Book Club › Book of the Month › 2018 Book Selections › July BOTM: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson › Reply To: July BOTM: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Done! I really enjoyed this book. I read it pretty quickly, it only took me about 4 days to finish. It is not a long book, but it does take time because the content is so brainy. There were multiple passages & sentences that I had to read several times in order to fully comprehend things, or to get things to really sink in. But, don’t let that scare you, because the content is not too terribly in depth where it would make it too difficult of a read.
Physics is by far my favorite science, and by extension, astrophysics. I also like quantum physics too. But, after I left school, these are not areas that I’ve stayed “up on.” I don’t sit around and read science books. I love history, and can, and do, read history books all the time. But, science? Hell nah! It’s like, once I left school, I was free of science haha!
Reading this book was a great way to brush up on current astrophysics and feel smart all at the same time 🙂 My brother works in the field, and so when we are together, we always have great discussions about nerdy science stuff. It is fun!
I like how Neil organized the book. He was able to divide it up into several big topics, and get a little more detailed on each one without bogging you down with too much over-the-head science and math. I like how he puts the universe into perspective, which he also does in interviews too. It kind of “grounds” the universe, so that we can comprehend it without being too overwhelmed. My favorite part was probably the last chapter, where he talked about our individual psyche’s relationship with the universe. Love that! Because it draws on psychology to explain science. I am always fascinated by the cosmos and our place in it, and how insignificant we as humans, and we as individuals, really are. Like Neil, that doesn’t depress me at all. It makes me want to understand and learn more, and I enjoy that aspect of science very much.
Rhett loves all things outer space, so it has been fun over the years to experience that with him. I love when he asks me all sorts of questions that I don’t have the answer to, and then I can learn and find new things out. Whenever there is a “newsworthy” story about the cosmos, I enjoy reading about it, especially in this day & age when the daily “newsworthy” stories can be so stinking depressing.
In September, we plan to visit the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where Neil is. I will be on the lookout for him there! 🙂