Recommended Reading - Astro 250

• A Brief History of Time,
  by Steven Hawking (Bantam Books, 1990) about $12, (at amazon.com)
  The rarest of science books, this one was on the New York Times bestseller list for years. Hawking explores the phenomena of black holes, cosmology, and the nature of time and does it with only one equation in the text. A CD-ROM version is available, too.

• Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy ,
  by Kip S. Thorne (Norton, 1995): also about $12 (at Amazon.com)
  An authoritative and comprehensive discussion of Einstein's theory of General Relativity as it pertains to black holes and possible time machines - very readable and entertaining!

• A Short History of the Universe,
  by Joseph Silk (W.H. Freeman, 1997), ppb (at amazon.com)
  A wonderful synthesis of modern ideas about the origin and evolution of the Universe by a leading theoretical astrophysicist... this book covers the big bang and the early history of the universe with remarkable clarity.

• Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Adventures in Hyperspace,
  by J. Craig Wheeler (Cambridge University Press, 2000) about $40, (at amazon.com)
  A wonderfully readable account of stars and their flashy endpoints, by one of my old professors, Craig Wheeler. Craig created the original "Astronomy Bizarre" at the University of Texas way back when, and had always threatened to write a book for the stars part of the course. This is that book!

• Mr. Tompkins in Paperback,
  by George Gamow (Cambridge, Canto Series, 1993): about $13 (at amazon.com), also available as a Kindle ebook
  This wonderful book is hard to describe - a series of essays starring a gentleman who unwittingly explores the fascinating world of relativity... written by an important figure in the early development of modern physics.

• Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions,
  by Edwin Abbott (Dover Thrift Ed. 1992, orig. 1890): $2.00, (at amazon.com)
  Ever had trouble imagining what a 4 dimensional universe is like? You won't after reading this! This is in the public domain, and is available as a free download from Project Gutenberg

• The First Three Minutes,
  by Steven Weinberg (Basic Books, 1993) about $10 (at amazon.com)
  The definitive account of the Big Bang. Originally written well over 20 years ago, Weinberg's account of the BB remains a stirring and accurate account of the early moments of our Universe.

• Is Anybody Out There? the Scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
  by Frank Drake and Dava Sobel (Delacorte, 1992) $10.00
  An account of the development of SETI as a legitimate scientific discipline by the founder of the whole thing, Frank Drake (of Drake Equation fame). This is a semi-autobiography of Drake and the field as a whole. A fascinating story! Unfortunately this book is out of print, but is a frequent denizen of bargain book tables and used bookstores.

• The Cosmic Connection; An Extraterrestrial Perspective,
  by Carl Sagan (Anchor, 1973, Doubleday 1980) ~$10.00
  Now almost 40 years old (!), this is the book that brought Carl Sagan to the attention of the world (and Johnny Carson). A very thoughtful collection of essays on our place in the Universe. Despite what you may think of Sagan now, this book is a masterpiece. Now out of print, you may be lucky and find a copy in a used bookstore --- try Firehouse Books in downtown Ames, for example.