Product Description

A lively astronomy primer that uses cataclysmic scenarios to explain the universe’s most fascinating events.

According to astronomer Philip Plait, the universe is an apocalypse waiting to happen But how much do we really need to fear from things like black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae? And if we should be scared, is there anything we can do to save ourselves? With humor and wit, Plait details the myriad doomsday events that the cosmos could send our way to destroy our planet and life as we know it. This authoritative yet accessible study is the ultimate astronomy lesson.

Combining fascinating—and often alarming—scenarios that seem plucked from science fiction with the latest research and opinions, Plait illustrates why outer space is not as remote as most people think. Each chapter explores a different phenomenon, explaining it in easy-to-understand terms, and considering how life on earth and the planet itself would be affected should the event come to pass. Rather than sensationalizing the information, Plait analyzes the probability of these catastrophes occurring in our lifetimes and what we can do to stop them. With its entertaining tone and enlightening explanation of unfathomable concepts, Death from the Skies! will appeal to science buffs and beginners alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #839977 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-16
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Plait, an astronomer and author of the popular Web site badastronomy.com, presents in loving detail the many, many ways the human race could die, from temperature extremes and poisonous atmosphere to asteroid impacts and supernovae explosions. Such a state of destruction existed some 65 million years ago, when a giant meteoroid struck Earth, sending up so much flaming debris that the whole planet caught fire and the dinosaurs were wiped out. Solar flare activity could bring on another Ice Age. Worse yet would be a gamma ray burster, a collapsed star whose radiation would be comparable to detonating a one-megaton nuclear bomb over every square mile of the planet. Plait discusses insatiable black holes, the death of the Sun and cannibal galaxies—including our own. Balancing his doomsday scenarios with enthusiastic and clear explanations of the science behind each, Plait offers a surprisingly educational and enjoyable astronomical horror show, including a table listing the extremely low odds of each event occurring. He gives readers a good scare, and then puts it in context. Illus. (Oct. 20)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Fans of disaster-from-space movies such as Deep Impact or Armageddon, or of science-fiction novels like Lucifer’s Hammer, will definitely want to check out this lively yet also rather scary book by a noted astronomer and creator of the clever Web site badastronomy.com. The book is basically a catalogue of astronomical catastrophes that could wipe out life on earth: asteroids, comets, supernovae, black holes, aliens, even our friendly sun. According to Plait, it is virtually inevitable that something will happen, perhaps not in the not-so-distant future, to kill us all—don’t forget, it’s already happened once, 65 million years ago (remember the dinosaurs?), and there have been several recent near misses. The thing to do is stop worrying about inevitabilities and start planning for them: find ways, for example, to turn asteroids off course before they hit us. The book is extremely informative: Plait explains not only what can destroy the planet but also how it would happen. It’s a crash course in astronomy as well as a cautionary tale about the (possibly brief) future of our world. --David Pitt

Review
"[Plait] describes each doomsday scenario with glee….Yet for all that, his book is strangely comforting….Comprehensible and engaging."
—Washington Post Book World

“Plait is one of the world’s favorite astronomers. He is an entertaining writer, jocular and jaunty, which produces a delightful clash with the ideas in this book, which, since it is a scientific look at the unpredictable but inevitable end of the Earth and of us and all our progeny, ought to be a real downer. It’s not at all. The enthusiasm Plait has for his subject is not any morbid fascination with the upcoming bang or whimper, but with how much we know now about the universe around us, and he conveys this enthusiasm with pages full of wonder. This is a fun way to learn about cosmology. Readers will come away with admiration for all the learning and informed speculation encompassed here, but also, if you are like me, an increased sense of wonder and value.”
— Commercial Dispatch

“A surprisingly upbeat look at all the ways the universe can destroy us….Eminently readable basic science with an irresistible hook.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)

“Fans of disaster-from-space movies or of science-fiction novels will definitely want to check out this lively, yet also rather scary, book by a noted astronomer and creator of the clever Web site badastronomy.com. The book is extremely informative…a crash course in astronomy as well as a cautionary tale about the (possibly brief) future of our world.”
—Booklist

“Plait presents ‘in loving detail’ the many, many ways the human race could die, from temperature extremes and poisonous atmosphere to asteroid impacts and supernovae explosions. Balancing his doomsday scenarios with enthusiastic and clear explanations of the science, Plait offers a surprisingly educational and enjoyable astronomical horror show. He gives readers a good scare, and then puts it in context.”
—Publishers Weekly

"Reading this book is like getting punched in the face by Carl Sagan. Frightening, yet oddly exhilarating."
—Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising

"These Doomsday scenarios are as gripping as any science fiction, but-- amazingly-- each one is grounded in carefully researched science. Plait's message is simple: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow -- or five billion years from now -- we die!"
— Simon LeVay, Ph.D., author of When Science Goes Wrong: Twelve Tales from the Dark Side of Discovery

“Phil Plait has done it again. He brings his unique and funny voice of reason and sanity to bear on making sense of a deadly universe. If things worked the way I wanted them to, any reporter about to do another "sensational" story on deadly meteors would consult this volume and BANG! Common sense would find it's way into the news. How strange would THAT world be? On his blog and in his books, Plait is an important source of sanity and critical thinking, with just the right sense of wonder, reminding us that the universe is an amazing enough place without having to make crap up about it.”
— Adam Savage, from Discovery Channel's Mythbusters

“Phil Plait scares the reader witless with one cosmic doomsday scenario after the next, right on through the death of the universe itself. But it's not all bad. You're smiling throughout as he displays his special blend of expertise and wit.”
— Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of Death By Black Hole”