The Universe

by Andrew Cohen, Brian Cox (Foreword)

Every night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.

We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that’s barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe – at least for now.

With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expanding Universe, which holds clues to the biggest mystery of all – how did it all begin? We now know more about those first moments of existence than we ever thought possible, and hidden in this story of how it all began are the clues to the fate of the Universe itself and everything in it.

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

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Head of BBC Studios Science Unit

Reviews

[Cameron Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely incredible. The detail and standard of the text and photographs is outstanding.
I never thought I’d understand how a black hole works, and I still don’t fully. However, this book has widened my view of the Universe and educated me in so many ways that I now understand many of the fundamental concepts. I implore anyone who is remotely interested in space to read this book. But be prepared for the duration of your read because this book is oozing with pages and pages of information.

[Erik S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recap of the major areas regarding astronomy, only minor issue was that the writing was strictly educational and lacked personality but honestly the content itself held up my enjoyment. The photos supplemented were mesmerising too.

[Joris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The universe never stops being fascinating, and this book captures that sense of wonder well. Reading about the cosmos is always a good reminder of how vast and strange reality really is. Most of the material felt like a recap for me. In hindsight, maybe I wasn’t the right audience, since I’ve already read quite a bit on the topic. Still, it was enjoyable to go through and if you’re looking to spark or deepen your sense of cosmic awe, this book does the job.

[Olivia Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very beautiful, profound and educational. I have learnt so very much from this book and also sat in awe at the photographs. It’s very accessible and understandable, I would recommend it to anyone has even has a fleeting interest in the universe that we live.
5*

[M.G. Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books about astronomy and astrophysics are rarely this accessible *and* detailed. But Cohen manages it. A great read.

I listened to the audio book

[Aqeel Haider · Rating 5 out of 5]

#NonFiction
#BookWorm

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 by 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐧 & 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐱

If you've ever found yourself gazing up at the night sky, captivated by the beauty of the stars, planets, and the vast expanse of the cosmos, then The Universe by Andrew Cohen and Brian Cox is a book you simply cannot miss. For anyone intrigued by the wonders of the universe, this book offers a mesmerizing journey through space and time, breaking down the most complex astronomical concepts into accessible and engaging content.

Though I’m not an astronomy enthusiast by nature, I have always been fascinated by the bigger questions: How did we get here? What lies beyond the stars? The book masterfully answers these queries, delving into the mechanics of the universe—from the birth of stars and planets to the nature of black holes and the origins of our universe itself. The authors take you on a cosmic adventure that not only broadens your understanding of space but also evokes a profound appreciation for its sheer scale and complexity.

What I truly appreciated about The Universe is how it intertwines the beauty of scientific exploration with the awe of the unknown. The chapters are interspersed with thought-provoking insights and stunning imagery, helping the reader visualize the extraordinary phenomena being described. Despite the involvement of complex physics, Cohen and Cox do an exceptional job of explaining these concepts in a way that is easily understandable for laymen—making the book approachable even for those without a scientific background.

This isn’t just a book for physics nerds—it's a call to anyone who has ever marveled at the night sky or pondered our place in the vastness of space. Whether you're a seasoned science lover or someone who's just starting to explore the mysteries of the universe, The Universe is a deeply enriching read that will undoubtedly expand your mind and inspire you to learn more about the cosmos.

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝!

If you’re astounded by the beauty and infinite possibilities of the universe, this book is for you. Don’t miss out—dive into The Universe and embark on an unforgettable journey across space and time.

#BookReview #TheUniverse #AndrewCohen #BrianCox #CosmicJourney #ScienceExplained #Astronomy #BookRecommendation #MustRead #Inspiring #CosmicWonder #Thanks

[Chris Cloake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone at some point has stood under the stars and wondered about our place in it all.

This book helps with that journey. The universe is incredible and our fascination since we first began to evolve has grown. Now we are discovering more and more, opening doors held closed by outdated theories and the constraints of religion.

I loved how the harder scientific aspects were made easier by great graphics and photographs. A companion to the tv series, I would recommend watching the matching programme after each chapter.

A must in these radical times of personal focus. It's a big universe. Look up from the phone and search for some answers.

[Jamie Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

February 2022 | 4/5
I listened to the audiobook for this title, so no pretty pictures (how about a PDF audible‽), but plenty of cool science and facts.

I was worried going in that much of the content would be review, or dated material, but I was constantly learning as I went along.

Andrew Cohen is the narrator, and it works, but I think a professional would have made the material a bit more exciting.

A companion guide of sorts to a TV series (that I have not seen), I think I'm going to need the hardcover for my coffee table.

If you enjoy cutting age discussions about our universe, this is a solid pick up (get the print edition).

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I didn't like this nearly as much as the superbly interesting The Planets written jointly by Cohen and Cox, my less satisfaction might have been somewhat due to the fact that I literally just read another book nearly about the same thing. All the same, this is a quality book, showcasing a range of discoveries and current theories regarding the Universe.

[Piiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was insightful 😳

[Sam Busby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant introduction to what makes up our universe, detailed in a way even a non astronomer can understand. Very interesting and I shall be searching for far more books of this calibre.

[Paul Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

First exoplanets (outside our galaxy) were discovered as gravitational forces that impacted the pulses detected from a specific pulsar

Then planetary transits were plotted by looking at dips in brightness of known stars

First exoplanet gas giant (51 Pegasi B) was shockingly big and close to it's star. It turns out that gas giants need cold to form their ice core, but they can move around after formation which people didn't realize before. Makes sense that this was the first one found because it causes the biggest dip in light

Kepler telescope (2009) looked for exoplanets using the transit method- found loads even though it could only find ones who's orbit lined up with what it could see from that angle

Stars have average one planet orbiting them, and extrapolating the Kepler discoveries leads us to predict there are at least 100 Billion planets in the milky way

K218B - first time we can confidently say there's water vapor in the atmosphere of an exoplanet

At the time of writing they were looking forward to launching the James Webb telescope in 2021

"Micro lensing" used to try and discover rogue planets without a star

It would take 100,000 years traveling at the speed of light to cross our galaxy

Gaia telescope plotting the stars in our galaxy

Hubble zoomable composite image

Milky way will collide with Andromeda. When galaxies collide, they are so diffuse that's it's unlikely even 2 stars will collide. Many will however be thrown off their gravitational course and so the structures of the galaxies will be changed forever, with some stars even being thrown out into space

Schwarzschild radius - proposed from the German trenches of WW1

When smaller stars run out of fuel they collapse into white dwarfs. Bigger stars implode into black holes

Stars are not massive enough to create supermassive black holes - they need to eat stuff - gas and dust, stars and planets that stray too close. Even with this they're not massive enough to account for supermassive black holes, and LIGO confirmed the theory of gravitational waves that suggests they are also consuming other black holes

Virtually every large galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its heart. What about the ones who don't have one?

Fermi telescope - gamma rays - Fermi bubbles

Sagittarius A* - the centre of the Milky Way

Hawking radiation - Black holes have a temperature and emit heat. Since heat is proportional to mass they also emit mass. He proposed this happened through the loss of "virtual particles". Good luck to me trying to wrap the noggin round this one. But this is the theory stating that black holes eventually die because they lose mass over time

Our nearest star proxima centauri is four light years away

Of the billions of stars in our universe, less than nine thousand are visible with the naked eye. The farthest of these lie in the constellation of casseopia four thousand light years away. It's light left during the bronze age. 100,000 times brighter than the sun

If you ever get to see the Andromeda galaxy, you're looking at a trillion suns who's light left more than 2.5 million years

"Standard candles" - you can tell how far away a star is by how dim it is

Hubble discovered that further away galaxies are traveling away from us faster than closer ones - the universe is expanding

[Budge Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book of the TV series ... which I haven't seen, so I can imagine my review might have been significantly different if I had. As it is, I was looking for a book or several in my local library to bring me up to speed on current understandings of the Universe, space, time, 42, etc., and this was one of them.
Perfectly adequate book, brief histories of the people and the technology which have reached out into space - from Democritus through Copernicus and Bruno to Hubble and the Kepler Space Telescope ... and the hope that maybe some day the world will escape the straitjacket of gods and priests. The essential information is there, it is economically communicated - you're not going to be left baffled by maths or staring into a blank spot on the wall trying to deconstruct the philosophy. Good presentation of the basics ... and maybe I'll try to find the TV series.
If it lacks anything ... I don't know ... maybe that sense of wonder. From time to time I escape from small town life and light in Scotland, get away to a dark place in the countryside and, on a clear night, stare up and just ... just ... just stare and wonder and maybe wipe a tear from my eye because it is just so beautiful ... and accept that the meaning and legacy of life is mortality and I'll be dead soon and will never know what's out there. I just hope my children and grandkids, etc., will inherit and help shape a better world than the shit we live in today.
And that's my problem with books about astronomy. They remind me of mortality more than they inspire me to wonder. Space is inhabited by facts, mathematically precise facts, but space itself is the incalculable pandimensional kaleidoscope of wonder and imagination. I need to look at the stars, not words or TV screens. The words help me understand and imagine and speculate, but they also seem to trap me in the explicable. It's the twinkling lights which inspire ... and take me infinite steps beyond.

[Molly Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my frontal lobe has developed, so has my appreciation for discussions on the vast, mysterious universe we inhabit. My recent introduction to Brian Cox via 'The Solar System' documentary on BBC captivated me—perhaps a natural draw for a longtime science documentary enthusiast who always feels a mix of awe and existentialism when it comes to space. This documentary was one of the first that managed to humanize the cosmos for me, blending stunning visuals of the planets with Cox’s soothing, clear explanations of scientific theory. I was hooked and needed more.

It didn’t take long for me to extend this fascination by picking up 'The Universe' by Andrew Cohen, with a forward by Cox, from my local library. Reading this book felt like attending a 101 university course that made the mysteries of the universe more approachable as someone who had no prior knowledge outside of school science classes. Cohen addresses grand questions about the cosmos—like the probability of life beyond Earth and the unique conditions that sustain life here—with a reasonably accessible tone. I say 'reasonably' because there was still a lot that went over my head/knowledge threshold, but I still came away with a lot more information than I did before. Cohen breaks down stars, galaxies, black holes and even the origins of everything we know, making each concept compelling and creating context for a lot of these big ideas I've heard about but maybe didn't understand how they all fit together.

While I may not have retained every detail, the book left me with enough interesting facts to share with friends, along with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and chaos of the cosmos. There were scientist names I vaguely recognized and theories I only half-grasped (acknowledging the fact I'm okay with never fulling understanding but running with what Cohen was outlining) but enjoyed all the same. Additionally, the order of ideas sort of built upon one another, but I did have to try and refer back to chapters to remember how the theories went together/processes progressed to one another.

Now, I’m eager to experience 'The Universe' series on BBC, hoping to solidify my understanding and exploring more visually the themes of this companion book. This book has redefined my outlook on the skies above, infusing it with a new sense of optimism and humility as I contemplate our place in space and time.

[Smitchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the subject matter is interesting the audio edition just didn't do it for me. The narrators voice just caused me to tune out - so I would hear one interesting fact or idea and then while I was thinking about that I would tune out to everything else being said. The narrator wasn't monotone but he did have a fairly deep and relatively softly spoken voice, which while great for drifting off to sleep at night, just wasn't conductive to paying attention.
It would probably help to have the images too so if I read this again I will definitely go for the physical book which is fully illustrated.

[Elanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, simple, funny and full of wonder. Very relaxing and friendly to the layman, and the reader has a soothing, pleasant voice. Not to talk about the fact that you get to hear The Brian Cox himself with his silky voice reading his own introduction. I am a sucker for documentary narrators with posh received British accents, and this book is an Albionfeast.
The focus is on the various telescopes up but not including the JWST, and on the discoveries they afforded for, but there is also much history, and overlooked scientists who made important discoveries. A small lovely treat available at the library :)

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still not sure I’ll ever comprehend just how big the universe is and just how insane it is that we have come to exist within in it.

I honestly do not think I’ll ever quite grasp exactly how a black hole works, how it warps space and time and then how they impact us from so very, very far away. But, this book does a phenomenal job at breaking it down and explaining it in a simple, but extremely interesting and informative way. It manages to allow someone to understand extremely complex science (and maths!) without belittling the listener/reader which can definitely be a difficult balance to find, especially with space.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding.
The scales of the numbers, distances and timescales referred to in this book are completely mind-boggling.
The beyond-microscopic smallness of humanity compared to the vastness of the universe and the brilliance of the scientists across the ages, striving to make sense of it all, are very well described and their incredibly complicated theories are explained in terms that a non-scientist like me can at least get half of my head around.
I listened to the audio version of this book and it was well paced and well narrated. Following on from ‘The Planets’, this comes highly recommended.

[Sj Banham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this audio book believing Brian Cox would be narrating it all but he does just the intro. Turns out though, that the content was fascinating enough for me not to be disappointed in that.

The narrator was helpful as there are a few slightly sarcastic and humorous sentences within that help you learn as you go.

I listened while working out so both my brain and body get a work out, which meant that I would listen for at least an hour each time.

I learned a lot - much of it I didn't realised I wanted to know.

Thank you, Andrew Cohen, you made it all very clear.

[Alex Binkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous book. Enjoyed the description of how our universe got to be what it is today and what probably lies ahead in many millions of years. The distances between Galaxies are unimaginable. Can't imagine the time it would have taken Cohen and Cox to pull all this information into a manageable read. Well done

[David T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good survey of many things astronomy.

I've been out of the loop in the field pretty much for a decade or so now, and while I knew about Gaia and Planck, I did not fully appreciate what those missions have delivered. Pretty impressive. We're going to be learning a lot about our galaxy from Gaia data in ways we don't currently expect

[Ashwini Abhyankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one! The audiobook narration was so good. I am glad I gave this a go. It didn't give me a lot of new things but it was refreshing to hear a different way of talking about this topic.

[Lech Koper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed information about the universe. I really appreciate the pictures which were very colourful and well explained. Theire description as well suits perfectly. Many thanks to authors for writing and explaining to me what is universe about it.

[Kevin McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just a fascinating read. I don't pretend that I understood it all, but I've a better idea of how it all started, what a black hole is and the vastness of the universe. Think I will watch the series again if I can find it.

[John Coke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like its companion, “the Planets” the book gets better as it goes along.
Repetitive - could have done with stronger editing - but informative.
Left me more in awe of the Universe than the book though

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

In brief - "The Universe" was a mind-boggling, challenging read for me but I tottered bravely to the end and found a new interest.

I have been trying to keep up to date with our expanding universe via podcasts and other online sources.

[Mikki D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but not engaging, educational but not enthralling. It takes exceptional individuals to walk that balance, and offer it all. Unfortunately not this author, in this book. Still thought provoking concepts which I appreciate.

[tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

brian cox the man that you areee. usually i struggle reading books on astronomy because it’s too wordy but this book right here i love i love I LOVE. best book to read if you’re tryna get back in physics and astronomy as a whole <3

[Matthew Boylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've realized I'm less interested in pure Astronomy than I am with the underpinnings of how things work/came to be. The more theoretical physics and quantum books, although full of obscure and sometimes impenetrable concepts, are more engaging.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this one. I was listening to the audio book - so perhaps it just doesn't work well in that format. I'd occasionally glean an amazing fact, but it wasn't anywhere as good as the The Planets book