teachingliteracy:

lookingforether:

Book Review : The wonders of the Universe by Professor Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen 

A gripping book that not only serves as an introduction to astronomy but also covers all the wonders of a universe 13.7 billion years old and 93 billion light-years across. It is an extended and detailed version of the popular BBC TV series. 

In four distinct sections, Brian cox reveals how the unimaginably vast and seemingly inscrutable cosmos can be explained and experienced without even having to leave earth. Most importantly, he tells us how fortunate we are to be living in such a precious time in the universe and why nothing can be more gratifying than studying it. 

In the first of the four mind-blowing sections of the book, Messengers, we are introduced to our place in the Universe and how we can observe and study it. Here, the authors explore the mind-bending nature of light and how by capturing it, we can learn about the birth, age and nature of the cosmos.  

In the next section, Stardust, Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen explore the life cycles of the furnaces of the cosmos and their significance to all life on earth. Then they go on to explain what the early universe could have been like and how the first stars came to be. 

The third chapter, Falling, covers the intriguing nature of gravity and how it sculptures our universe whilst at the same time, keeping it in place. They describe some of the most spectacular events in the cosmos from the collision of galaxies to the birth of a black hole. 

The final chapter, Destiny, brings the book to a dramatic end as we explore the nature and passage of time along with the life cycle of the universe. Here, we learn of what could be the demise of our universe. 

The wonders of the Universe is not just an inspiring, fascinating and marvelously-written book. It is also beautifully illustrated. Therefore, Reading it was a thrilling journey across the cosmos.