With wit, humor, and an infectious love of astronomy that could win over even the science-phobic, this fun and fascinating book reminds us that outer space is anything but remote. The scientist behind the popular website badastronomy.com, Philip Plait presents some of the most fearsome end-of-the-world calamities (for instance, incoming asteroids and planet-swallowing black holes), demystifies the scientific principles at work behind them, and gives us the odds that any of them will step out of the realm of sci-fi to disrupt our quiet corner of the cosmos. The result is a book that is both terrifying and entertaining?a tour of the violent universe we live in, written with an enthusiasm that every stargazer will appreciate.

Author: Philip Plait
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 08/25/2009
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.61lbs
Size: 7.98h x 5.34w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780143116042
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Discover 12/01/2009 pg. 36

About the Author
Phil Plait, Ph.D. is a NASA-funded research astronomer with more than ten years of professional experience. He has written astronomy articles for magazines such as Astronomy, Muse, and Space Illustrated, and has been published in the Boston Globe. Plait has appeared on national radio and TV programs, including the Sci-Fi Channel's "Countdown to Doomsday" documentary.