Einstein’s Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes by Chris Impey (PDF)

Description

The astonishing science of black holes and their role in understanding the history and future of our universe.Black holes are the most extreme objects in the universe, and yet they are ubiquitous. Every massive star leaves behind a black hole when it dies, and every galaxy harbors a supermassive black hole at its center. Frighteningly enigmatic, these dark giants continue to astound even the scientists who spend their careers studying them. Which came first, the galaxy or its central black hole? What happens if you travel into one―instant death or something weirder? And, perhaps most important, how can we ever know anything for sure about black holes when they destroy information by their very nature?In Einstein’s Monsters, distinguished astronomer Chris Impey takes readers on an exploration of these and other questions at the cutting edge of astrophysics, as well as the history of black holes’ role in theoretical physics―from confirming Einstein’s equations for general relativity to testing string theory. He blends this history with a poignant account of the phenomena scientists have witnessed while observing black holes: stars swarming like bees around the center of our galaxy; black holes performing gravitational waltzes with visible stars; the cymbal clash of two black holes colliding, releasing ripples in space-time.Clear, compelling, and profound, Einstein’s Monsters reveals how our comprehension of black holes is intrinsically linked to how we make sense of the universe and our place within it. From the small questions to the big ones―from the tiniest particles to the nature of space-time itself―black holes might be the key to a deeper understanding of the cosmos. 68 illustrations

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Impey skillfully weaves a fascinating tale out of the work and ideas of the scientists who…pieced together the history of black holes.” ― Manjit Kumar, author of Quantum, Financial Times”Black holes were originally flights of theoretical fancy, difficult for even professional physicists to wrap their brains around. In Einstein’s Monsters, Chris Impey shows how modern astronomy has brought them into vivid focus, and conveys how much more we’re learning about these extreme beasts with every passing year.” ― Sean Carroll, author of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself”[Einstein’s Monsters] will wow the general-interest science audience.” ― Booklist (starred review)”An absorbing and lay-reader-friendly look at the intriguing dead stars called black holes.” ― Publishers Weekly”Fans of popular science authors such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lisa Randall, and Mike Brown will enjoy this wonderful, accessible introduction to black holes.” ― Jason Steagall, Library Journal (starred review) About the Author Chris Impey is a distinguished professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona and the critically-acclaimed author of Beyond, How It Began, and How It Ends, and four other books, as well as two astronomy textbooks. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Up to date book but not a lot of Math. Needs more guts. This is more of a report of what has happened over the years.

⭐I had no idea what the subject of this book would be. What I found was a look at the universe as mere mortals perceive it from the instant of the beginning to the final moments of its existence; a journey 10**100 years. The sheer enormity, the sheer magnitude of every component that defines the universe as we know it is simply overwhelming! The book reveals the incredible wealth of knowledge that has been accumulated in a very short time since the beginnings of the the scientific debates over the possibilities that black holes could actually exist while exposing how little we truly understand about the “Big Picture”.This book is for people who have a curiosity about the cosmos. I personally had to read it slowly and methodically to allow time to absorb and contemplate what I had just read. The content is way above my “pay grade” but I persevered and was well rewarded for my efforts to read it to the end.

⭐This is a must read book for anyone interested in learning about the latest theories in the field of astrophysics. The author has done a great job explaining the concepts in an easy to understand language. He discusses how black holes were first imagined and how mathematics and physics evolved to prove their existence. He states that 300 million black holes are scattered just in our own Milky Way Galaxy. He discusses the supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, and how we have been improving our technology tools to “see” the black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of Milky Way. Finally, he speculates about the fate of all black holes and the universe after all known energy is consumed and the universe goes dark – in about 100 billion years! A truly mind expanding idea.

⭐Fascinating book. Highly worth reading for anybody interested in black holes. However, the way the footnotes are structured is awkward. There are many footnotes in the back of the book, typically 40 to 50 per chapter. Most, but not all, are references. Some of the footnotes are informational or interesting anecdotes. The end result is you spend a lot of time checking the footnotes to find the few that are important to read. Typically what I did was look ahead in the footnotes for the next number that wasn’t just a reference and not look at any footnotes until I got to that number. It would have been helpful to somehow differentiate between the references and the other footnotes. Bold or different font for the numbers, maybe?

⭐I really enjoyed reading the book. I appreaciated that the book is up to date and it contains the most recent discoveries in the field.The book is divided to two parts. In the first one the author deliver basic theory behind black holes. In second part is dealing with the newest theories and results of research, including gravitational waves and new field of so-colled “gravitational waves astronomy”. Sometimes historical notes and authors personal experieces are added. This increases accessibility of the book to wider range of readers. For more advanced readers footnotes with details are added.I would recommend reading the book for everybody interested in cosmology and its the most recent development.

⭐Of all the books I have read about black holes, this is the most entertaining, the most informative. It’s also the most up to date as Impey is in the fore front of black hole research. Well written and pretty easy to understand!

⭐Just the right mixture of lay info and rigor

⭐Brilliantly written prose from one of the greatest minds of our time.

⭐Page 131 fig. 38 illegible

⭐Bought this book after seeing Chris on Sunday brunch. Interesting but slightly painful if your not an astronomer as the text can be quite baffling.

⭐It is the bestseller about the recent studies in astronomy, understandable for both educated people as well as for kids. Highly recommended

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