COSMOS by John Hussey

"Great book, daunting subject matter If you're a layman and interested in the current status of theories in physics, such as the origin of the universe, the Higgs field, the tension between general relativity and quantum mechanics, etc., then this book is terrific. I never understood why some people have no interest to find out what kind of world they live in. I want to know it all. I want to understand it all. After reading this book I know more and I can even say I understand a little more. What I can say with absolute certainty is that this is fascinating stuff to me. All of the information in this book can be found elsewhere, you don't want to buy it for that. What you do want to buy this book for is the amazing way in which even the most difficult concepts are explained in a concise and clear manner. John Hussey is a true master at explaining the intricacies of modern scientific theories to common folk such as me. Theories that stumped even Einstein; (yes, that spooky action at a distance thing for instance). This is no small task. Visualizing some of the non-intuitive ideas that flow from modern theoretical physics is quite a job for anyone, let alone a non-specialist. Hussey succeeds to an extent I have not found in other authors. I had a great experience with this purchase and would recommend Amazon and this vender to anyone interested in these type of items. He seems a true ambassador of physics and if we had people like that in every field, if one was in the position now to choose what college course to pick it would be hard to figure out what to study since all would be so appealing! The whole range of subjects, the clarity with which even the most difficult ideas are presented often with a touch of humor and an enthusiasm that is contagious, made me decide to support the five star rating and write this raving review. Furthermore, I also appreciated that the author presented many known facts combined with their more humbling controversies, limitations, and facts we do not yet know, all of this without getting biased, but nevertheless presenting a peep into what the future might bring. All of this that makes this book a must-read. Sorry to say people, the list of books we 'have' to read before we die has just got bigger with one, so all I can say is; read this first while you can! I can only hope he will come with more"

"Great understanding of the world we live in This is the first book I have read by John Hussey, I look forward to reading more of them. Very understandable and as all physics goes fascinating. The author has kept much of the mathematics and abstracts to a minimum, using instead concrete examples that help us understand the concepts presented. There is even some humour, odd in a book such as this, but welcome. He leads up to Newton and Einstein to then set the scene for the concept of String / M theory. We have often heard it said that Einstein was wrong on any number of issues depending on the bent of the commentator. The classical physics of Newton, and Einstein's Special / General Relativity have not been proven wrong, they simply were not right enough. This book is a thoroughly good read, informative and entertaining, something rarely found in the usual dry science book. He is able to give just the right amount of information, which make it easily understandable. I couldn't put this book down! He makes a dry subject come to life. His deft explanations of Post- Einstein discoveries made me look at the world in a new light for some time after finishing. The illustrations were like reading a movie, not to mention all those includes. I am an port without a strong background in physics, but after reading this book I almost felt inspired to study it! More than moderately detailed because it has to be to explain everything, and may require repeated readings, but ultimately very clear and easy to understand. I was amazed because it answered all the concerns and questions that I had from reading older books on the same subjects. For someone who is fascinated by the Cosmos but has little formal education in this area, this is a lovely book. John Hussey is a clear, insightful writer. His prose is dense in that each word is carefully selected. There is no fluff yet his writing brings great clarity to a complex area of science. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about this subject but who is not a scientist. The best part about this book is the easy to understand concepts that are brought out by the author. I had to put the book down every once and awhile to ponder the wonderful understanding of the universe that John talked about. I believe it made me more religious in a sense that the universe and humans were made for each other. At least that is one of my takes from this wonderful book."

"Cosmological Enlightenment This is just an amazing book. Easy to read, with good examples and really up to date information. Just amazing, from beginning to the end. As a junior high teacher, sometimes I find that most of my reading is at the junior high level. Hussey explains the most challenging ideas in physics in a conversational and often amusing manner. Still, this book is not for skimming - you have to think. There is no math involved. If you ever watch or read about science or science fiction, you will enjoy this book. I had read bits and pieces about quantum mechanics and relativity, but Hussey puts everything together in an understandable way. It truly is remarkable how easy can such complicated thoughts be explained. Great read for those interested in the subject. The book provides updates of many of the current theories of Cosmology and String Theory, and weaves in other concepts that are related including entropy, the arrow of time, etc. which give the reader a concrete framework to with which to think of the work of modern physicists. To me, the work is almost spiritual in scope, especially when thinking about a possible dimensionless and ageless foundation to the universe. Hussey makes theoretical physics assessible for a broad audience. He has the unique ability to make difficult topics understandable by means of crystal clear metaphors. This is another fine and heroic attempt by the author to explain "A Theory of Everything," at least on a physical and theoretical plane. Yet it seems to me we are a long ways from figuring out the hows and whys and wherefores of such tremendously important areas of Life and Reality and the frankly semi-mystical / metaphysics of thought, will, creativity, and the actual origins of the almost mind-boggling diversity and complexities of life! Yet by all means: plunge on and press on all ye scientists and theoretical cosmologists! You are surely among the great explorers of Truth and Reality. ... But please: never ever neglect the vastly important areas of ethics, morality, Right & Wrong. - For without these as a foundation beneath it all: we will soon find humanity floundering in a world of our own making that is cold, amoral, and even ruthless at its core. - Just a little food for thought after contemplating the elegance [and dangers] of "seeing the universe from a strictly theoretical and scientific perspective."

"Eloquent and comprehensible to the layman... I tried reading Einstein's own book on Relativity. He was definitely not a writer. I've also read other books on the subject that were better than his, but, nothing compares to this. The metaphors, analogies, and examples are clear and relative to our time and personal experience. He covers the past century of progress in particle physics, relativity, cosmology, and string theory. If you are interested in the history of the Cosmos expressed in a clear, concise manner this book is a candidate. First and foremost this book has given me the best understanding of string theory that I have had. I also clarified my grasp of Einstein's relativity - especially the concept that one's moving at near light-speed will slow time. I don't get along with math above the algebra level, so this all-verbal approach to explaining current theoretical physics is critical for me. These are the basics of current quantum understandings meant to satisfy a laypersons need. There are unanswered questions that exist for the layperson and the career physicist both.. being better at math does not solve all problems. Hussey is very expert at laying down the right tone between what can be explained and what remains elusive about our understanding of the universe. This is the best book I've read on the subject so far. As a layperson I have been dipping in and out of books about Quantum Physics for over 25 years. I find Hussey to be brilliant at explaining mind-bending concepts by using relatively simple frameworks and well placed humour. I am forever indebted to him for helping me to understand the finer points of special relativity. This book is a must read for both the curious 'dipper' and the serious student."