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Astrophysics for People in a Hurry First Edition
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Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold.
The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist.
What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.
But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.
While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.
- ISBN-109780393609394
- ISBN-13978-0393609394
- EditionFirst Edition
- PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
- Publication dateMay 2, 2017
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions7.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 inches
- Print length224 pages

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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Review
― Sloane Crosley, Vanity Fair
"Tyson is a master of streamlining and simplification....taking mind-bogglingly complex ideas, stripping them down to their nuts and bolts, padding them with colorful allegories and dorky jokes, and making them accessible to the layperson"
― Salon
"This book will keep you fascinated with succinct and dynamic explanations of a wide variety of astronomical topics. A winner that every astronomy enthusiast should have on the bookshelf!"
― David J. Eicher, Astronomy
"This may have been written for people in a hurry, but I urge you to take your time. It will all be over far too soon."
― BBC
"Engaging and illuminating."
― GoodReads
"Tyson manifests science brilliantly....[his] insights are valuable for any leader, teacher, scientist or educator."
― Forbes
"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will blow your mind....it is awesome."
― Hackernoon
"Infectiously enthusiastic, humorous and, above all, accessible....reading Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is both a humbling and exhilarating experience."
― BookPage
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : 0393609391
- Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition (May 2, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 224 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780393609394
- ISBN-13 : 978-0393609394
- Lexile measure : 1250L
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.3 x 4.8 x 0.9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

THE LATEST BOOK
I'm Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and servant of those who are insatiably curious. My latest book "Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization" contains the deepest ideas and thoughts that I've ever put to page. But maybe that's for you to decide. The book offers a view "from above" that is unapologetically scientifically literate while addressing topics such as mind & body, conflict & resolution, law & order, gender & identity, color & race, life & death. Often, the most divisive issues in society simply evaporate when you see them embedded in a larger world-view. Starry Messenger is an offering to civilization, to help it find the guide star it lost long ago.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Neil deGrasse Tyson was born in New York City the same week NASA was founded. His interest in the universe traces back to age 9, after a first visit to the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History. He was educated in the public schools of New York City through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. And after an BA in Physics from Harvard and a PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia and a Postdoctoral research fellowship at Princeton, Tyson became the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, where he has served since 1996.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book well-written and relatable. They appreciate the informative and meaningful introduction to astrophysics that tackles interesting topics in a fun, entertaining way. Readers praise the author's sense of humor and fast pacing, which makes the subject easy to understand. The book provides thought-provoking analogies and parallels to everyday life that help readers grasp complicated concepts. The conversational tone is praised as engaging and helpful for engaging with others about astrophysics.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the relatable language and humor. The book provides a clear overview of astrophysics in a concise way. Readers also mention that the book is an interesting read and makes them look smart.
"Fear not, Neil de-Grasse Tyson sums up astrophysics with relatable language and humor. This is an excellent read for the astro-qurious." Read more
"...The language is clear and concise. The concepts are well-explained, and the book helps put man- (and woman-)kind in a different perspective than one..." Read more
"...The unfathomable expanse in which this little blue planet upon which we live exists, like a infinitesimal Lilliputian in a Brobdingnagian sea, is..." Read more
"...He is not only a great scientist but also an amazing author." Read more
Customers find the book informative and interesting. They say it provides a meaningful introduction to astrology for casual readers. The topics are complex, but the author does a good job of explaining them in an easy-to-understand manner. Readers mention that the book contains interesting facts they did not know before. While some customers feel the information is repetitive, others appreciate the concise presentation of complex concepts.
"...This is an excellent read for the astro-qurious." Read more
"...The concepts are well-explained, and the book helps put man- (and woman-)kind in a different perspective than one reading blogs, reading and..." Read more
"...to smaller, quick-burst summaries, provide history and present-day knowledge of the topics that explain mankind’s understanding of the universe...." Read more
"...Doctor Tyson has done a great job in simplifying physics’ theories. He is not only a great scientist but also an amazing author." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the author's sense of humor and engaging style make reading easier. The book provides a fun introduction to astrophysics through astronomy examples.
"...Neil de-Grasse Tyson sums up astrophysics with relatable language and humor. This is an excellent read for the astro-qurious." Read more
"...But I love the cosmos! I find a beauty in the universe that quickens my heart, inflates my lungs, consumes my mind, floods my spirit, and allows..." Read more
"...It's funny and awe-inspiring. Its author is both brilliant and an everyman. I was entertained and informed, and it only made me want to know more." Read more
"This short book is aptly titled, providing a quick, fun introduction to astrophysics via a series of astronomy essays...." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing fast and engaging. They say it provides a quick, fun introduction to the complex subject matter. The book condenses the history, structures, and forces effectively. It leaves them bemused and in awe of the Cosmos.
"...brevity offered for each topic is exactly what the title promises: a quick, detailed read with an assumption that the reader has a basic..." Read more
"...A quick and enjoyable read." Read more
"...It was a slow and confusing read for me, perhaps because I lack intense interest in astrophysics and everything involved with it...." Read more
"This short book is aptly titled, providing a quick, fun introduction to astrophysics via a series of astronomy essays...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and relatable. It provides useful analogies to help understand complex topics. The author's sense of humor and home-cooked analogies make the book enjoyable to read. Readers appreciate the clear understanding of the world and universe presented in the book. Overall, the book conveys a sense of wonder and excitement about life and the universe.
"...12 chapters, each broken in to smaller, quick-burst summaries, provide history and present-day knowledge of the topics that explain mankind’s..." Read more
"...style that only occasionally talks down to the reader, with good visual metaphors and occasional mild attempts at humor...." Read more
"...it was one of the shortest chapters in the book, it was packed with Tyson’s philosophy and cosmic perspective...." Read more
"...He also gave plenty of analogies to give perspectives on a scale of how vast our universe is...." Read more
Customers appreciate the conversational tone of the book. They find the writing engaging and the narration helpful. The author's emphasis on terms and words is contagious, and he connects with his audience. Overall, readers describe the book as a relaxing conversation over a cup of tea.
"...on YouTube when Mr. Tyson is a guest because the conversation is extremely interactive and conveyance of knowledge about the universe is easy to..." Read more
"...The conversational writing style is like a friend explaining things to you without condescension...." Read more
"...on my Kindle Fire because the narration just adds so much more...." Read more
"...He not only really enjoyed it but was able to talk with me about concepts such as weak and strong forces, atomic structures and dark matter and..." Read more
Customers have different views on the chapter complexity. Some find the final chapter engaging and interesting, making an extremely complex yet fascinating topic enjoyable to learn. Others find many chapters dense and chemistry-heavy, skipping entire chapters.
"...I also really liked the edition. The cover & pages were nice to hold and turn...." Read more
"...The experience however just had me re-reading sentences over and over and getting decently lost in the science mumbo-jumbo...." Read more
"...His writing style is so smooth and easy to read; it feels like a gripping fictional novel, rather than an astrophysics book with real people and..." Read more
"...The chapters didn’t really seem to connect well, and it has a feel of reading a text book." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's depth. Some find it easy to understand and follow, making even difficult concepts of space, time, and matter clear. Others feel the subject is vast and difficult to comprehend, and they would like more depth on exploring unknowns.
"...in a hurry”, in a fun way, to the origin, composition and scale of the universe. (More on his secondary, less successful goal later.)..." Read more
"...from the big bang, the discovery of invisible light, the space between the planets, all the way to the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy...." Read more
"...The subject is not presented especially deep but it is useful for anyone wanting to get a better layman's understanding of the Big Bang (weird stuff)..." Read more
"...The 224 page count is extremely generous too and includes 10 pages before the Preface and 15 pages after the acknowledgements...." Read more
Reviews with images

Greatly enjoyable…
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2025Fear not, Neil de-Grasse Tyson sums up astrophysics with relatable language and humor. This is an excellent read for the astro-qurious.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2025Dr. Tyson explains the history of and current state-of- art of astrophysics and cosmology in a way that is understandable and relatable to the non-scientist. The language is clear and concise. The concepts are well-explained, and the book helps put man- (and woman-)kind in a different perspective than one reading blogs, reading and watching social media posts, and observing the political classes from a distance.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023I see one or two star reviews because this is difficult to understand for novices or passers-by looking to glean some basics about the cosmos. I believe this is because people read the title and expect the book to contain basic, introductory information. Here the title may be interpreted as a ‘Astrophysics for Dummies’ or ‘Astrophysics 101’ type of study, but the book’s title, and more so the book’s epigraph, (“For all those who are too busy to read fat books yet nonetheless seek a conduit to the cosmos”) suggest that a lot of information is presented in a concise read with a plethora of details shortened in summary. And so it is.
Some low to middling reviews lament Mr. Tyson’s glazing over topics with less detail than would be preferred. Here I believe the brevity offered for each topic is exactly what the title promises: a quick, detailed read with an assumption that the reader has a basic understanding of math and science that informs astrophysics. And so the 12 chapters, each broken in to smaller, quick-burst summaries, provide history and present-day knowledge of the topics that explain mankind’s understanding of the universe.
Granted, I am not an astrophysicist, nor am I of much value to any form of science or math in general, being that I’m massively right-brained, more a musician, poet, satirist, writer, philosopher.
But I love the cosmos! I find a beauty in the universe that quickens my heart, inflates my lungs, consumes my mind, floods my spirit, and allows deep fascination to etch itself within my soul. The unfathomable expanse in which this little blue planet upon which we live exists, like a infinitesimal Lilliputian in a Brobdingnagian sea, is simultaneously mesmerizing and terrifying. In the beauty of what appears to be chaos is actually scientific principle governed by concrete, scientifically sound laws. I find peace and am stilled by the possibilities. Also, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s approach to the universe, and his intense interest in things which affect our daily lives on earth but aren’t particularly relevant to astrophysics, is unique, funny, easily interactive, and deeply moving.
So, yes, I read this book, I understood the basic principles of science, the bases of mathematical models, all concepts absorbed by my artistic lens which is informed by my penchant for learning as an autodidact. I’m greatly pleased! Our universe is gorgeous and the laws that govern its existence are enjoyably complex but herein adroitly explained.
4.0 out of 5 starsI see one or two star reviews because this is difficult to understand for novices or passers-by looking to glean some basics about the cosmos. I believe this is because people read the title and expect the book to contain basic, introductory information. Here the title may be interpreted as a ‘Astrophysics for Dummies’ or ‘Astrophysics 101’ type of study, but the book’s title, and more so the book’s epigraph, (“For all those who are too busy to read fat books yet nonetheless seek a conduit to the cosmos”) suggest that a lot of information is presented in a concise read with a plethora of details shortened in summary. And so it is.Greatly enjoyable…
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023
Some low to middling reviews lament Mr. Tyson’s glazing over topics with less detail than would be preferred. Here I believe the brevity offered for each topic is exactly what the title promises: a quick, detailed read with an assumption that the reader has a basic understanding of math and science that informs astrophysics. And so the 12 chapters, each broken in to smaller, quick-burst summaries, provide history and present-day knowledge of the topics that explain mankind’s understanding of the universe.
Granted, I am not an astrophysicist, nor am I of much value to any form of science or math in general, being that I’m massively right-brained, more a musician, poet, satirist, writer, philosopher.
But I love the cosmos! I find a beauty in the universe that quickens my heart, inflates my lungs, consumes my mind, floods my spirit, and allows deep fascination to etch itself within my soul. The unfathomable expanse in which this little blue planet upon which we live exists, like a infinitesimal Lilliputian in a Brobdingnagian sea, is simultaneously mesmerizing and terrifying. In the beauty of what appears to be chaos is actually scientific principle governed by concrete, scientifically sound laws. I find peace and am stilled by the possibilities. Also, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s approach to the universe, and his intense interest in things which affect our daily lives on earth but aren’t particularly relevant to astrophysics, is unique, funny, easily interactive, and deeply moving.
So, yes, I read this book, I understood the basic principles of science, the bases of mathematical models, all concepts absorbed by my artistic lens which is informed by my penchant for learning as an autodidact. I’m greatly pleased! Our universe is gorgeous and the laws that govern its existence are enjoyably complex but herein adroitly explained.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2025Please read this book if you are interested in humanity and the cosmos. Doctor Tyson has done a great job in simplifying physics’ theories. He is not only a great scientist but also an amazing author.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2025
- Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2017Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is the current title-holder of America's most beloved scientist. He is a frequent guest on TV and radio shows explaining the universe in a way that is accessible to most, and he also has a knack for humor and embraces his celebrity with genuine modesty. Director of the famed Hayden Planetarium, Dr. Tyson continues the legacy left behind by astronomer Carl Sagan as the go to person for guiding the average person across all 13 Billion years of the history of our universe.
"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" is a brief and breezy introduction to everything from astrophysics, to the laws of gravity and motion, general relativity to the origin of the periodic elements. He starts with an explanation of the big bang that was easy to digest for anyone with a moderate interest in science. As the book progresses he narrows down to the formation of gas clouds and early super massive stars. Then Dr. Tyson begins to explain how stars like our sun were formed and how scientists are able to measure distance between stars. He goes on to explain the various theories that have been suggested over the centuries about how the universe is constructed and behaves. Finally he delivers a narrative of how our planet was formed, how the solar system was slowly discovered by scientist over the last 250 years.
Dr. Tyson uses language that most people who made it through high school chemistry or physics would be able to understand. There is no high concept ideas that make most people's heads spin, or loose talk about string theory or multiverses; he keeps it relatively simple, only alluding to the many "exotic" theories about the universe and its origins. He often injects humor through his footnotes, and yes there is even one instance of a fart joke (for science!). Much in the vein of Bill Nye his passion for science and his desire for understanding comes through in a relatable and genuine way.
My reason for reading this book was based mostly on the fact that I have always shared Dr. Tyson's fascination with the cosmos and have asked myself the questions many people ask him when given the chance: What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? Is time travel possible? This book is useful because it makes big, huge, expansive ideas like these small enough to make sense, even if just for a few moments. It's both a guidebook to the universe, and a reference book to be called upon later. It's funny and awe-inspiring. Its author is both brilliant and an everyman. I was entertained and informed, and it only made me want to know more.
Top reviews from other countries
- Rob ChristianReviewed in Canada on January 14, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to the Cosmos
Perfect book selection for someone wanting an intriguing introduction to the cosmos. Neil has a way to make the science fun again. Having watched his numerous podcasts, this book was well worth the investment. I will be purchasing more from his library of the universe. Great introduction to the 14 billion years of the universe.
Rob ChristianGreat Introduction to the Cosmos
Reviewed in Canada on January 14, 2025
Images in this review
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Manuel Garcia CetinaReviewed in Mexico on September 10, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars buen libro
buen libro, para aprender un poco del universo de una manera "digerible"
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GiulianoReviewed in Brazil on December 14, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo estado
Ótimo estado o livro e veio bem embalado também.
- It's good on less acne prone skin and it takes timeReviewed in India on January 31, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars I am so happy
Best book
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SebastianReviewed in the Netherlands on August 29, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Boeiend!
Ontzettend interessant voor mensen met interesse in astronomie en / of astrofysica. Helder en duidelijk uitgelegd door de welbekende Amerikaanse astrofysicus Neil deGrasse Tyson.