The Little Book of Cosmology - by Lyman Page (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Little Book of Cosmology provides a breathtaking look at our universe on the grandest scales imaginable. Written by one of the world's leading experimental cosmologists, this short but deeply insightful book describes what scientists are revealing through precise measurements of the faint thermal afterglow of the big bang--known as the cosmic microwave background, or CMB--and how their findings are transforming our view of the cosmos. Blending the latest findings in cosmology with essential concepts from physics, Lyman Page first helps readers to grasp the sheer enormity of the universe, explaining how to understand the history of its formation and evolution in space and time. Then he sheds light on how spatial variations in the CMB formed, how they reveal the age, size, and geometry of the universe, and how they offer a blueprint for the formation of cosmic structure. Not only does Page explain current observations and measurements, he describes how they can be woven together into a unified picture to form the Standard Model of Cosmology. Yet much remains unknown, and this incisive book also describes the search for ever deeper knowledge at the field's frontiers--from quests to understand the nature of neutrinos and dark energy to investigations into the physics of the very early universe.

Book Synopsis

The cutting-edge science that is taking the measure of the universe

The Little Book of Cosmology provides a breathtaking look at our universe on the grandest scales imaginable. Written by one of the world's leading experimental cosmologists, this short but deeply insightful book describes what scientists are revealing through precise measurements of the faint thermal afterglow of the Big Bang--known as the cosmic microwave background, or CMB--and how their findings are transforming our view of the cosmos.

Blending the latest findings in cosmology with essential concepts from physics, Lyman Page first helps readers to grasp the sheer enormity of the universe, explaining how to understand the history of its formation and evolution in space and time. Then he sheds light on how spatial variations in the CMB formed, how they reveal the age, size, and geometry of the universe, and how they offer a blueprint for the formation of cosmic structure.

Not only does Page explain current observations and measurements, he describes how they can be woven together into a unified picture to form the Standard Model of Cosmology. Yet much remains unknown, and this incisive book also describes the search for ever deeper knowledge at the field's frontiers--from quests to understand the nature of neutrinos and dark energy to investigations into the physics of the very early universe.

Review Quotes

"[The Little Book of Cosmology] provides a good high-level overview of our current knowledge of cosmology, without warping spacetime or a bookshelf."---Jeff Foust, The Space Review

"[An] enthusiastic and approachable survey of the state of cosmology today. . . . It's got to be the best, most up-to-date, "little" introduction to cosmology."---David Appell, Physics World

"A nice little book for those who have some knowledge of the subject."---Laura Nuttall, BBC Sky at Night Magazine

"Books like this one help to perform a valuable role in making these discoveries accessible and understandable to a wider audience."---Simon Cocking, Irish Tech News

"It's no small feat, trying to describe the Universe in 152 pages. But the very aptly named Little Book of Cosmology takes this task head-on, by stripping the narrative down to its bare essentials."-- "Nature Astronomy"

"One of BBC Science Focus Magazine's Best Books of 2020"

"This ranks alongside Steven Weinberg's The First Three Minutes as the best book on cosmology I have read. A compact treasure-trove of cosmic insights to be read, mulled over, and read again."---Marcus Chown, BBC Science Focus Magazine

About the Author

Lyman Page is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics at Princeton University. He is the coeditor of Finding the Big Bang. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.