100 Stars That Explain the Universe

by Florian Freistetter

Visit one hundred extraordinary stars that unveil the mysteries of the universe

Our own Sun—a source of awe, myth, and mystery for untold generations of sky-gazers—is just one of roughly  two hundred billion trillion  stars. Together, they’re a window into the profoundest questions in physics—overturning, again and again, how we understand light, matter, time, and existence itself. Florian Freistetter explains all this and more, in brief, easy-to-read profiles of the hundred most history-making stars, inviting readers to gaze into the past and future of the universe alongside a stellar cast of scientists— from Annie Jump Cannon, who revolutionized how we classify the stars, to Dorrit Hoffleit, who first counted them. Enjoy your journey through the cosmos . . . 
 
Publisher’s   100 Stars That Explain the Universe  was previously published in hardcover as  The Story of the Universe in 100 Stars.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Astronomy, Space, Physics, History, Audiobook

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2021

About the author

Florian Freistetter (* 28. Juli 1977 in Krems an der Donau) ist ein österreichischer Astronom, Blogger, Buchautor und Podcaster.

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Class, today’s lockdown lesson is brought to you by the letter A.

I haven’t studied science since high school but the older I get, the more interesting I find it. I’ve been fascinated by astronomy since I was a kid and you know how much I love fun facts. Whenever I stumble across a book about stars I can’t help myself; I need to find out more.

It never fails to floor me whenever I read about how unfathomably ginormous the universe is.

The Milky Way has a “few hundred billion stars” and it’s only one of up to a quadrillion other galaxies in the universe. Each of those consist of “hundreds of billions of stars”.

61 Cygni is 11.4 light years away from Earth. Only twelve stars are closer than it.

I learned the names of the stars that make up the Southern Cross, the first constellation I was able to identify and a symbol that’s tattooed on so many Australians.

Four of the stars that make up the Southern Cross are pretty boring: Acrux, Becrux, Gacrux and Decrux. They were named because the constellation is called Crux and the Bayer system for naming stars is related to how bright they are; the brightest star is Alpha, the second brightest star Beta, third Gamma, fourth Delta, etc., so Alpha Crucis became Acrux. The fifth star, however, actually has a more appropriate name, Ginan, and I love this so much!

In the stories of the Wardaman people of northern Australia, a ginan is a traditional bag filled with stories and songs and myths about the creation of the world.

Apologies in advance if I’m ruining your childhood here, but did you know that shooting stars aren’t actually stars?

They are miniature lumps of rock only a few millimetres wide, and you can find them as space dust everywhere between the planets of our solar system. When Earth meets one of these grains of interplanetary dirt, we see a shooting star. The speck of dust hits the Earth’s atmosphere with a typical speed of between 30 and 70 kilometres per second. During its high-speed flight through the atmosphere, it rips electrons from the shells of the atoms of which the air consists; and when these now shell-less atoms recapture one of the liberated electrons and reattach it, they emit energy in the form of light, which we then perceive as a shooting star.

The whole thing takes place about a hundred kilometres above us and lasts only a few seconds.

Then there’s the “brightest and most massive” star. This honour goes to R136a1 from the Tarantula Nebula, which is almost 180,000 light years from Earth.

If R136a1 was where the Sun is, it would exceed the Sun’s brightness by as much as the Sun’s exceeds the Moon’s. R136a1 is a whole 265 times heavier than the Sun, and if it really was the centre of the solar system, the massive increase in gravitational force would shorten Earth’s orbit from 365 days to a mere 21.

This book reminded me that not only did The X-Files teach me Latin, it also taught me astronomy. So many years later, I came across the term syzygy in this book and not only did I know what it meant, I also remembered the storyline of the episode that introduced me to the word. Thank you, Chris Carter.

Even without a scientific background, I didn’t have any trouble understanding the author’s explanations. I would have loved for the book to have included photos of some of the stars; Google helped me fill this void.

I haven’t read a lot of astronomy books but I found Lisa Harvey-Smith’s The Secret Life of Stars an easier read. If I lost concentration during this book I’d have to reread at least a paragraph to figure out what I’d missed. There was a small amount of repetition, which I can put down to the fact that the author states in the foreword that you can read the chapters in any order.

I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com

[nettebuecherkiste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sehr lehrreich, gut zu verstehen und unterhaltsam

[Marit Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in tiny chunks while savoring the comfort and awe that came with each chapter. With everything going on in the world, it is often nice to remember how big everything truly is, how much is still unfathomable and unknown or partially known, and to wonder at the fact that life exists at all. The universe is massive and we are only present on this Earth for a short while. Learning about our world and universe makes me value this life even more. It makes me realize the time I am wasting and leaves me even more determined to do some good during my brief stint here.

Perhaps you won't get the star facts with a side of existential dread, but I did and it was a dynamic duo. 5/5

[Ray Smillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a lad, some decades ago, I used to take an interest in astronomy knowing some of the major constellations and taking great delight in informing my less knowledgeable chums that the Morning/Evening Star wasn't actually a star, but the planet Venus.

I would have loved to have had this book way back in the 60s but most of the discoveries mentioned in A History of the Universe in 100 Stars have taken place in the intervening years.

What could have been a very dry subject is given life and humour by Florian Friestetter and I loved it, particularly the use of the word 'kerfuffle' in one chapter. One of my favourite words.

Entertaining and educational.

[Mairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely no shade to the author when I say this is an excellent book to fall asleep to. I loved it.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

pole täpselt aru saada, mis otstarbeks need kenad lühikesed jutukesed originaalis kirjutatud on - selle kohta, et kohe ühte raamatusse plaanitud olla, sisaldavad nad liiga palju kordusi. aga teema on selline, et mul isiklikult ei jooksnudki külgi mööda alla mitu korda üle lugeda, kuidas tähed tekivad, elavad või surevad, misasi on must auk või pruun kääbus, mitu tähtkuju on ametlikult olemas (88, pole tänu väärt) või kuidas see kosmose uurimine üldiselt käib (gravitatsiooniläätse kontseptsioon on üsna pead plahvatama panev ja spektraalanalüüs pole ka mingi lihtsate killast teema, näiteks).

formaat on valitud nii, et igal peatükil on mõne tähe nimi/number/tähistus pealkirjaks, aga tegelikult tähenärija (hihii) kindlasti kurdaks, et nende pealkirjade all tehakse juttu tihtipeale hoopis muudest asjadest, nt planeetidest või müütidest või kosmose uurimise ja avastamise ajaloost. nii et põhiosas ei ole need konkreetsed 100 tähte ise eriti olulised. eriti kuna mõnda neist pole, tuleb välja, üldse olemas (näiteks Petlemma täht).

raamatu suurim ja erutavam uudis mu jaoks oli aga see, et keset meie galaktikat on rämesuur must auk! see avastati umbes kümme aastat pärast seda, kui ma gümnaasiumis mustadest aukudest füüsika referaadi tegin, ja mitte keegi ei ole suvatsenud mulle helistada ja mu teadmisi värskendada! praeguseks on neil sellest isegi foto olemas. vähemalt võin kinnitada, et TÄPSELT nii olen ma eluaeg musta auku ette kujutanud ka.

[Sascha Vennemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mein persönliches Sachbuch des Jahres: 100 tolle Geschichten über Sterne und kosmische Phänomene, anschaulich und unterhaltsam erklärt. Für jeden wissenschaftlich interessierten Weltraum-Fan eine traumhafte Lektüre!

[Ute]

"Vermutlich haben die Menschen im Industal ihre Toten verbrannt, und diese Art der Bestattungmag einiges für sich haben, aber für Archäologen bedeutet sie einen Totalverlust." (S.117)

"Die Schrift scheint unabhängig voneinander in Mesopotanien, Ägypten, China und Mittelamerika entstanden zu sein - ... -, gleichwohl wird erbittert darum gestritten und gewetteifert, wer als Erster geschrieben hat. Im Moment liegt offenbar Mesopotamien in Führung," (S.131)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has super short chapters so it is perfect to read right before bed. Though most of it was not totally new to me, some concepts were explained in a simpler way that made me understand them a little better. I recommend this book.

[Jorge Zuluaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Fantástica pieza de divulgación científica!

De lo mejor que leerás de astronomía sin hacer mucho esfuerzo; sin despelucarte tratando de entender un diagrama científico o un mapa estelar; o navegando entre historias antiguas que poco o nada tienen que ver con los increíbles desarrollos de la astronomía contemporánea.

Comencé a leer el libro como parte de un ejercicio académico. Frecuentemente lo recomiendo en mis cursos divulgativos de astrofísica de modo que debía leerlo. Recomiendo el libro precisamente porque sé que es un texto que puede ser leído por personas de muchos niveles. Lo curioso es que algunas de las personas que han participado en mis cursos y han leído el libro, lo han reseñado de formas diversas, algunas manifestando admiración y deleite, otras con un poco de decepción. Pero así son los libros.

Para alguien que se dedica profesionalmente a esta disciplina, "Una historia del universo en 100 estrellas" puede parecer al principio bastante trivial: una colección heterogénea y superficial de datos aparentemente trillados y bastante bien conocidos en el gremio. Por lo menos esa fue la impresión que me lleve yo al principio.

Afortunadamente, yo sufro de esta condición extraña que me lleva a no abandonar ningún libro, incluso si no me complace inicialmente. Con el tiempo he aprendido que muchos libros difíciles son como las personas complicadas: solo hay que darles tiempo para encontrar lo que les hace únicos.

Con "Una historia del universo en 100 estrellas" al llegar a la estrella número 16, 62 Orionis, empecé a hacerme a una idea clase del verdadero valor del libro (les invito para que descubran por su cuenta porqué a partir de esta estrella en particular).

Como seguramente habrán leído en la descripción, "Una historia del universo en 100 estrellas" hace un recorrido por el Universo, desde el Big-Bang hasta el presente, desde la galaxia más remota observada a la fecha, hasta las inmediaciones del sistema solar, o debo decir mejor, hasta el interior del sistema solar mismo (lean la excelente entrada sobre Gliese 710 -estrella 92- o sobre la Estrella de Scholz que ocupa el capítulo 76); lo hace a través de 100 capítulos cortos y muy bien escritos, que tienen como protagonistas precisamente 100 objetos astronómicos, en su inmensa mayoría estrellas.

El libro contiene anécdotas históricas, explicaciones científicas en todo rigor -aunque sin un solo diagrama o imagen para apoyarlas ¡tremendo logro!-, reporta descubrimiento muy recientes en astrofísica, hace reflexiones personales sobre algunos descubrimientos, además de la colección de descripciones básica de los objetos que describe.

Me gusto mucho como el autor teje lazos muy originales entre distintas áreas de la ciencia y la astrofísica, conexiones que pocas personas hacen y que ponen de relevancia el increíble grado de interconexión que existe entre las disciplinas científicas. Para un excelente ejemplo ejemplo recomiendo el capítulo "Spica, el cambio climático y la mecánica celeste" ¡me encantó!

Por supuesto, no todo es color de rosa. Algunas explicaciones son demasiado superficiales para personas que apenas se inician en la astronomía. Las personas que sin ser expertas, tienen algún recorrido y buscan detalles y datos más profundos, se verán algo decepcionadas. No hay una sola imagen o diagrama en todo el libro, lo que es significativo para un texto de astronomía (aunque puedo entender perfectamente las razones para no incluirlas).

Una pieza ligera, sobre un tema de gran extensión y profundidad.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reads like a collection of weekly newspaper columns. As promised, each brief essay is introduced by a star, or a planet, or a nebula, or an event. Not so much a history of the universe, more a history of astronomy. Women astronomers are well represented.

[Bookslut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great format for a book about...well, anything. I loved the wide smattering of information, the many different points of focus, and this digestible way of learning about stars and physics. Didn't necessarily love the writing (translation? cultural? personal preference? all three?), but I found it to be a very satisfying read overall.

[Altin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: Don’t listen to the audiobook in bed unless you want to fall asleep to the narrator's exceptionally soothing voice and spend the next morning desperately trying to remember where you left off last night before slipping into the most peaceful sleep you’ve had in the past two years. For those who suffer from sleeplessness, the audiobook is highly recommended.

Apart from that, this was a great book.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

How many stars does it take to tell the story of the universe? I have read both A History of the Universe in 21 Stars (and 3 imposters) and A History of the Universe in 100 Stars, so here’s a comparison of the two, in case you are wondering which one to choose.

A History of the Universe in 21 Stars (and 3 imposters)
It felt the least daunting to start with the book with the fewest stars. In A History of the Universe in 21 Stars (and 3 imposters), the author has selected stars that can illuminate many aspects of the star's life, with the criterion that they are largely visible if you want to observe them yourself. The chapters always start with a description of how to find them in the sky. Simple drawings aid you in your search.

Each chapter deals with a star and a topic that can be connected to that star. The book starts off a bit slow with Polaris as an entry point to talk about the movements of the stars across the sky, the ecliptic and latitudes, but after that the book is a joy to read. Some examples of stars and topics are Aldebaran which is used to talk about stellar spectra, Algol about variable stars, T Tauri about star births, Helvetios (51 Pegasi) about the discovery of exoplanets, Cygnus X-1 about black holes and supernova 1994D about the expansion of the universe and dark energy.

In each chapter, the author takes us on the scientific journey from the first observation or hypothesis associated with a bright dot in the sky, and towards today's understanding of it. It is exciting to read how astronomers have pieced together all the pieces over time to arrive at the understanding we now have of the starry sky, which consists of a wealth of star types.

The book is written in a popularized way with an informal tone. But it still goes quite deep into the matter at times. The author has done a formidable job of explaining the scientific material, as well as finding out the scientific history behind the stars. The author is also good at reminding us of what he has explained previously so that it is easy to keep up.

The book also includes simple drawings of various important concepts that are reviewed, such as the HR diagram, the anatomy of a black hole, and how light travels through a telescope.

What works so well with this book is that we are taken along on the scientific journey. The conclusions are never made in advance, and the history of the universe is not told from the beginning. The book follows the history of science from when astronomers first began to unravel the nearest and brightest stars and then delved more and more into more distant and strange stars. It becomes almost like a detective story where we hear about the theories that turned out not to work, and how others came up with better ideas, which have led us to what we know today.

The title of the book is somewhat misleading, because not much of the book is about the history of the universe. The book is mostly about the life of stars, with elements of cosmology near the end of the book when we get to Cepheids and supernovae, which were used to measure distances to galaxies and the expansion rate of the universe.

A History of the Universe in 100 Stars
Since this book deals with many more stars, the chapters are naturally much shorter than in the other book. They are limited to 3–4 pages. The author writes in the introduction that the chapters can be read in the order you want. That is because nothing is connected. This means that this book does not become one big story, like the other one.

The author writes in popularized style and explains things in a nice way, but the overall impression is still not very educational. The fact that the author had decided on the number 100 seems to have resulted in some of the stories not appearing to be very important. They may be funny and interesting, but do not contribute to a larger story and understanding about stars or the universe.

It often seems arbitrary which star has been chosen to tell a particular story. For example, the first chapter is about Altair, or Hikoboshi as it is called in Japanese, and the chapter tells the Japanese legend behind this name. Here Altair is used as a seemingly random example of us telling stories about the stars, and that many of the stars in the sky have names of Arabic origin.

The way this book is structured, there is no room for the author to take us on a scientific journey. For example, in the second chapter, the author abruptly jumps right back to the big bang and starts the chapter by presenting the theory we have for the beginning of the universe and how the distribution of the atomic elements was then. The star for this chapter is one of the oldest stars we know and supports the theory for the distribution of hydrogen and helium in the early universe. After having read the other book previously, it was unsatisfactory to have the theory for the beginning of the universe presented so quickly and so well-established, rather than being able to participate in the scientific journey to arrive at that conclusion. For a book that aims to tell the history of the universe with 100 stars, it also took a bit of the fun out of the book to have so much of the history of the universe presented already in chapter two.

What this book did have that the other one didn’t, were examples of more recent studies of the stars, such as a 2010 study that looked at the origin of elements in the universe. Because there are still details for today's astronomers to figure out.

Conclusion
Popular science books about the universe often deal with the history of the universe, galaxies, dark matter, etc., where the stars usually play a small supporting role. It was therefore refreshing to read a more thorough presentation of the stars and the scientific exploration of them.

I am puzzled by the fact that both book titles begin with A History rather than The History, because the universe only has one story. In the book with 100 stars, the author writes in the preface that the stars in the book together "tell one of many possible stories about the universe", and I wonder what he really means by that.

If you are going to read one of these books, it is probably already obvious which one I would recommend. It’s clear that A History of the Universe in 21 Stars (and 3 imposters) has a well-thought-out selection of stars to tell the story of the stars in a coherent and exciting way, while the book with 100 stars tells a large and seemingly random selection of stories and anecdotes. However, the 100-star book can work well if you want a book where you can read a small and simple story every day.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine wundervolle Zufallsentdeckung in unserer Bibliothek.

Freistetter nimmt uns mit auf eine kleine Reise durch das Universum. Anhand verschiedener Sterne erfahren wir querbeet alles Mögliche über Geschichten, Personen und Hintergründe zum Universum und den Sternen.

Dabei werden auch schwierige physikalische Zusammenhänge so erklärt, dass der interessierte Laie mitkommt und versteht. Das hat gut getan, nachdem ich mich erst vor Kurzen mit "Eine kurze Geschichte der Zeit" herumgeschlagen habe.

Man springt dabei etwas in der Zeit herum, wenn man das Buch von Seite 1 an durchliest. Aber das Buch ist, wie z.B. die Dummies-Bücher, so konzipiert, dass der Leser einfach eine Seite aufschlagen kann um dort loszulesen.

"Eine Geschichte des Universums in 100 Sternen" eignet sich somit hervorragend als Einstieg in die Materie. Auch, da die Texte oft nicht länger als zwei oder drei Seiten sind. So kann sich jeder selbst einteilen, wie viel der Materie er pro Tag aufnehmen möchte. Aber auch für jene, die bereits ein klein wenig Erfahrung haben, lohnt sich die Lektüre, da Freistetter sehr viele auch unterhaltsame Geschichten von der Erde zu erzählen hat.

[Yuyine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si je me suis laissée piéger par l’esthétique magnifique de cet ouvrage, tant extérieur qu’intérieur, puisque Scott Pennor’s nous offre des illustrations somptueuses pour accompagner notre lecture, j’ai rapidement été conquise aussi par la prose de l’auteur Florian Freistetter. Avec un ton vif et dynamique, l’astronome nous invite à contempler le ciel d’un autre oeil. Il aborde les étoiles tant d’un point de vue très scientifique, expliquant avec clarté des notions de physiques, qu’aux travers d’autres aspects tels que les mythes liés aux étoiles (et pas seulement les mythes européens!), les références en pop culture, l’histoire des découvertes en astronomie (en citant majoritairement des femmes!) ou encore [...]

Pour lire la suite de cette critique, rendez-vous sur yuyine.be!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book, I'm not an expert in astronomy whatsoever but the way this is written makes it fully accessible to amateurs without dumbing down the concepts discussed. It's designed to be dipped into and not necessarily read in order, so sometimes something that's already been described in detail elsewhere will get a shorter explanation for the benefit of people who haven't read that part yet. This can get a little repetitive sometimes, but I get why they did and it and ultimately nothing is lost by doing it this way so overall it's not a big issue.

I would recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in space, it's a great place to get an introduction into how the universe works, and how we came to learn about it (throughout the modern day and even into the times of Galileo). I feel like even experts in astronomy might learn at least one interesting fact from this book too.

[Trauermaerchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun listening to this one.

It follows a clear concept that is easy to follow and goes over quite a few interesting topics.

The writing uses humour and commonly known concepts to bring the reader closer to its subject matter which I appreciated – there were a few remarks that I think were a bit clunky and some quips that I found unnecessary but overall it was an enjoyable read.

I initially had some trouble to really get into it but after a while I could barely stop listening.

This is a very beginner friendly book that I think anyone who has even just a little bit of an interest in astronomy could enjoy.

4.5/5⭐ rounded up

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

De los mejores libros de divulgación que he leído, al menos en astronomía. Muy agradable, y muy bien escogidas las estrellas (o el 99% de ellas, al menos) para contar la historia del universo, pero también para entender las historias que nosotros tejemos con ellas y qué dicen estas historias de nosotros.

[Vignesh Ramanathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5/5 due to my personal fondness for astronomy. This is an interestingly written book, when the author (an astronomer) takes a 100 different stars and has a brief 2-3 page write up about something unique to the star. Quite often, the subject of interest isn't necessarily even a star itself, but possibly something that was once mistaken for a star, an artefact modelled after a star and the like.

In doing so, the author covers a wide variety of objects, ranging from red dwarfs to neutron stars. black holes, distant galaxies and so on. I thought it was quite accessible even if someone isn't very familiar with astronomy. Reading this also sparked off some YouTube and Wiki rabbit holes into astronomy, so extra points for that!

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Not too deep. Just 100 chapters that you can casually read through. All unrelated.

[Vic · Rating 3 out of 5]

if only it were written in the stars
first astro book complete!

[Chip Southworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to either read cover to cover or to read chapters about stars that you are most interested in learning more about. Fun read.

[Gav Obi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun and informative book, recommend

[Olive · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love space

[Paul Jenkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished another book!

Cool, but got a bit repetitive really. Probably revisit for astronomy

[George Gillett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few years ago I read a book called The Great Cities in World History. While interesting enough, my largest complaint was that the sheet number of cities covered, combined with the lack of connection between chapter rendered it less useful or memorable than it might have been and reduced the amount of space given to each city.

So why then is this book, telling the stories of 100 stars with little or no connection between chapters, so much more interesting? Is it the topic? I don’t think so, history is absolutely my jam. Is it the writing? Again, I don’t think so. The cities book was well written with clear passion in each entry? Is it the length? Again, no: this book dedicates only 3-4 pages per star.

If I had to guess, it is that every entry in 100 stars is chosen to illustrate some point about the sky, the stars and the universe. In the very first entry, the star Hikoboshi, Freistetter tells us a fascinating myth from Japan about the night sky, while reminding us that different stars were or course noticed by different cultures, who had their own ideas about them. (The fact that this star is better known to us as Altair reminds us that different cultures also had different names for individual stars; a point which seems obvious only after it actually occurs to you).

From Algol, the demon star, whose fluctuating luminosity was seen as an omen of doom in ancient times, to 72 Tauri, observations of which provided strong evidence in support of Einstein’s theories of relativity, every entry in this book tells a fascinating story about history, astronomy, science, myth, culture or biography. And paradoxically the brevity of each entry is a boon in this book, as they can be dipped into more or less instantly, providing you with a new and unique anecdote for your next conversation!

Highly recommended, even for those who aren’t so interested in the stars (is there anyone who isn’t?).

[Gareth Reeves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought the German version because (a) I'd heard there were some mistranslations in the 2021 English version, and (b) much more importantly, it was cheaper. I read a positive review in the TLS and it piqued my interest.

I was expecting something more lavish than this. Austrian astronomer Florian Freistetter provides a brief intro and bitesize chapters on the 100 stars. First, there are no illustrations or telescopic photos of the nightsky, constellations, etc. It wasn't a hugely expensive book, but it wasn't cheap either, and one expects that little bit extra in a popular science book costing more than £10. Secondly, what readership is this aimed at? If beginners, then illustrations should have been provided; if more seasoned astronomers, they will know this stuff already. Thirdly, a lot of the info here can be readily found on the internet, apparently just translated from English in some cases. Fourthly, the lively style was occasionally patronising - "Wie gross ist ein Stern? Sehr gross, so viel ist sicher. Aber in der Astronomie will man es natuerlich genau wissen. Es gibt grosse Sterne and kleine Sterne..." Grating at times, but - not to harp on this point again - illustrations/photos would have enhanced the style.

I love the concept, but the end product feels like a wasted opportunity.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terribly impressed.

The writing was clunky, and while (I believe) intended to read as conversational, just not that enjoyable. Plus the many things that were not actually stars annoyed me.

Concept, good; execution, mediocre.

Would probably be better for a student/high school age reader?

Overall, pass. Not sure what to recommend in its place. :(

[José Manuel Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A primeira coisa que tenho a dizer sobre este livro é que é uma obra-prima que brilha com a clareza das constelações numa noite estrelada. Tive o prazer de mergulhar nas páginas de inúmeros livros, mas esta, sem dúvida, é uma jornada celestial que merece ser compartilhada.
Astrofísico talentoso e escritor apaixonado, Freistetter tece com maestria uma narrativa cósmica que transporta o leitor desde o início dos tempos até os confins do universo conhecido. O seu foco em 100 estrelas, cada uma representando um capítulo, é uma abordagem engenhosa que dá vida à vastidão do cosmos.

A prosa tratada é tão clara quanto um céu claro e tão rica quanto um aglomerado de estrelas. Cada capítulo é uma pequena joia que desvenda os mistérios do universo, desde a formação de estrelas e galáxias até buracos negros e a expansão do espaço-tempo. Sua capacidade de simplificar conceitos complexos sem sacrificar a profundidade é uma prova de sua habilidade como comunicador.

Uma História do Universo em 100 Estrelas é uma obra que transcende as fronteiras da ciência e da literatura. É uma ode à curiosidade humana e um lembrete de que, em última análise, somos filhos das estrelas. Freistetter nos guia com graça e erudição pelo cosmos e, ao fazê-lo, nos convida a contemplar nosso lugar nesta imensidão.