SCIENCES

First Dawn: From the Big Bang to Our Future in Space

by Roberto Battiston
MIT. Aug. 2022. 216p. tr. from Italian by Bonnie McClellan-Broussard. ISBN 9780262047210. $32.95. SCI
COPY ISBN
The scope of this book is ambitious and audacious: physicist Battiston, the former head of the Italian Space Agency, covers the entire cosmos in 33 short chapters. His goal is to both describe the cosmos and recount the 2,000-year intellectual journey that arrived at humankind’s current scientific understanding of the discipline of cosmology. Battiston’s book crosses into multiple disciplines (physics; astrophysics; biology; history). While the text is easy to read, the book would have been greatly improved by the addition of illustrations and a glossary, which would have helped readers new to cosmology to understand its basics and more advanced concepts. There are occasional hitches in the English translation, but this is nothing the interested reader cannot overcome.
VERDICT Battiston’s book presents a useful synthesis across multiple scientific disciplines to arrive at a definition and general outline of cosmology, which is both timely and of great interest. However, the lack of illustrations and a glossary make it an optional purchase for public and academic libraries.
Reviewed by Marjorie Mann , Jun 01, 2022
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

Homes for Living: The Fight for Social Housing and a New American Commons
by Tarleton, Jonathan
NONFICTION

Kernels of Resistance: Maize, Food Sovereignty, and Collective Power
by Grandia, Liza
NONFICTION

Star Bound: A Beginner’s Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard’s Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between
by Carney, Emily & Bruce McCandless III
NONFICTION

Sea Bean: A Beachcomber’s Search for a Magical Charm—A Memoir
by Huband, Sally
NONFICTION

Deviant Matter: Ferment, Intoxicants, Jelly, Rot
by Tompkins, Kyla Wazana
NONFICTION

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
by Kimmerer, Robin Wall
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?