Einstein’s Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes

Science writer and astrophysicist Impey (Beyond: Our Future in Space) gives an absorbing and lay-reader-friendly look at the intriguing dead stars called black holes. Impey begins in 1784 with the earliest theoretical description of a massive star with gravity so strong that not even light could escape it. In the early 20th century, Einstein suggested with his general theory of relativity that astronomers could find black holes by looking into how their extreme gravity affects space-time around them. With clarity and enthusiasm, Impey describes the work of scientists such as John Wheeler—who coined the name “black hole”—and visionary theoretical cosmologist Stephen Hawking, as well as his own work. In subjects including the supermassive black holes at the center of every galaxy and primordial black holes, Impey gives readers a good sense of how these phenomena have gone from astronomical curiosity to intellectual touchstones that fascinate and challenge researchers. [em](Nov.) [/em]