Smithsonian Intimate Guide to the Cosmos

Rating:
Summary: Truly amazing work
Review: Well, it is very comforting to know that the Universe will not end in a "big crunch" and that the Sun will not run out of hydrogen for another five billion years. But jokes aside, didn't you ever wanted to ask someone who knows about life universe and everything, and get a real answer illustrated with awesome pictures? Didn't you ever wanted to listen to someone telling the story of cosmos in a clear, understandable, yet scientific language with all the terminology and the buzz words? Didn't you ever try to read about latest discovery in astrophysics just to find out that the writer either overloads you with the facts that you would never understand anyway or tells it in such baby terms that you fall asleep before finishing the second sentence? For a person who has always been interested in the secrets of the Universe but never had enough time to keep up with the scientific news, for a person who wants to dazzle his kids with explanations how the stars work but realizes that the phrase "they are very hot" no longer cuts it, for a person like myself, this book is a real treasure. What made this book so unique is author's amalgamation of skills and experience. He is a talented artist, knowledgeable scientist, and a great writer with unbelievable access to the vast graphical material some of which he probably created himself during his association with Hubble and Chandra programs. This book should be in every household. It is a fantastic reference to the world around us from Sun to the back wall of the Universe and even beyond.