Though theoretical physics might be beyond most readers, astrophysicist Janna Levin does not think that should stop anyone from being able to understand what makes phenomena such as black holes so fascinating. In the accessible Black Hole Survival Guide, Levin breaks down concepts such as relativity, the speed of light and the event horizon with an easy-to-follow patter. She writes, "I want to influence your perception of black holes, to shuck away the husk a bit, get closer to their darkest selves, to marvel at their peculiarity and their prodigious character." She explains that black holes "provide a laboratory for the exploration of the farthest reaches of the mind... an ideal fantasy scape on which to play out through experiments that target the core truths about the cosmos." She clearly describes why black holes evoke a sense of wonder and marvel, both within the academic community and outside it.
Levin explains how concepts like time, space, horizon, evaporation, holograms and nothing relate to black holes--including all of the inconsistencies in their conceptualizations--and imagines what it might be like to enter a black hole and the forces such a journey would exert on the body of anyone who did so. Accompanied by illustrations by Lia Halloran that demonstrate clearly the various forces Levin describes, Black Hole Survival Guide is a comprehensible exploration of that which cannot be physically explored. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer