Unveiling the Edge of Time: Black Holes, White Holes, and Worm Holes

The prospect of time travel as originally ``unveiled'' by theories of general relativity has lured many good science writers into paper-thin theories, but Gribbin ( In Search of Schroedinger's Cat ) is not one of them. Here he offers a coherent tour--along mostly quantum roads--of the far reaches of astrophysics. Recently discovered evidence for black holes of the size required by such theorists as Roger Penrose, Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne, among others Gribbin cites, adds additional weight to the arguments discussed. Gribbin's illustrative examples, both graphic and metaphoric, do not rely on cute or overly simplistic images, although his style occasionally bends under the pressure to bring the general reader closer to these distant exotic scientific borders. A balanced and challenging guide to a science that will never be too familiar. (Oct.)