You don’t need an advanced degree to enjoy this entertaining tale of how black holes meandered their way from theoretical oddity into everyday consciousness. . . . A beautiful case study in how scientific ideas grow through inspiration, thought and, finally, observation.”—Mike Brown, Wall Street Journal "[A] Sparkling new book . . . One of the delights of this witty book is seeing the many ways physicists historically found to dismiss, deny and disdain black holes."—Washington Post “Superior science writing that eschews the usual fulsome biographies of eccentric geniuses, droll anecdotes and breathless prognostication to deliver a persistently fascinating portrait.”—Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review“Bartusiak’s lively, accessible writing and insight into the personalities behind the science make her book an entertaining and informative read.”—Publishers Weekly "Black Hole is engaging and lively, weaving in personal drama . . . with a clear account of the underlying science. An acclaimed science writer."—Tom Siegfried, Science News "Expertly tells the story of the emergence of black holes. . . . [Bartusiak] offers a concise but comprehensive history . . . from the 18th century ponderings of stars massive enough that light could not escape to present-day studies of these very real objects."—Jeff Foust, The Space Review "Lively and readable. . . . Read it if you want to know how the concept of black holes has changed dramatically over the past 100 years—from being an apparent mistake in the maths to the strangest and most outlandish objects that we (currently) know of."—Pippa Goldschmidt, Spectator "Bartusiak's book traces the crooked path black holes took through the history of science. . . . The narrative features intriguing cameos from many of history's well-known physicists."—Scientific American , listed as a recommended book"Tells this story with . . . an accessibility that other popular writers in the field have sometimes struggled to achieve when dealing with the subject. There’s as much history and character study as hard science, which is no bad thing, and even the most mathophobic reader will find this book a satisfying and enlightening read."—Mike Parker, Tribune magazine "Lively and dramatic. . . . There's no danger of being bored. Bartusiak does a good job of tracing the twisted route that our understanding has followed, from Newton to Einstein and to today as we try to extend gravity to quantum scales."—Tara Shears, Times Higher Education Supplement “Black Hole is informative and exceedingly well written, a brilliant introduction to the history of black holes and general relativity.”—The Common Reader “What [Bartusiak] accomplishes deftly is to provide a fascinating account of how the scientific community came to embrace the idea of a black hole.”—The New York Review of Books Longlisted for the 2016 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award given by PEN America.Won honorable mention for the 2016 PROSE Awards in the Cosmology & Astronomy category.Shortlisted for the 2016 Award in Science given by the Phi Beta Kappa Society. “Astronomers took fifty years to carry the black hole from laughable concept to central importance in every galaxy. Marcia Bartusiak accomplishes the same feat here, in one irresistibly attractive read.”—Dava Sobel, author of Longitude “Marcia Bartusiak takes us on a fascinating ride around black holes, showing the beauty and mystery of a concept that has intrigued scientists from Einstein to Hawking.”—Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of Benjamin Franklin , Einstein , and Steve Jobs “An engrossing and mind-bending read . . . Bartusiak provides a front row seat as many of the most famous scientists of all time grapple with the strangest objects in the universe, black holes.”—Adam Riess, Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2011“Captivating and authoritative, Black Hole traces a truly weird concept from its tentative conjecture to inescapable reality. Bartusiak recounts a compelling tale with quirky turns, curious revelations, intellectual rumbles and personal gambles.”—Ray Jayawardhana, author of Neutrino Hunters “Bartusiak's new book is thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and full of insights about the nature of the scientific enterprise. Aficionados of black holes will love this book.”—Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams and The Accidental Universe
Shortlisted for the 2016 Award in Science given by the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Phi Beta Kappa - Award in Science
What [Bartusiak] accomplishes deftly is to provide a fascinating account of how the scientific community came to embrace the idea of a black hole.”—The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
Black Hole is informative and exceedingly well written, a brilliant introduction to the history of black holes and general relativity.”—The Common Reader
Won honorable mention for the 2016 PROSE Awards in the Cosmology & Astronomy category.
Longlisted for the 2016 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award given by PEN America.
PEN America - PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
‘[A] reliable and readable account of this amazing story.’—Andrew Crumey, Literary Review.
Literary Review - Andrew Crumey
‘Ms. Bartusiak weaves scientific concepts to create a portrait of the scientific institution itself, showing how its norms and personalities served to shape the path taken… a considered background to a still-unfolding idea.’—T he Economist .
"Lively and dramatic. . . . There's no danger of being bored. Bartusiak does a good job of tracing the twisted route that our understanding has followed, from Newton to Einstein and to today as we try to extend gravity to quantum scales."—Tara Shears, Times Higher Education Supplement
Times Higher Education Supplement - Tara Shears
"Tells this story with . . . an accessibility that other popular writers in the field have sometimes struggled to achieve when dealing with the subject. There’s as much history and character study as hard science, which is no bad thing, and even the most mathophobic reader will find this book a satisfying and enlightening read."—Mike Parker, Tribune magazine
Tribune Magazine - Mike Parker
"Bartusiak's book traces the crooked path black holes took through the history of science. . . . The narrative features intriguing cameos from many of history's well-known physicists."—Scientific American , listed as a recommended book
"Lively and readable. . . . Read it if you want to know how the concept of black holes has changed dramatically over the past 100 years—from being an apparent mistake in the maths to the strangest and most outlandish objects that we (currently) know of."—Pippa Goldschmidt, Spectator
Spectator - Pippa Goldschmidt
"Expertly tells the story of the emergence of black holes. . . . [Bartusiak] offers a concise but comprehensive history . . . from the 18th century ponderings of stars massive enough that light could not escape to present-day studies of these very real objects."—Jeff Foust, The Space Review
The Space Review - Jeff Foust
"Black Hole is engaging and lively, weaving in personal drama . . . with a clear account of the underlying science. An acclaimed science writer."—Tom Siegfried, Science News
Science News - Tom Siegfried
Bartusiak's new book is thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and full of insights about the nature of the scientific enterprise. Aficionados of black holes will love this book.”—Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams and The Accidental Universe
‘The irony that Einstein sought desperately for order in a universe he had so thoroughly trashed is not lost on Bartusiak, who packs a lot of learning into a deceptively light and enjoyable read.’—New Scientist
"[A] Sparkling new book . . . One of the delights of this witty book is seeing the many ways physicists historically found to dismiss, deny and disdain black holes."—Washington Post
Captivating and authoritative, Black Hole traces a truly weird concept from its tentative conjecture to inescapable reality. Bartusiak recounts a compelling tale with quirky turns, curious revelations, intellectual rumbles and personal gambles.”—Ray Jayawardhana, author of Neutrino Hunters
An engrossing and mind-bending read . . . Bartusiak provides a front row seat as many of the most famous scientists of all time grapple with the strangest objects in the universe, black holes.”—Adam Riess, Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2011
Marcia Bartusiak takes us on a fascinating ride around black holes, showing the beauty and mystery of a concept that has intrigued scientists from Einstein to Hawking.”—Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of Benjamin Franklin , Einstein , and Steve Jobs
Astronomers took fifty years to carry the black hole from laughable concept to central importance in every galaxy. Marcia Bartusiak accomplishes the same feat here, in one irresistibly attractive read.”—Dava Sobel, author of Longitude
You don’t need an advanced degree to enjoy this entertaining tale of how black holes meandered their way from theoretical oddity into everyday consciousness. . . . A beautiful case study in how scientific ideas grow through inspiration, thought and, finally, observation.”—Mike Brown, Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal - Mike Brown
