Black Hole Survival Guide

I'm a bit of a physics geek, and knew a reasonable amount about black holes, relativity, and Hawking radiation before picking up this book, but I learned a few new things from the last couple of chapters, which was really satisfying.This book is beautifully written: it leads you through a journey of discovery in short, understandable (even to those who aren't physics geeks), and fun chapters. There are no maths equations to deal with - the concepts are explained in a clear and coherent way without the need for equations.Best of all is the author's sense of fun: without spoiling it, watch out for the black hole created from too many donkeys...A good read: enjoy!

This is a fascinating insight into the cosmos' most fascinating phenomenon. It does a reasonable job of explaining our theories to date.However her attempt to make analogies to ensble understanding doesn't always come off, and left me scratching my head, particularly the notes and chords comparison.A problem woven into the very fabric of the subject is that we just don't know enough yet, and so she was reduced to describing some popular theories for which the maths adds up but there is no measurable evidence.The biggest failing of the book is to fail to find a good way of conveying the nature of information.Having pointed out these shortcomings, it's still a fascinating insight into a fascinating subject.

Bought out of interest after hearing the author speak. Great read and so good bought a copy for a friend's daughter whose big on space.

Some of the analogies irritated, as they seemed too simplistic. Also, there is a basic flaw. If the centre of a black hole is a point, and perhaps a portal to another universe, the issue of how it exerts a gravitational pull is not addressed, plus the leakage of matter or energy is not well explained. If it consists of particles stripped at the event horizon, the elements remaining outside the black hole are surely not black hole emissions. This conundrum was not explained.

Loved this. Made my head hurt, but found it hard to put down.

A small book or large type so in hardback not good value. Interesting though. Well worth waiting for paperback or secondhand

This book does not help you understand anything about black holes, it is a confusing mess. The early text contains a number of errors in the like the speed of light (the light from your torch does not travel at the "cosmic speed limit", fish observe an even greater slow-down), escape velocity is irrelevant to the author's rocket at Cape Canaveral (it does not apply to powered objects, see Wikipedia), stating that black holes are empty (they could be full of rabbits, that's the point of an event horizon), and observers looking at one another's clocks. In other contexts, you could ignore these issues, but when you get to later thought experiments, you don't know if they are even vaguely credible.

The Kindle Sampe does not even give you the table of contents! Come on amazon, attention to details ......

Me encantó, llego en perfectas condiciones

Having read numerous books on modern physics (written for lay readers), I confess that this one is the most fun and as well the clearest by far. That is not to say that Janna Levin’s book offers any final theories. We remain at a loss to sort out the conflict between relativity and quantum mechanics. Still, this books offers a great deal of insight into the remaining quandary.I feel compelled to offer a sample of this quandary in the form of one of the poems from my recent collection under the title, De Rerum Natura: On Nature and Poetry. A Singularity Weighs on MeNot a singular thought or regret;Rather a physicist’s dark gem,The concept of infinitelyTangled mass and energyShining solely inward, stealing awayTo a black point. All and nothing.Not a personal remorse,Yet a gravity that quells my breath,An avalanche burying my breastIn an arctic tundra of frozenRivers, arteries and veins,Still blood and a silent heart.No escape? Only brief life chancesBetween a cosmic crunch and zero kelvin?No third choice, just confrontation or solitude?Sun Yat-sen or Lao Tzu?A sly smile parts your lips.A motile single-helix dances for a willing ovum.A quantum fluctuation? No, but a NewWorld born of the sparkle in your eye.Anyone who finds contemporary science fascinating and also enjoys poetry will find my book engaging. Those of us who have turned away from myths of the past and embraced scientific knowledge understand that beauty and mysteries still abound. Janna Levin’s book proves that conclusion, as I hope my own book does as well.

What a great way to help people understand a black hole- by describing what happens from a human point of view instead of just the physics. Easy to read and enjoyable.

The author talks about BH with an approach very interesting and a nice style., The arguments are developped with competence and attention. The way of exposing is clear and rich of humor. The book is short, but we must do as readers great attention to several particularities. In fact many aspects of the theory are surely not obvious.

Really good book by a great author.