Secret of the Universe, The
by Isaac Asimov
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Book Summary Information
Author: Isaac AsimovEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1991-02-01
ISBN: 0385416938
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Doubleday
Book Reviews of Secret of the Universe, The
Book Review: A delightful trip down memory lane
Summary: 5 Stars
From the early '70s I would buy (in hardcover, no less) each collection of Asimov's essays from the "Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" as they came out. I did this up to and including the second to last "Out of the Everywhere" in the late '80s.
Then I graduated, got a job, Asimov died and for various reasons I never did get around to reading his last collection from F&SF until now. How well would Asimov hold up over twenty years? Have I changed too much? Are the essays too dated?
I'm happy to report that Asimov holds up just fine. Just as I remembered, Asimov has that delightful way of giving the reader the impression that he's talking to you personally. The essays are filled with the patented Asimov wit, charm, and erudition. The subjects are not as wide ranging as some collections - there is a definite slant toward astronomy in this one - but that makes the whole thing flow that much smoother. As always, one gets the impression (and if that isn't enough, he flat out states) that Asimov is having the time of his life, doing just what he loves to do.
Curiously, I found that I remember reading the title essay. I can't remember the circumstances but someone must have lent me a copy of F&SF back in '89.
The few bad points are there as remembered as well. Asimov does hit a condescending note more than once. The large ego will rise to the surface at times. Asimov would have to plead guilty to charges of elitism.
But the good really does heavily outweigh the bad. I don't know how dated the essays are after twenty or more years (some pretty badly I would suspect). I just regret that Asimov is not around to update them and write more. This book is recommended to lovers of science everywhere.
Supposedly there are enough essays for another F&SF collection. I can't imagine why it hasn't been published.
Summary of Secret of the Universe, The
In "The Secret of the Universe", Asimov's 26th collection of essays from "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction", he examines 17 topics from cold fusion to the drug war, aiming to clarify even the most puzzling complexities. In speculating about the origin of the universe, he elucidates the Doppler effect and quasars. And when confronted with the question: "What is the secret of the universe?", Asimov submits his own theory based on a little maths and a lot of ingenuity.Science Books
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