Perhaps the target audience is in more of a hurry than I am. But some of the topics were too summary and brushed over some explanations that could have been given in pretty short form, so may be confusing if you have not already done a fair amount of reading. Was interesting to see how many things were addressed as "we don't know". Still, if you only want a smattering to impress your grandkids, the explanations are pretty clear to the extent they exist.The irritating, to me, part was that the author was very needlessly dismissive of anyone with a Christian approach to any of this. Present your facts and let them speak for themselves. Don't go out of your way to dismiss anyone who thinks there may be something more than random chance at work as a deluded or even ignorant Luddite. Those who agree with the author on that point will probably rate this 5 stars. I believe we can have a civilized discourse but the author is clearly not interested.

This is a good summary-level book of what's going on in astrophysics. It accomplishes it's intended purpose. Tyson's voice is distinct throughout. As it intended to be brief, explanation and detail are often left out or merely touched upon. If you like this and want more details and examination, I would recommend Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' which covers the subject matter much more thoroughly.

Except for the first few pages, which I found difficult to follow, the book is an extraordinary,enlightening and entertaining journey into some understanding of the universe within which we live. An inviting primer that may lead the reader to greater study of our world. Neil Tyson's explanations can easily entice one to seek more information and knowledge as a reader of mystery novels would seek more clues. A great book.

Tyson presents the story of the universe, including the story of our earth, in solid adult language meant for grownups, and with his trademark wit. Very readable, but not in a way that talks down to people. He assumes you can handle complex ideas. I loved it, and I’m a theologian with only remnants of basic high school science still residing in recoverable memory. My spouse tolerated my simultaneous verbal synopsis with feigned enthusiasm. If you like Polkinghorne you’ll love this book..

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.