A descriptive, well-written book about the history of advancement of our understanding of cosmic phenomena. Nevertheless, the mix of travel, ballooning, and budget adventures with historical and contemporary scientific advancements bewilders the serious and the lay reader alike.

Did the author really need his formally attired persona on the front cover?

I saw Leonard Hofstadter reading this book in one of the episodes of The Big Bang Theory,ever since then I've wanted to read it and I am not disappointed at all.The only thing that I didn't like about George's writing is that its quite self- congratulatory,he praises himself for the work he has done but that's only fair because it is praise worthy. The book is not just about quantum fluctuation or inflationary theory or George Smoot's research,its a peek into the world of how science and scientists work,about designing a satellite to be launched by the space shuttle only to have the Challenger explode and shuttles put on indefinite hold. It is about working obsessively to make every carefully designed instrument half of its original size in order to fit it on a Delta rocket. This book is about traveling to Antarctica  for a month in order to rule out every other possibility before publishing your extremely promising data.Its a book about how hard scientists work to bring us the information we just read and get amazed by.A must read for all cosmic lovers.

Relato del maravilloso descubrimiento del "eco del big bang", el espectro completo la radiación de fondo de microondas, incluyendo su asimetría de cuadrupolo, que ponía firmes cimientos a la teoría del Big Bang. Desde que Arno Penzias y Robert Wilson descubrieran  accidentalmente la señal ubicua que dejó el petardazo del Big Bang hasta la publicación, en intensa rueda de prensa, de los resultados del satélite COBE en 1992 (al autor del estudio y del libro le caería el Nobel de 2006). Maravillosa aventura por la historia del Universo, muy, muy recomendable.

When I was younger and was interested in this topic (and more up on my chemistry and physics) I would have enjoyed this book more. Dr. Smoot mentioned that he had to pared down the manuscript from 600 pages and lost a lot of personal dynamics...I may have been more interested in that manuscript.

If you are physics, cosmology, or astrology enthusiast...you will find this book very rewarding!

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10415997

If you're interested in the Big Bang, this is a great book. Very well-written and enjoyable. Smoot played a key role in experimentally establishing the Big Bang Theory and later received a Nobel Prize for his work. This book was written in 1993 but has aged well. Physics has of course advanced a lot since then and the book does reveal its age in a few cases, but these somehow add to its charm. Back in 1993 neutrinos were thought to be massless, black holes were considered hypothetical, and there were great hopes for the Superconducting Supercollider then under construction in Texas. Smoot combines explanations of the underlying theoretical physics with his personal experimental odessey measuring the cosmic background radiation, including balloon flights, the COBE satelitte, and ground-based observations in Antarctica. He certainly earned his Nobel Prize!

such narrative of that life of that young man left me unconscious of some things is very interesting

Almost everything in this book is true. My lawyer strongly suggests I should leave it at that.

Very readable

Disfruté esta lectura. Es el primer libro medianamente extenso que leo sobre ciencia y me gustó. Primero, si hay muchas partes donde un lector común no entiende, en muchas explicaciones técnicas me perdía. Sin embargo, la mayoría es muy entendible, utiliza un lenguaje común. George Smoot nos relata sus logros científicos a través de este libro de manera amena, no es solo una explicación científica de su descubrimiento, sino que nos relata todas las dificultades que sufrió y sus anécdotas, eso hace muy llevadera la lectura. Además, todas las preguntas que se plantea a lo largo del libro, sus conclusiones y el final es muy bueno. Finalmente, esta lectura me gustó, nos hace comprender nuestro origen y nos plantea muchas preguntas, sobre todo nos insta a no perder las esperanzas y esforzarnos por lo que nos gusta.

"Todos nosotros estamos hechos, literalmente, de polvo de estrellas."

a little heavy at times, but still pretty easy to follow along without a science degree in anything.

Worth the read for improving the explanation narrative but doesn't make the top ten on the topic.