Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler's Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Ev

By Neil deGrasse Tyson

Book Overview

A USA Today bestseller

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry takes readers on an entertaining and edifying tour of the universe.

In Neil deGrasse Tyson's delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin, a timeless visitor from Planet Omniscia in the Andromeda Galaxy, has observed firsthand many of the major scientific events of Earth's history. Merlin's friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time--da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein, and Hubble. While Merlin occasionally recounts playful conversations with these luminaries, all questions are answered with authentic science, infused with wit, wisdom, and an occasional rhyme. With the help of intermittent humorous cartoons, Merlin clarifies the details of familiar phenomena like gravity, light, space, and time, and travels to distant stars and galaxies to describe what makes them tick, rotate, explode, and collapse.

Merlin's Tour of the Universe is perfect for anyone who harbors burning questions on how the cosmos works.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1665019859
• ISBN13: 9781665019859
• Release Date: October 2024
• Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up

Customer Reviews

Merllin's Tour of the Universe

I love anything by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He explains things in a way that makes it easier to understand. This book is more for a young person though. I'm 77 year old but I still like to learn. However, I enjoyed it none the less and then gave it to a friend who has youngsters. I think it is presented in a way that they will enjoy it very much and get something valuable out of it.

Another Excellent Book from Dr. Tyson

If you have a kid who's interested in astronomy, this is a terrific buy. It's in a question/answer format, with Merlin answering the questions. Each question/answer is on its own page, and there is no order dependency. This means you can open the book to any page at all and just start reading. It's fun and informative. As to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson - what can I say that hasn't already been said. When it comes to astronomy, Dr. Tyson writes the best stuff I've seen for non-scientists, puts in a language we can understand, and adds enough humor to make for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

awesome!

i bought this book for my six year old son who loves astronomy. merlin, a wizard whose birthday coincides with that of the solar system, answers thought provoking questions about earth, the solar system, the universe, stars, etc. merlin's answers are written in tyson's usual writing style, down to earth and easy to understand. he even makes difficult concepts understandable. merlin is asked questions such as "what would happen if the earth stopped rotating?" and " why is the south pole colder that the north pole?" he gives theories as to why three of the nine planets rotate retrograde. i read a few questions to my son each night before he goes to bed and i continue reading it even after he's already asleep; it's hard to put down. i just love it and highly recommend it to anyone interested in astronomy, young or old.

An excellent starting point for laymen/amateur astronomers

Professor Tyson has written a lucid, well-thought, and sensitive introduction the field of astronomy and astrophysics. He has presented the reader with intelligent questions and readable, highly understandable answers. Even questions one would not think of asking, but are nonetheless interesting are presented, and are given the same consideration as old hat questions such as how far is the sun from the earth, or how far away is the nearest star. I for one would like to hear more from Merlin, and hope that his next book comes out in the very near future.