Cosmology: The Science of the Universe is an introduction to past and present cosmological theory. For much of the world's history, cosmological thought was formulated in religious or philosophical language and was thus theological or metaphysical in nature. However, cosmological speculation and theory has now become a science in which the empirical discoveries of the astronomer, theoretical physicist, and biologist are woven into intricate models that attempt to account for the universe as a whole. Professor Harrison draws on the discoveries and speculations of these scientists to provide a comprehensive survey of man's current understanding of the universe and its history. Tracing the rise of the scientific method, the major aim of this book is to provide an elementary understanding of the physical universe of modern times. Thoroughly revised and up-dated, this second edition extends the much acclaimed first edition taking into account the many developments that have occurred.
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'I do not hesitate to say that this is simply the best book on cosmology at a semi-popular level I have ever read - and I read most of them … It gives the reader the history, the meanders, the highlights, the beauty and the greatness of the whole enterprise. More, it gives the reader effective tools to reach his own conclusions … an outstanding work of scientific exposition that I strongly recommend.' General Relativity and Gravitation
'This long-awaited update to Harrison's classic textbook is ideal for those who have exhausted the beginners' accounts and want to dig deep into the science and philosophy. Harrison offers fresh ways to think about basic principles, and he strolls down long-forgotten byways that give such richness to the subject.' Scientific American
From reviews of the first edition: 'This book is a remarkable synthesis of scientific thought about the Universe in the large. It is the product of the large thinking, large scholarship, and large generosity of mind of Professor Harrison ... Harrison's easy mastery of style that so well matches his subject makes this an exhilarating exercise … The highest tribute I can offer to Harrison's splendid book is that I have not ceased to reflect upon it since I finished reading it.' William McCrea (ex-president of the Royal Astronomical Society), Contemporary Physics
'Unusual, discursive, non-mathematical, full of reflective comments and disturbing questions, packed with unexpected citations … A beginning serious interest in cosmology can find no better satisfaction than in this helpful overview.' Phil Morrison, Scientific American
'This is the second edition of Harrison's first class book on elementary cosmology for all to understand … The book is provocative and readable.' Irish Astronomical Journal
'This long-awaited update to Harrison's classic textbook is ideal for those who have exhausted the beginners' accounts and want to dig deep into the science and philosophy. Harrison offers fresh ways to think about basic principles, and he strolls down long-forgotten byways that give such richness to the subject.' Scientific American
From reviews of the first edition: 'This book is a remarkable synthesis of scientific thought about the Universe in the large. It is the product of the large thinking, large scholarship, and large generosity of mind of Professor Harrison ... Harrison's easy mastery of style that so well matches his subject makes this an exhilarating exercise … The highest tribute I can offer to Harrison's splendid book is that I have not ceased to reflect upon it since I finished reading it.' William McCrea (ex-president of the Royal Astronomical Society), Contemporary Physics
'Unusual, discursive, non-mathematical, full of reflective comments and disturbing questions, packed with unexpected citations … A beginning serious interest in cosmology can find no better satisfaction than in this helpful overview.' Phil Morrison, Scientific American
'This is the second edition of Harrison's first class book on elementary cosmology for all to understand … The book is provocative and readable.' Irish Astronomical Journal
Book Description
In this thoroughly revised and up-dated second edition, Professor Harrison comprehensively surveys man's current understanding of the universe and its history. Tracing the rise of the scientific method, this book provides an elementary understanding of the physical universe of modern times.
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From the outset we must decide whether to use Universe or universe. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
From the outset we must decide whether to use Universe or universe. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Maria
Format:Hardcover
I really enjoyed reading this book! It's very well written and interesting to read. The author evidently has the talent for teaching and explaining things.
The subject made quite easy to understand through a number of examples and illustrations and detailed explanations. Many concepts I was confused about, after reading some popular literature on the subject, have become much clear to me.
The book is organized in short chapters giving an overview of essential topics in cosmology. It does not go too deep into the subject, keeping it at introductory level, which is great for people, who like me are new to cosmology and astronomy. I found it very useful that at the end of each chapter there is a list of suggestions for further reading, for those who want to read more on a certain topic, and I am already planning to order a few of the suggested books.
The only criticism would be small number of mathematical formulae in support of the material explained. Since I've come from a mathematical academic background I sometimes find it more useful to have a formula rather than a paragraph of text to illustrate the concept. However it is difficult to find a book that is a bit more thorough and specific than the popular literature and at the same time not very technical, so this textbook is a good example of trying to achieve that.
The subject made quite easy to understand through a number of examples and illustrations and detailed explanations. Many concepts I was confused about, after reading some popular literature on the subject, have become much clear to me.
The book is organized in short chapters giving an overview of essential topics in cosmology. It does not go too deep into the subject, keeping it at introductory level, which is great for people, who like me are new to cosmology and astronomy. I found it very useful that at the end of each chapter there is a list of suggestions for further reading, for those who want to read more on a certain topic, and I am already planning to order a few of the suggested books.
The only criticism would be small number of mathematical formulae in support of the material explained. Since I've come from a mathematical academic background I sometimes find it more useful to have a formula rather than a paragraph of text to illustrate the concept. However it is difficult to find a book that is a bit more thorough and specific than the popular literature and at the same time not very technical, so this textbook is a good example of trying to achieve that.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By avionna
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
So far so good as I plough my way through; material is presented in an understandable way for the beginner but time will tell if I can remember "some" of it. !
I would recommend it.
I would recommend it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars
17 reviews
43 of 44 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A serious but very accessible introduction to the field
21 April 2001
By Martian Bachelor
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Even though "Cosmology" is technically a textbook, it takes a rather different sort of approach from the usual such offering. This book makes the subject come alive with excitement by employing a unique style. Even though the book was designed for intro ivy-league students, there's more than enough here to challenge (and intrique) someone who's fully science/physics-literate. The book emphasizes basic principles and intelligently avoids the various fads which seem to plague cosmology at any given time (inflation, dark matter, excessive veneration of the latest observations made with the newest & sexiest technology, etc). It makes clear the important distinction between astronomy and cosmology.
Harrison is both an expert in, and an aficionado of, the grand ideas about creation, so the hard science here is interspersed with relevant pieces of history, philosophy, and literature (i.e., the humanities) -- but not too much, rather just enough to give an appreciation for how great minds of all sorts have wrestled with these problems in one form or another for as long as we know. And Harrison has a way of boiling down the difficult concepts to their essentials, making an opaque subject transparent.
Even though the scientific level is moderately high for a book aimed ostensibly at novices, there are no lengthy mathematical derivations or formulas of the sort that one might think would be necessary to convey, say, Einstein's general relativity or the intricacies of sub-atomic physics. Often taking an order-of-magnitude and geometrical approach, the book avoids long confusing digressions into trivialities and summarizes many of its important points in excellent diagrams. Harrison is great at bringing in just enough from some other branch of physics to help you grasp the topic at hand, so the development as you progress through the book is nearly perfect. He's also excellent at conveying the important conundrums, uncertainties, and many pitfalls in the field. The coverage is very balanced and complete, yet anything but shallow.
Even though I was a grad student in astrophysics at Berkeley, I didn't learn cosmology from Joseph Silk there. Instead, I learned it after I left -- from this book (the 1st edition). Harrison is that good at making what can be a perplexing subject both interesting and understandable. I came away from it feeling I finally "got" cosmology, the grandest of all subjects.
The only better book for the less serious lay person or someone who finds scientific material difficult would be his "Masks of the Universe" -- unfortunately now out-of-print, but well worth tracking down.
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cosmology for everyone: a great, beautiful book
20 July 1998
By henrique fleming
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This is one of the few science vulgarization books which gives more than just a journalistic cover of its subject. It gives you the history, the meanders, the highlights , the beauty and the greatness of the whole enterprise. More, it gives you effective tools to reach your own conclusions. In this case it is the model which describes the expansion of the homogeneous, isotropic cosmological space by means of studying light propagation in a chamber with mirrored walls which recede from one another. There is little that the author cannot explain with this simple model. Harrison is a distinguished cosmologist who happens to be also a very good writer.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb explanations of ideas in cosmology
26 Dec 2004
By Jill Malter
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This cosmology book contains relatively little mathematics, so it can be read by almost any motivated person who is genuinely curious about the subject. And it has an enormous amount of interesting information that ought to intrigue even highly informed scientists.
Harrison traces the history of cosmology and reviews some elementary astronomy. Then we get to the question of a cosmological center and the Copernican Principle. Next is a stimulating discussion of whether the universe has an edge or boundary in space or time. After that, we're ready to read about curved space, relativity, and black holes (including "cosmic censorship," Hawking radiation, and black hole thermodynamics, entropy, and information content).
There is a wonderful chapter on the expansion of the universe, and an explanation of the Hubble sphere and its relation to the observable universe.
After a description of several models of the universe, we get to some observational cosmology: use of redshifts and supernovae to establish distance scales, ages of the universe, galaxies, and stars, amount of helium produced by a hot big bang, and questions about "dark matter." Harrison then discusses what happened not in the "first three minutes," but in the first second, including how inflationary theory can solve the horizon problem, the flatness problem, and the monopole problem.
Near the end of the book, there is a fine explanation of why the sky is dark at night (resolving "Olbers' paradox"). The book concludes with a short discussion of life in the universe.
This is an excellent and fascinating book.
Harrison traces the history of cosmology and reviews some elementary astronomy. Then we get to the question of a cosmological center and the Copernican Principle. Next is a stimulating discussion of whether the universe has an edge or boundary in space or time. After that, we're ready to read about curved space, relativity, and black holes (including "cosmic censorship," Hawking radiation, and black hole thermodynamics, entropy, and information content).
There is a wonderful chapter on the expansion of the universe, and an explanation of the Hubble sphere and its relation to the observable universe.
After a description of several models of the universe, we get to some observational cosmology: use of redshifts and supernovae to establish distance scales, ages of the universe, galaxies, and stars, amount of helium produced by a hot big bang, and questions about "dark matter." Harrison then discusses what happened not in the "first three minutes," but in the first second, including how inflationary theory can solve the horizon problem, the flatness problem, and the monopole problem.
Near the end of the book, there is a fine explanation of why the sky is dark at night (resolving "Olbers' paradox"). The book concludes with a short discussion of life in the universe.
This is an excellent and fascinating book.
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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