Death by Black Hole

And Other Cosmic Quandaries

By: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Narrated by: Dion Graham

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

“[Tyson] tackles a great range of subjects…with great humor, humility, and—most important—humanity.” —Entertainment Weekly

Neil deGrasse Tyson has a talent for guiding readers through the mysteries of outer space with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays that he wrote for Natural History magazine across a myriad of cosmic topics, from astral life at the frontiers of astrobiology to the movie industry’s feeble efforts to get its night skies right.

Tyson introduces us to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to our bodies if we fell into one, examining the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts, and noting Earth’s progression to “an insignificantly small speck in the cosmos.”

Renowned for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while sharing his infectious excitement for our universe.

©2007 Neil deGrasse Tyson (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Tyson takes readers on an exciting journey from Earth's hot springs...to the universe's farthest reaches....witty and entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)
"Smoothly entertaining, full of fascinating tidbits, and frequently humorous, these essays show Tyson as one of today's best popularizers of science." (Kirkus Reviews)
"[Tyson] demonstrates a good feel for explaining science in an intelligible way to interested lay readers; his rather rakish sense of humor should aid in making the book enjoyable." (Library Journal)

great listen

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

opened up my mind to things I had never thought about before.

What does Dion Graham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

he definitely captures Neil's attitude and delivery with his narration.

need to feel smarter, listen to this book.

Neil explains how and why the universe works in layman's terms so anyone can understand.

Excellent

I very much enjoy Neil deGrasse Tyson's mind, outlook on the universe, and enjoyd listening to his book. My only disappointment is that someone else read the book. It was very well-read but it wasn't NdeGT.

Great narrator, easy to understand

Any additional comments?

This was a fantastic educational book about the universe. The narrator is great and expressive, and the author's writing makes the book very easy to understand. He uses great analogies and can even be humorous at times. Great book for someone who is interested in learning about the universe in layman's terms!

It just didnt work for me

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The subject matter is usually my favorite but I just didn't enjoy this that much. I'll listen to it again at some point and see if I get more out of it.

would love to hear deGrasseTyson read his own work

Pleasant enough narration, but this Reader doesn't seem entirely at ease with scientific terminology - admittedly silly example, but Reader's pronunciation of adjectives: parabolic and hyperbolic took a minute to interpret since they were given same syllable stress as the nouns. Reader's cadence in his phrasing sometimes confused the sense of the text too. DeGrasse Tyson is such a fine communicator, a couple of times I found myself preoccupied with notion of what the author's own reading would be like... So many elusive concepts come together so easily while reading this work - for example, never before had a full appreciation of libration point stability: hilltop, saddle, bowl, which is important to understanding the fascination with them as space destinations. Don't roll my eyes so hard at matter/anti-matter discussions anymore either. And, if you make it to the end, you'll probably find yourself revisiting a line or two from DeGrasse Tyson's infectious take on Intelligent Design (which boils down to Stupid Design, as exhibited by the Designer's choice to build the amusement park right on top of the sewage treatment plant).

mostly good for starters

covers a lot of topics with historical context of research.
narrator is pretty good, but has some problems with pronouncing names of people and things (e.g. Huygens, Johannes, principia etc)

a great read and a great listen

i own the paperback version, and have read it, but listening to it at work is a wonderful refresher.

Entertaining

Pretty basic information but an enjoyable listen. A lot of humor and snark. Suggest for a time killer

What Can I Say…?

I do love how you compare the information that is over my head with examples of everyday living within modern day. Thank you. I can’t wait to get a copy of ‘To Infinity and Beyond.” Keep it coming!