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)

I loved it. An excellent read.

A great introduction to the world of astrophysics and our early attempts at understanding it.

Awesome narration about the origin, evolution of our universe, the physical laws governing our cosmos

It is indeed a wonderful presentation! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the book! I thought the title of the book could have been other than " Death by Black Hole " coz what you hear and what is covered is certainly much more than the ominous " Black Hole' :-)

A marvelous adventure through the stars

His explanations are so vivid and exciting that he makes me feel as if I really do understand what he's saying--even when he goes far beyond my untutored ken. He makes a second pass equally rewarding as the original becomes a little more familiar and I gain a bit more insight into his magical cosmos. As charming and eloquent as Sagan, with a saucy touch of humor. Loved the experience of reading and rereading it.

Vast, coinvolging, enthusiastic and hilarious

My first Book by De Grasse Tyson, it won't certainly be the last... Great experience!

I love NJT but.....

I'm not PhD like Dr. Tyson but I feel compelled to answer his questions in the 1st essay, Psychics, Fortune Teller's that he referred too as too why we don't know the lottery numbers or futures on the stock market, it's simple we read energy and since something has not happened it has no energy, a mystic is simply someone who knows, in the future as energy becomes more important and people realize as NJT states we are all light and energy, and trust me those who can read energy wish they could not, but NJT is a mystic he is someone who knows about astrophysics and I believe him, if he ever say in front of a mystic he would also be astounded because it has so much too do with what he study's

So much Good Information!!

If you read this book you will learn sh** about the world you never knew to ask questions on haha Neil gives great explanations on astrophysics and analogies are spot on. This is a good book regardless of how new you are to the subject and there is something for everyone. Time flies when you listen to it!

Very enjoyable listen

I enjoyed this book very much. He covered a lot of material but transitioned between subjects smoothly. His sense of humor is very laid back. If you are at all interested in astrophysics you'll like this book.

A decent alternate perspective

The author adequately provided an alternate perspective on many issues facing the scientific community and succeeded in being an enjoyable distration from the daily commute. The only reason this didnt get 5 stars from me was because of the obvious prejudice he demonstrated against Creationism. The author would have been better served had he left out that chapter as I feel he lost a good deal of his objectivity in favor of his dislike for Creationist on the cutting room floor. Up to the final chapter where he expressed more feeling than fact, I would say this is an excellent book. Definately worth the credits if you enjoy science.

Hard to put down

Of the scientific book I listened to lately, this one was probably one of the best. Not just did it provide a comprehensible excursion through astrophysics, it also provided insights into other areas of the physical world and was intellectually quite stimulating...to the point where I had to write an E-mail to the author to ask a question about something I did not understand in the book...and the E-mail was promptly answered by a member of his lab...well worth the read!

easy to understand

Easy to understand for an astrophysics book! Neil does a great job of writing for the average person (I have a bachelor's in Chemistry, but I knew very little astrophysics). I never felt talked down to. It was a lot of fun to read! I especially enjoyed his description of a death by black hole as spaghettification. If you want to learn more about astrophysics, this is a great way to start!