Overview
Do a little armchair space travel, rub elbows with alien life forms, and stretch your mind to the furthest corners of our uncharted universe. With this astonishing guide book, you need not be an astronomer to explore the mysteries of stars and their profound meaning for human existence.Stars have fascinated humankind since the dawn of history and have allowed us to transcend ordinary lives in our literature, art, and religions. In fact, humans have always looked to the stars as a source of inspiration and transcendence that lifts us beyond the boundaries of ordinary intuition. In the tradition of One Two Three...Infinity, Pickover tackles a range of topics from stellar evolution to the fundamental and awe-inspiring reasons why the universe permits life to flourish. Where did we come from? What is the universe's ultimate fate? Pickover alternates sections that explain the mysteries of the cosmos with sections that dramatise mind-expanding concepts through a fictional dialogue between futuristic humans and their alien peers who embark on a journey beyond the reader's wildest imagination. This highly accessible and entertaining approach turns an intimidating subject into a scientific game open to all dreamers.The Stars of Heaven will appeal to scientists and science-fiction enthusiasts, as well as astronomers, theologians, philosophers, and the curious.
Full Product Details
Author: Pickover
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 24.20cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 15.40cm
Weight: 0.363kg
ISBN: 9780195171594
ISBN 10: 0195171594
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 03 June 2004
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
The journey helps readers understand where humans came from, the probable fate of the universe, and what stars tell us about our very being. --Science News<br> An ambitious overview of astronomy.... The 'stars of heaven' yield the essential secrets of existence itself, and, in so doing, are a spiritual as well as scientific resource. --Kirkus Reviews<br>
The journey helps readers understand where humans came from, the probable fate of the universe, and what stars tell us about our very being. --Science News An ambitious overview of astronomy.... The 'stars of heaven' yield the essential secrets of existence itself, and, in so doing, are a spiritual as well as scientific resource. --Kirkus Reviews The journey helps readers understand where humans came from, the probable fate of the universe, and what stars tell us about our very being. --Science News An ambitious overview of astronomy.... The 'stars of heaven' yield the essential secrets of existence itself, and, in so doing, are a spiritual as well as scientific resource. --Kirkus Reviews
Author Information
Clifford A. Pickover received his PhD from Yale University and is the author of twenty highly-acclaimed books on such topics as computers and creativity, art, mathematics, astronomy, human behaviour and intelligence, time travel, alien life, and science fiction. Pickover is a prolific inventor with dozens of patents, is the associate editor for several journals, and puzzle contributor for a variety of print and on-line venues. Pickover's computer graphics have been featured on the cover of many poplular magazines and on TV shows. His website, www.pickover.com, has received over 400,000 visits.
