Astrophysics: A Very Short Introduction

Nice little book outlining principles of Astrophysics - I am studying a PT masters in Astrophysics, so a nice little crammer book. Fascinating field.

It may be a very short introduction, but I've so far got only about 40% through it. Though I started from a 1950s engineering degree and a continued interest in astronomy, I've had to re-read several sections. But it does usefully go into much more detail than I had been aware of. I'll continue working through it.

An interesting read, a bit smaller than I would have liked

I am still reading this and find it absorbing, some bits have to be read again to be understood but the odd everyday analogy helps you to get the idea of what is meant. I did not realise that the heavens were so complex and interesting.

The penultimate paragraph of Astrophysics contains the statement ‘Much of the physics involved is extremely complex…’, and this is no exaggeration as this book is replete with impenetrable formulae, graphics and terminology which presumes prior knowledge of the subject matter. Amazon’s 'Look Inside' feature fails to convey just how challenging this VSI will be to the casual reader and a more detailed examination prior to purchase would probably deter all but the most enthusiastic individuals. However, it would be unfair to dismiss this book altogether as it is informative if you don’t get too frustrated by content best described as esoteric in many instances. Perhaps this approach is unavoidable but the inclusion of a glossary would have been beneficial in keeping up with the jargon, concepts and theories that abound throughout. The author is obviously very passionate and knowledgeable and does explain many aspects of astrophysics in plain English, but he seems to forget that a VSI is intended to be an introduction and not a graduate text book. I could not recommend this book in isolation, but it will be more palatable if you have previously read the VSI publications entitled Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology which are more in tune with the VSI ethos.

VERY GOOD READ

Great.

Good

One star for the material being arranged in an interesting way. One star because the material is up-to-date. Minus three stars because this book needed an editor familiar with physics, and that is not what we have here. The writing is convoluted and obtuse, with clauses all over the place, making the going very difficult for someone looking for an introduction to physics. And, worst of all, there are frequent typos. That is confused with than, is replaces in, etc. The going is rocky indeed.

Because it was billed as "very short," I expected this introduction to be rather cursory. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Virtually every page was filled with detailed information. Although this required somewhat slow and methodical reading, it was refreshingly free of superfluous rambling. An example of slow reading was the short final chapter, during which I felt the need to consult a redshift z calculator each time a new evolutionary epoch was addressed. In all, I found it a very informative, no-nonsense introduction to a fascinating field of study.

Recommendable to anyone interested in astrophysics, but not a perect way to get ahead in a new subject if you are not familiar

Good book. Arrived quickly

Der Titel hält was er verspricht und bietet interessierten Laien (m E. auch solchen mit fundierter Vorbildung in Physik) einen guten Überblick. Leider enthält das e-book Nachlässigkeiten, was die Freude beim Lesen auf Kindle etwas trübt (in der Kindle App macht es mehr Freude): Unleserlich klein formatierte Formeln, Farbbilder nicht auf s/w angepasst (ok - das ist schwierig), einige Tipp- und Grammatikfehler, unvollständige Legenden von Grafiken, Seitenverweise beziehen sich auf die gedruckte Version. Wirkt etwas lieblos und nicht dem Standard von Oxford University Press entsprechend Aber dafür ist das e-book preislich gut.