image: Cover of "Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond the Milky Way and Discovered the Entire Universe." view more
Credit: World Scientific
When a curious young adult wants to know the answers to the ultimate questions about the Universe -- what it's made of, where it came from, what its fate is, etc. - where do you send them to? Until now, a tremendous series of specialized books, a graduate-level education in cosmology, or months of one-on-one education, were your only options. But with astrophysicist Ethan Siegel's new book, Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond the Milky Way and Discovered the Entire Universe, the answers have never been more accessible.
Beyond the Galaxy looks to revolutionize the way astronomy is taught and understood by everyone around the world. Rather than either forcing readers to find their own path to the answers or simply telling them what it is, this book takes the more challenging approach: laying out the possibilities and how to discern between them. With a focus on how we came to the answers and how our best theories continue to be challenged and refined today, this book promises to engage anyone who's curious not only about what we know, but how we know it.
As introductory astronomy courses move away from rote problem-solving and begin to focus on a conceptual understanding of the big questions, the lucid prose, relatable analogies and illustrative pictures presented in this book have the potential to revolutionize not only how such courses are taught, but to vastly improve the student experience. The stories inside not only shed light on the greatest scientific discoveries of our cosmic history, but creatively illustrate the scientific process while highlighting and humanizing the major players who made it happen.
"Whether you are learning about the Universe for the first time, taking an introductory course or looking for the latest update on modern developments in the story of what we know about the Universe and how we've come to know it, this book is designed to start at the very beginning of human exploration and take you through the most important developments that led to our present understanding of all there is," says Siegel in the preface of his book. He absolutely delivers all of that and much, much more.
Beyond the Galaxy is an ideal read for any introductory astronomy student, a scientist interested in learning about modern cosmology or an interested layperson who's very concept-oriented. It retails for US$44 / £29 and can be found at Amazon and select bookstores everywhere. (Special educator pricing is available.) To know more about the book visit http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/9547%20?utm_source=eureka_alert&utm_medium=press_release&utm_campaign=eureka_9547
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