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Dr. Tyson is considered by some as the "new Carl Sagan." For dramatic effect, Hayden uses the title of one essay "Death by Black Hole" as the title of the book. But his book is much more than a book on cosomology. From the history of astromony to the development of the experimental method, from comets and evolution to science's place in Hollywood, Hayden educates the reader. Whether it be that of an ancient measurement of the earth's circumference or the development of the definition of a meter, Hayden draws the reader in the drama of discovery. However, sometimes, epecially when using humor, his efforts seem a little forced. Still, the ocassional over-simplication and weak attempts at humor aside, both in style as well as in substance, Death by Black Hole is an impressive book. Carl Sagan, if he were alive, would clearly rate Hayden's effort to explain astronomy "to the people" five stars.

A few flaws, but a good overview by E. Underhill

4 Stars
May 20, 2009
This is a mostly enjoyable collection of articles by Neil Tyson. It's somewhat marred by what former Natural History Magazine author Stephen Jay Gould called "the bugbear of essay collections, redundancy." Other reviewers have noted this, and it's true -- you will encounter the same examples numerous times, and a few of the same painfully corny jokes. Overall, I prefer Carl Sagan, who presented much more unified and continually intriguing material throughout his books, even when he drew some of that material from works he had published previously (as he does in The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark). This being science, though, understanding of the universe marches on without Carl, and I mostly found Tyson's descriptions of recent advances in astrophysical thought worthy of Sagan. One slight annoyance was the way Tyson glossed over some amazing facts. In one article, he casually notes that on Mars the atmospheric pressure is such that water could simultaneously boil and freeze. As a man of Earth, this is not particularly intuitive, but no further explanation was offered. At times like these I feel as though Tyson has tipped the balance from explaining science to simply mystifying the reader. I understand the necessity of this in writing popular science, but on a few occasions like the one described he leaves you wanting more, more that could be adequately described in a few sentences. Lastly, I have one complaint against an irritating bias on Tyson's part. Yes, physics is the most fundamental of all sciences. But if it was the most appropriate apparatus for explaining every phenomenon there wouldn't be any other scientific disciplines. Biology builds on chemistry which builds on physics, and these delineations have been remarkably successful. Tyson references a debate with a biologist concerning the possibility of microbial extraterrestrial life on an meteorite ejected from Mars. He says that the biologist's claim that the possible organism in question could not be life due to the fact that it "was much smaller than the smallest life on Earth," reflected the small-mindedness of biology as a whole. Tyson should be ashamed of this type of generalization -- he's a scientist after all! Why take one example of close-mindedness and apply it to an ENTIRE DISCIPLINE? Biologists reasonably define life as something with a metabolism capable of reproduction. No size requirement in the definition. No doubt many biologists would absolutely agree with Tyson's assertion that life on other planets would probably diverge more from life on Earth than any two Earth organisms do from each other. I find the claim reasonable. As a student of evolutionary and molecular biology I found this attack senseless and arrogant. That was the main reason I took my rating down to 4 stars, but I believe that despite these flaws anyone can find something of interest in this book.

A good read. by Amber (Georgia)

4 Stars
April 30, 2009
The writing style of this book was easy for me to understand, which was an important factor for me. It explains the scientific facts in a very accessible manner. And being composed of individual essays, I can read one at a time, focusing on what that particular essay is imparting--I don't feel pressured to finish a chapter. Another good plus! This is a nice introduction to some of the more complicated subjects in our universe. It is a little dry at times, and there were occasions when I had to re-read sentences over and over to understand them, but overall, I enjoyed this book. It's fairly easy to find specific subjects within the book too.

Educational AND entertaining by D. Olender (Silicon Valley)

5 Stars
March 19, 2009
Death by Black Hole is a fantastic read that succeeds where many of its predecessors did not. The ease and grace with which DeGrasse Tyson brings the cosmos within reach is surpassed only by his ability to make complex concepts relevant and entertaining. The masterful manner in which he blends science and philosophy will challenge your preconceptions about the origin of life and the universe, and his enthusiasm and passion are as contagious as his scientific optimism. Whether you are new to the world of astrophysics or a fan of the works of Carl Sagan, you will find Death by Black Hole a witty, entertaining and educational book.

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