The View From the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos.

THE VIEW FROM THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos

JOEL R, PRIMACK AND NANCY ELLEN ABRAMS In the span of 400 years, Earth has gone from the center of the universe--according to people's understanding--to a perhaps-insignificant planet in an immense expanse of stars and emptiness. Early scientists such as Galileo and Copernicus permanently altered what was a universally accepted theory of humanity's place in the universe. Though our understanding of the universe and its origins is now deeper than ever, our connection with it has become tenuous and to many people, unimportant, cosmologist Primack and writer Abrams argue. This assumption is mistaken, they also assert. Humans do hold a special place in the universe. The authors review the history of cosmology and myth, starting with the beliefs of ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians and Greeks. In part two of the book, Primack and Abrams use a question-and-answer format to convey information on the composition of the universe, its size and shape, the nature of time, and the search for extraterrestrial life. In the book's third and final portion, the authors explain that by understanding Earth, people can give more meaning to their place in the cosmos. Penguin, 2006, 400 p., hardcover, $26.95.