This is a quick tour through the current state of astrophysics in 12 essays. Tyson infuses the subject with his usual dynamic enthusiasm and humor. 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), dark matter (weirder stuff), and dark energy (way weirder stuff). Tyson gives you a good appreciation of how chemistry and biology are part of astrophysics. He concludes with an essay on "Reflections on the Cosmic Perspective" that shows even astrophysicists can have great wonder at the universe we live in. Recommended.

If Neil could spend less time listening to the sound of his own voice and more time thinking through what he’s explaining, this might be a very informational book. Instead, I’m an aerospace engineer for crying out loud, and even I am struggling to follow his explanations. It’s difficult to continue without reading such pompous sentences aloud to my friends.

First off, I love Neil deGrasse Tyson. He's one of my idols and I aspire to be where he is. My issue with this book is that I read it directly after reading his book "Death by Black Hole"...and A LOT of the content from that book is inserted into this one...word for word. It was disappointing to say the least. I pre-ordered this book two months ago and was excited when it came. I actually do really like the size of it, but the content troubles me.I will always read his books but I don't like that there is very little original content in this one. If you already own Death by Black Hole and Origins, save your money. You already have this entire book. \3 stars because it is informative IF you've never read any of his other books.

Some early sections are not clearly written. They assume technical knowledge not explained before launching into the meat of the subject being explained. Sometimes I still could grasp the subsequent explanations, sometimes not. That quirk disappeared around 1/3 into the book, or (less likely) I got smarter.Kindle edition does not always have defined breaks between discrete subjects. Sometimes I was several sentences into a paragraph, and really confused, before I realized the author had moved on.

I have a couple of degrees in the biological sciences but have loved all the natural sciences since childhood. That said, this is one of the best books of its genre for anyone who has similar interests.....layman or PH.D. Although I have never been trained in physics or astronomy, both have become strong interests that I have avidly pursued in my lifetime. This book is a wonderful, easily digestible summation of the state of man's knowledge of the origins of the universe that we inhabit.....to date. Highly recommended.