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Product Description
This text is intended for undergraduate nonscience majors, satisfying a general education requirement or seeking an elective in natural science. It is a text on physics, but with an emphasis on topics and applications in astronomy; the perspective is thus different from most undergraduate astronomy courses: rather than discussing what one knows about the heavens (and including, where needed, a brief discussion of the necessary physics), this text develops the principles of physics (as one needs them to understand the behavior of matter on Earth) and uses these to illuminate what we see in the heavens.The fundamental principles governing the behavior of matter and energy are thus used to study the solar system, the structure and evolution of stars, and the early universe. The first part of the book develops Newtonian mechanics with an aim of understanding celestial mechanics. Chapters on electromagnetism and elementary quantum theory lay the foundation of the modern theory of the structure of matter and the role of radiation in the constitution of stars. Kinetic theory and nuclear physics provide the basis for a discussion of stellar structure and evolution. And an examination of red shifts and other observational data provide a basis for discussions of cosmology and cosmogony. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great if you're willing to work a bit
This is a great book. It not only introduces you to some essential and facanating astrophysoics, but it also has a lot about classical mechanics which helps you understand the more advanced parts of the book. All in all it is good for someone who is willing to think about the problems in the book (some make you have to think for youself about the way to solve the problems.) But a scarce amount of calc. and trig (E.I. logarithms/ limits) is necessairy (both of which are on one or two pages each. All in all, a great start for an undergraduate necessairily majoring or someone who is just interested in how the universe works.

The Universe in 300 Pages
I am currently teaching an undergraduate-level course titled "Introduction to Astrophysics and Cosmology" at Stevens Institute of Technology, and I am using this book as the text. The course is intended as a science elective for non-physics majors, so my class consists mostly of computer science majors who have had one semester of physics and two semesters of calculus in their freshman year.

The book provides a good summary of the classical mechanics typically taught in "Physics I" and goes on to cover electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, relativity, and atomic physics, all in the context of explaining astrophysical phenomena. As the title implies, this is an elementary physics text first and foremost, with an emphasis on astrophysics. From a practical perspective, it is relatively small, lightweight, and inexpensive (from the lack of color illustrations, I assume), all of which influenced my decision to adopt it for my course.

Here is a list of some other texts that I considered for adoption and have been using as supplemental references:

Carroll, An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics (Addison-Wesley Longman)
Chaisson, Astronomy Today (Pearson Prentice Hall)
Snow, Universe: Origins and Evolution (Wadsworth)
Zeilik, Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics (Brooks/Cole)

Unique Introduction to Astrophysics - Calculus Not Required
Science, mathematics, and engineering majors typically have little time for the more advanced, and more interesting humanities courses. Humanities majors are typically in a worse situation. In addition to scheduling difficulties, most do not have sufficient mathematical maturity to undertake first year classes in physics, chemistry, and calculus, much less the more advanced (and decidedly more interesting) topics like astrophysics, quantum physics, quantum chemistry, and abstract mathematics.

James Seaborn has created a unique text that targets humanities majors - Understanding the Universe, An Introduction to Physics and Astrophysics. Calculus is not necessary; only that level of high school mathematics generally required for college admissions. We learn the principles of physics, not in the standard format (mechanics followed bythermodynamics, vibrations and waves, electromagnetics, optics, and modern physics), but rather in the fascinating context of exploring the universe.

Seaborn does not skirt mathematics and the student will need to work, but no more than would be required in studying the poetry of William Blake, comparative religions, economic causes of the Civil War, the writings of Jorge Luis Borges, or other more advanced classes in the humanities.

Seaborn has that rare and remarkable ability to present complex and difficult topics with clarity and humor.His writing reminds me of Richard Feynman. His chapters are short and easily digestible. The example problems are well-chosen. I highly recommend this text for students looking for an introduction to physics, or astrophysics, or astronomy. It is really quite exceptional. I suspect that many science majors would also appreciate this short introduction to astrophysics.

Astrophysics: the short course.
The best book I've found for brushing up on forgotten math. Each short chapter covers a subject (optics, for example) and states what you really need to know. The problems at the end fortify that which was just taught. Answers are given to most problems but the method to find them is up to you. An excellent self-teaching book for the amateur astronomer who would like to know some of the science involved or for the serious student who needs to reclaim some lost physics. The book focuses on problems peculiar to astrophysics. Small enough to stick in your shoulder-bag and keep with you. One of my must-keep books.

A concise, lucid introduction to the world of astrophysics
As a former student of the author, I have a good feel for Dr. Seaborn's work and manner in this field. I find this recent work particularly comprehensive and helpful for those wishing to augment theirunderstanding of physics and astronomy.The level of math is suitable for detailed, logical analysis, but notso challenging that non-majors cannot follow the explanations. ... Read more

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Volume 2 contains the basic physical ideas and laws used in the study of the outer layers of a star including stellar magnitudes, spectra and temperatures, radiative transfer in a stellar atmosphere, line formation, the spectrum of hydrogen, spectral analysis, and available structural components. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics Vol 2
This is an excellent series Vol 1 thur 3 for the person wishing to review the basics of stellar astrophysics. I stress the words review for the author assumes at least a basic level of knowledge on how astronomical data is measured. The reader is cautioned to be versed in basic mathematical skills up through the beginning calculus level as detailed worked out examples are not provided in the text. At the conclusion of this and Volumes 1 and 3 are a series of chapter review problems for which there are no answers provided. Volume 1 and 3 deal with stellar data and interiors.

This is a good set of volumes and worth having if you are knowledgeable in the subject. It is not a self teaching set but a sound set to be used for classroom work at the intermediate level.

My only real complaint was that the author did not provide worked out answers to the problem sets at the end of each book.

A well-written concise introduction to stellar atmospheres.
An outstanding review of basic principles of physics used in interstellar physics and stellar atmospheres.A salubrious touch of examples and real data make this book invaluable to any intermediate astronomy student with agood physics background. ... Read more

Product Description
Thoroughly revised and expanded throughout, the new edition is a graduate-level text and reference book on gaseous nebulae, nova and supernova remnants. Much of the new data and new images are from the Hubble Space Telescope with two wholly new chapters being added along with other new features. The previous edition which was tried and tested for thirty years has now been succeeded by a revised, updated, larger edition, which will be valuable to anyone seriously interested in astrophysics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellent but detailed and graduate level book on nebulae physics
This is a detailed (450+ pages!) and recent (2006 for the second edition) description of the physics of nebulae. Intended for graduate level students and is hard for an amateur level astronomer even with some math/physics background. Seems to be a recent reference on the subject.

Boo, Osterbrock.
This text is poorly written and unclear. It fails to define variables, sometimes, and contains a few typos.It is also the only text to learn this stuff.It's a "must be done."

Very good treatment ofPlasma ionization
This book is an update of a classic from the 70's with material on galactic centers added. It is just good physical astronomy and has the spectroscopic concepts for observations of very distant objects.
The diagrams are updated from the older version as well.
More extensive indexes and other new material make it also a good long term reference book.

I could never get into this book.
Perhaps it was just the professor, but I could never get into this book. I think its hopelessly boring, and like alot of graduate textbooks in astro, it has a TERRIBLE index. You can't find anything you need in terms of numbers or equations with the index, you must read the book cover to cover to know where something is.

It also has way too many numbers scattered in tables, and you must read the chapter to know what assumptions were made when he calculated those numbers. Our entire class had such a difficult time with homework using this book that I doubt any of us would give a good review of the book.

My own research is in AGN, and for the most part he does OK in explaining them but he can confuse you in comparing them.

Mi platonico amor por las nebulosas
Para mi la astonomia no tenia sentido, hasta que conoci al Osterbrock. El, cambio mi vida. Desde ese momento no me desprendo de las NP. ... Read more

Product Description

Beginning with basic facts about the observable universe, this book reviews the complete range of topics that make up a degree course in cosmology and particle astrophysics. The book is self-contained - no specialised knowledge is required on the part of the reader, apart from undergraduate math and physics. This paperback edition targets students of physics, astrophysics and cosmology from advanced undergraduate to early graduate level.

Product Description

The question of a possible temporal variation of the fundamental constants was raised by Paul Dirac in his "large number hypothesis" in 1937. Today it appears in the context of the search for a unified theory of the fundamental interactions. It touches both fundamental and applied physics, as the postulate of the unalterability of the constants is the foundation for modern metrology. The book presents reviews written by leading experts in the field. Focussing on the question of variations of the fundamental "constants" in time or space, the chapters cover the theoretical framework in which variations are expected and the search for variations of quantities like the fine-structure constant, the electron/proton mass ratio, g-factors of proton and neutron etc. in astrophysical and geophysical observations and in precision experiments with atomic clocks and frequency standards.

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"Astrophysics Updates" is intended to serve the information needs of professional astronomers and postgraduate students about areas of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology that are rich and active research spheres. Observational methods and the latest results of astronomical research are presented as well as their theoretical foundations and interrelations. The contributed commissioned articles are written by leading exponents in a format that will appeal to professional astronomers and astrophysicists who are interested in topics outside their own specific areas of research. This collection of timely reviews may also attract the interest of advanced amateur astronomers seeking scientifically rigorous coverage.

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For every galaxy in the field or in clusters, there are about three galaxies in groups. The Milky Way itself resides in a group. Groups in the local universe offer the chance to study galaxies in environments characterized by strong interactions. In the cosmological context, groups trace large-scale structures better than clusters; the evolution of groups and clusters appears to be related. All these aspects of research are summarized in this book.

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Designed for the sophomore-level course in astrophysics for both astronomy and physics majors, Introduction to Modern Galactic Astrophysics and Cosmology specifically addresses the needs of courses that focus on galactic and extragalactic astronomy, and cosmology. Derived from the market-leading An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Second Edition, the text includes the latest results from relevant fields of astrophysics and advances in our theoretical understanding of astrophysical phenomena. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Subset of Introduction to Modern Astrophysics
Aimed at the advanced physics or astronomy undergraduate student, this is an offspring of Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, often called BOB (Big Orange Book).

The one problem most often reported about BOB is its size, 1400 pages. Consequently this new, less expensive, smaller book has been produced that is smaller, more compact, and aimed at specific subject areas. In this book numerous subjects have been simply left out. These include: optics, the Solar System, and pulsars. Other areas have been greatly reduced in size: stellar evolution and radiative transfer. What's left is the core material needed for a course in Galactic Astrophysics and Cosmology.

This new second edition, badly needed since the first edition is now ten years old. In these ten years, there seems to have been just about as much discovered as in the centuries before. Discoveries like the universe is not slowing down but, rather, is actually accelerating, Dark energy wasn't even imagined at that time (and isn't easy to imagine now).

The book is aimed at the advanced undergraduate level after the student has had several previous physics classes and mathematics through differential equasions. ... Read more

Product Description
Understanding star formation is one of key fields in present-day astrophysics. This book treats a wide variety of physical processes involved, as well as the main observational discoveries. Key points are discussed in detail. Present time star formation in our galaxy is emphasized, because the most detailed observations are available for this case. The book presents a comparison of the various scenarios for star formation, discusses the basic physics underlying each one, and follows in detail the history of a star from its initial state in the interstellar gas to its final state as a condensed object in equilibrium. Both theoretical and observational evidence to support the validity of the general evolutionary path are presented, and methods for comparing the two are emphasized.The author is a recognized expert in calculations of the evolution of protostars, the structure and evolution of disks, and stellar evolution in general. This book will be of value to graduate students in astronomy and astrophysics as well as to active researchers in the field. ... Read more

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This well-illustrated monograph is devoted to classic fundamentals, current practice, and perspectives of modern plasma astrophysics. The level of the book is designed mainly for professional researchers in astrophysics. The book will also be interesting and useful to graduate students in space sciences, geophysics, as well as to advanced students in applied physics and mathematics seeking a unified view of plasma physics and fluid mechanics.

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A completely revised edition of a classic textbook combines anintroductory course in astrophysics with a comprehensive treatment oftheoretical and observational aspects of our current knowledge of the sun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for the solar astronomer
Whether you are a beginner or experienced astronomer, amateur or pro, for shure this book contains something that you don't know, otherwise you would know everything about the sun. It is perhaps the most complete source onsolar astonomy available.

Of course it is written in a very"academic" style because it is intended for astrophysics graduatestudents and researchers, but it can be read by advanced amateurs who arenot afraid of mathematical formulas. ... Read more

Product Description
Presented in two volumes, The Physics of Astrophysics is ideally suited for a year-long astrophysics course for university seniors and first-year graduate students. This second volume deals with the interactions of matter and radiation, and electromagnetic fields of macroscopic scale in both the strongly collisional and collisionless regimes. It covers such fields as single-fluid theory, including radiative processes; waves, shocks, and fronts; magnetohydrodynamics and plasma physics; as well as their applications to such topics as self-gravitating spherical masses, accretion disks, spiral density waves, star formation, and dynamo theory. Over two hundred photos, line drawings, and tables amplify the major points of the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
I was very dissapointed to see a rating on this book of only two little stars, so I've decided to express my opinion as well, for I believe this book deserves a much better qualification.The book gives an excellent overview in many of the most important aspects of the theory of gasdynamics as applied to astrophysics. The clarity with which the authorexpresses the underlying physical phenomena is amazing. You even find it"easy" the way in which fluid equations are deduced by taking thedifferent momenta of the statistical distribution function of the fluid, orwhy a supersonic flow governed by a hyperbolic PDE is converted to asubsonic one governed by an elliptic PDE after passage through a shock wavein the stationary case. It's true that it doesn't go into too much detail;if it would, the book should have been at least of the size of the"Gravitation" (by Misner, Thorne and Wheeler) and it wouldn'teasily fit anywhere. However, the references to excellent books on all thetouched subjects have been meticulously selected and should be consulted byanyone interested in expanding the knowledge on any specific topic of theones covered by the book. And for your curiosity, if you want to knowwhether Mr. Shu is a competent astrophysicist or not, just go to theAstronomical Data Service online and search for his name. You'll discover quite a big number of high quality papers on different subjects... ... Read more

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High-energy astrophysics covers cosmic phenomena that occur under the most extreme physical conditions. It explores the most violent events in the Universe: the explosion of stars, matter falling into black holes, and gamma-ray bursts - the most luminous explosions since the Big Bang. Driven by a wealth of new observations, the last decade has seen a large leap forward in our understanding of these phenomena. Exploring modern topics of high-energy astrophysics, such as supernovae, neutron stars, compact binary systems, gamma-ray bursts, and active galactic nuclei, this 2007 textbook is ideal for undergraduate students in high-energy astrophysics. It is a self-contained, relevant overview of this exciting field of research. Assuming a familiarity with basic physics, it introduces all other concepts, such as gas dynamics or radiation processes, in an instructive way. An extended appendix gives an overview of some of the most important high-energy astrophysics instruments, and each chapter ends with exercises. ... Read more

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Designed for the sophomore-level course in astrophysics for both astronomy and physics majors, Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, Second Edition specifically addresses the needs of courses that focus on stellar structure and evolution. Derived from the market-leading An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, the Second Edition has been updated to include the latest results from relevant fields of astrophysics and advances in our theoretical understanding of astrophysical phenomena. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Essential
This book is essential to anyone who wants to learn properly stellar astrophysiscs as a sort of "dictionary" related to this subject.

Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics
I have taught 2-3 classes in astrophysics at the undergraduate level and found this a useful textbook.The book is essentially the stellar parts of the larger one volume text by the authors and it is a lot easier to carry around than the "big orange book."The layout of the material is logical and gets the student through the material using basic calculus arguments so it is good for students who have finished their core calculus sequence and have had some exposure to differential equations and are just starting in their upper level courses.The text strikes a good balance between mathematical and descriptive arguments.

I think the discussion is thin sometimes as the authors go from one topic to the next with a single sample calculation in between.Having looked at other texts though this is still one of the best at getting the student from Keplerian orbitsto stellar interiors in a semester.I prefer it to Zeilik's book.The problems are not so cookbook as the one reviewer makes out and they help the student confirm their understanding of the material.The longer problems make nice short projects.I think they are well chosen and work out nicely _most_ of the time.I like the model Cepheid numerical exercise.One caveat below on the numerics in the text.

The authors have included a simple stellar structure fortran code they use for HW problems.Using the formulas derived in the text is surely a good thing.It shows the student how it all fits together... Right?However the code uses a simple shooting method integrating inward from the surface to "find" the solution that satisfies both the surface _and_ the core boundary conditions for a fixed input mass.This is ridiculously numerically unstable and requires the student to find that the correct solution is, say, between 0.9991 and 0.9992 by trial and error.It would have been trivial to modify the program to try to find a root instead of having the student type in a single mass for a run, have the solution diverge as it goes deeper into the star, and get a useless "wow, that didn't work-- please try again" error message.The second edition of the book does not fix this, but does add a pretty graphical interface...The students working with this program to solve the suggested end of chapter problems quickly learn there is no way to guess the answer and then stop trying.Why not fix the underlying code?

Despite the numerical caveat I like the book a lot and will use it again when I teach the course again (supplementing the stellar code with a lecture on numerical methods to the students so they can fix it themselves - once you modify the code it actually _is_ useful and I have used it in class).

Nice Text
Modern Stellar Astrophysics was a nice book. It was organized very well and presented the material in an orderly fashion. I thought that it lacked depth though. It gave many concepts, but they lacked mathematical examples to go with those concepts. A good book for people who already understand modern physics, but for those without a deep understanding of modern physics it will leave many open questions. Lastly, the homework questions at the end of the chapters resembled those examples throughout the chapters themselves very closely and even identically, thus answering them takes absolutely no analytical skills just mere copying.

Update:given that I really enjoyed this book I am updating this review.This book is really excellent for people with advanced knowledge of modern physics.However, it is not a good book for people without at least an introductory course in modern physics and possibly a course in quantum mechanics.This book does not rigorously attempt to teach physics, rather it assumes prior knowledge.Given that said, this book is very enjoyable book to read for those with the background knowledge; it takes a history of astrophysics approach.Really great book and I am scoring this book a perfect 5.

An Excellent Comprehensive Introduction to the subject..
This is an excellent introduction to Stellar Astrophysics, covering from the very start the essential concepts needed to undertake the subject, and gradually building up untill a nice introductory level is achieved. The book is well organized: divided into two blocks, starts by setting a solid basis upon which later presents the subject. In the first and introductory part, the essential astronomical concepts are explained, and in the second part the author gets into the actual Astrophysics of Stars. The book is pleasant on several levels;conceptually, coherently and aesthetically, all this while making use of a clear, straightforward matheticall formalism which is simple enough to follow.It is well suited for an introductory course at the undergraduate level, and one of the few books which actually bridges the gap between the high-level available pieces and the general public oriented literature on the subject. ... Read more

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For a quantitative understanding of the physics of the universe - from the solar system through the milky way to clusters of galaxies all the way to cosmology - these edited lecture notes are perhaps among the most concise and also among the most critical ones: Astrophysics has not yet stood the redundancy test of laboratory physics, hence should be aware of early interpretations. Special chapters are devoted to magnetic and radiation processes, supernovae, disks, black-hole candidacy, bipolar flows, cosmic rays, gamma-ray bursts, image distortions, and special sources. At the same time, planet earth is viewed as the arena for life, with plants and animals having evolved to homo sapiens during cosmic time. -- This text is unique in covering the basic qualitative and quantitative tools, formulae as well as numbers, needed for the precise interpretation of frontline phenomena. The author compares mainstream interpretations with new and even controversial ones he wishes to emphasize.

Product Description
This book is a valuable introduction to astrophysical plasmasand fluids for graduate students of astronomy preparing either for aresearch career in the field or just aspiring to achieve a decentdegree of familiarity with 99% of the cosmos.
The contents provide a true representation of the phenomenal diversityof dominant roles that plasmas and fluids play in the near and farreaches of the universe. The breadth of coverage of basic physicalprocesses is a particularly attractive feature of this textbook. Byfirst using the Liouville equation to derive the kinetic, thetwo-fluid and single-fluid, descriptions of a plasma and a fluid, andthen demonstrating the use of these descriptions for specificsituations in the rest of the book, the author has probably chosen themost efficient way of handling this large technical subject. The twomajor astrophysical issues, fluid or plasma configurations and theirradiative signatures, figure prominently throughout the book. Theproblems are designed to give the reader a feel for the quantitativeproperties of celestial objects. ... Read more

Product Description
Through use of a lecture-slide format, this book presents an astrophysics detective story that chronicles Jerome Drexler's literature search for astronomical clues and evidence to unveil the nature of dark matter.

There are a number of mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology that have remained unsolved for decades. What is dark matter? How exactly are stars created? In 1998, it was determined from supernova studies that the expansion of the Universe was accelerating, thereby creating the mystery of dark energy. Astrophysicists have developed mutually exclusive, single-phenomenon theories for each of these three phenomena, but not a unified theory for all three of them. The author's original goal was to identify dark matter, a decades-old mystery. In the process, he developed a new theory for dark matter and illuminated the nature of dark energy and the process of Sun formation.

Since dark matter may have been instrumental in the creation of galaxies and stars, the author decided to test his new dark matter theory on the formation of the Sun. The results were very encouraging.

He next sought a possible link between dark matter and the accelerating expansion of the Universe, which is attributed to the mysterious dark energy. Using his dark matter theory and the laws of physics, the author explained the accelerating expansion of the Universe in a plausible manner.

This book chronicles the author's search for a unified astrophysical theory and how it finally evolved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

I agree with the other one-star reviewers
I have a PhD in cosmology, and I agree that this is pseudoscience, plain and simple.This author's ideas are all ruled out by the data.

Out of the Mainstream
This book presents a theory of dark energy that does not reflect mainstream thinking.Read THE EXTRAVAGANT UNIVERSE by Robert P. Kirshner for a more comprehensive and valid interpretation of dark energy and its relationship to dark matter.

Ellen Jackson, author
THE MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE: SUPERNOVAE, DARK ENERGY, AND BLACK HOLES
(A book for young adults)

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT ASTRONOMY AND COSMOLOGY DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
I am a professional astronomer. I can tell you that there are serious problems with Jerome Drexler's theory and I agree strongly with the review given by JMK. For anyone interested in Cosmology, Dark Matter and Dark Energy, there are much better books out there, books that pain a picture of a more generally accepted theory.

Beware -- read skeptically
I am a professional astrophysicist, and regularly order books in my field from Amazon.I was dismayed to see this book automatically suggested to me as one I may be interested in, alongside astronomy books by actual scientists and reputable journalists.The format and promotional copy (not to mention the strikingly similar "customer" reviews) are enough to set off warning flags, and although I've only browsed the online excerpts, they contain a number of troubling errors.I must profess skepticism, to say the least, that further reading would leave me impressed by the author's novel theories of dark energy, star formation, or indeed his grasp of the basics of modern cosmology.

Feel free to buy this book and judge for yourself.But I would hate to see anyone purchase this, mistaking it for a fair introduction to the exciting and thriving field of modern cosmology.There are many excellent such popular introductions--I suggest Charles Seife's Alpha and Omega as one recent example, or books by Brian Greene, Alan Guth, or Martin Rees.

Beware of the e-version !!
At first I was happy to download this book.

But now, I find I am unable to read it on my upcoming vacation.

The publisher restricts my ability to print off a copy of it.

Having paid good money for it, I am restricted to printing 30 pages of this book every 30 days.

I had planned to print it double sided, so I only printed the Even pages, meaning I only printed 15 of the first 30 pages.And now the dadgum software won't let me back in for 30 days, even to print the Odd pages.

I can understand why you want to protect your investment, boys, but you have turned off one customer from eBooks.I can't loan the book to my friends, I can't take it on vacation with me, I can't read it under a tree, I can't take it from room to room.Pretty useless.

Buy it, but stay away from the e-version of it.A rip-off.

... Read more

Product Description
This volume is a thorough introduction to modern ideas on cosmology and on the physical basis of the general theory of relativity. The various theories and ideas in 'big bang' cosmology are discussed in detail, providing an insight into current problems. The book is written at an intermediate level. Beyond that of the many elementary books on cosmology, and provides an introduction to the more advanced works and research literature. ... Read more

Product Description
There are many mysteries involving cosmic phenomena.Jerome Drexler used 14 of these and his analytical concept of dark matter (DM) relationism to discover a promising candidate for dark matter, the source of ultra-high energy cosmic rays, and theories for star formation, starburst galaxies, and the emergence of DM halos.To test the validity of his discoveries, Drexler used another 11 unexplained cosmic phenomena discovered by astronomers primarily during 2005.Utilizing his same promising dark matter candidate, Drexler was able to explain in a plausible manner all 11 of these recently discovered cosmic mysteries. Drexler's research has led not only to an identification of dark matter and to plausible explanations for the 25 cosmic phenomena, but also to a deeper understanding of many aspects of the cosmos, leading to a partial decoding of the cosmos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Poses questions; posits answers
Drexler's book was sent to me unsolicited inviting my feedback and comments.I cannot call myself even an amateur cosmologist therefore I cannot assess how plausible the explanations in this book are.Furthermore, I have not actually read it cover to cover. Nevertheless, I award it 4 stars for the following reasons:
1.The topic is well laid out and is made very accessible via extremely short chapters listed in a detailed table of contents.It is well indexed. A glossary is also included.
2.Throughout the book, use is made of lists, both bulleted and numbered, e.g. pp 110-114, making it easy to follow his arguments.
3.More importantly, it lists 58 references (7 to his own work) as well as a further 30 suggested sources.Readers are cautioned not to assume agreement in these sources with Drexler's views.
4.The book is intended to be provocative and to generate further thought and discussion.The Preface states: "This book, "Comprehending and Decoding the Cosmos," deviates significantly from mainstream cosmological and astrophysical theories."
I would not, of course, recommend a book just because of its layout and style.I see this book as a thought-provoking re-examination of existing observations and theories in addition to offering solutions and new ideas.I leave it to others to comment on the plausibility of these.

CHALLENGING & PROVOCATIVE THEORIES ON DARK MATTER/RELATIONALISM
This is another fantastic book by Dr. Drexler. Dr. Drexler identifies dark matter as a viable candidate and explicates his theory cogently by describing in detail the astronomical evidence he found that justifies his theory and conclusion. His most recent book, "Comprehending and Decoding the Cosmos," published this year (2006), delineates and expounds his theory to an even greater extent. I queried him regarding the use of the term relationism vis-a-vis reductionistic practices. Dr. Drexler thoroughly explicated this complex theory that he has posited in significant detail.

Dark Matter, is deemed by many to be the most elusive mystery of the universe, which is probably attributable to its massive, extensive, and hard-to-detect characteristic. Dr. Drexler, in his 2006 sequel, astutely delineates 14 mysterious phenomena, along with his new analytical decoding concept of dark matter relationism, to discover and identify a very promising dark matter candidate compatible with these 14 cosmic elements. In the process, he has quite possibly brought the decades old quest to identify dark matter to a successful conclusion. He adroitly then locates and analyzes an additional 11 unexplained cosmic phenomena, which were discovered and reported by various astronomers mostly during 2005. Drexler again, utilizing his same promising dark matter candidate, plausibly explicates all 11 of these recently discovered cosmic mysteries in his May, 2006 sequel.

I have personally purchased multiple copies of Dr. Drexler's 2003 and 2006 books for family members and friends at the University of Maine. I read with chagrin Dr. Marc "DM"s negative reviews on these books, which interestingly were both written and posted on May 31, 2006. I vehemently disagree with Dr. Marc's and JMK's reviews and evaluations, both of which bring to mind the saying attributable to Herbert Spencer: "Contempt prior to investigation..." Although Dr. Marc characterizes himself as a professional astronomer, I am constrained to believe that he is a grant-seeking, self-promoter, who perhaps has not even read Dr. Drexler's two books. As a professional man, with graduate degrees myself, I eschew hasty judgments when pondering the theories of colleagues and others. I have therefore indicated that neither of Dr. Marc's reviews were helpful to me, and in closing, I strongly urge every professional cosmologist, astronomer, astrophysicist, or interested novice, to read Dr. Drexler's books with an inquisitive and open mind. Do not be influenced by the pejorative and negative views espoused by Dr. Marc.

Baryons as Dark Matter
Since the discovery of DM, which many believe constitutes most of the mass of the universe, there has been a debate regarding the baryonic or non-baryonic nature of DM.Current scientific research favors non-baryonic particles with huge new detectors being built today that actually exclude baryons. At its heart, Drexler's book is philosophical in its approach, taking a contrarian view in the debate.Citing Ockham's razor and top-down vision, the author sorts recent astrophysics data of others to analyze and resolve the DM issue, asserting that DM consists of relativistic protons, i.e. baryons.A large amount of data is reviewed and the considerations seem persuasive.Not mentioned as a baryonic argument in favor of DM is another philosophical consideration relating to the significance of man in the Universe.If man is significant and perhaps even central in the universe, as Primack suggests in his new book, it would be a shame if the baryons of which we are made turn out to be cosmologically weird stuff.Drexler's book is worth a read.

Comprehending and Decoding the Cosmos: Discovering Solutions to Over a Dozen Cosmic Mysteries by Utilizing Dark Matter Relationi
I have read this book and it is another fine book by the Scientist, Mr. Drexler.I have followed Drexler's career since his days at Bell Labs-his founding of the Drexler Technology (Lasercard), his numerous patents -- He would not publish a book with research that is false.Did the other reviewer really read the book?I HAVE READ IT FROM COVER TO COVER AND IT OPENED MY MIND TO NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE COSMOS,ETC.EVERYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN GOOD , LOGICAL RESEARCH SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!
There are many reasons why Jerome Drexler's theory of dark matter is not widely accepted amongst astronomers. I am a professional astronomer working at a research establishment in California. The idea that relativisic protons can be responssible for the dark matter of the Universe seems ridiculous to me and this is why:

1. If dark matter consisted of relativistic particles (such as relativistic protons) then this is what astronomers would refer to as Hot Dark Matter. Hot Dark Matter has been ruled out as a form of dark matter because it does not allow the structures we see in the Universe. The reason because the particles are at such high velocities that they can never become gravitationally bound to each other, and all structure is wiped out. Galaxies cannot form, stars cannot form, planets cannot form. This would be a huge problem. This is why astronomers have come to believe in Cold Dark Matter (slow moving massive particles).

2. Protons are charged particles (they have positive charge). Any moving charged particle has both an electric and a magnetic field associated with it. Relativistic charged particles would create a huge electric and magnetic field. This would be easily observed. However, it has never been observed.

3. The Cold Dark Matter Particle (the WIMP) has never been observed for a reason. It's predicted mass lies just beyond the energies we can probe with our current particle accelerators. The next generation of particle accelerators will be able to probe these energies. These new particle accelerators will be coming online in the next 2 to 5 years, so watch this space. Admittedly, if we don't find the predicted WIMP (or neutralino as it is strictly called), then we do have to go back to the drawing boad.

I don't understand how this book has come to be published. The people deciding it should be published are obviously not professional astronomers. However, Jerome Drexler has never had his theory published in an astronomical journal. The reason is because it has never made it past the peer review stage... because his theory is simply WRONG. It does not stand up to experimental tests or what we know about the Universe. ... Read more