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Death from the Skies! by Philip Plait, Ph.D.
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Death from the Skies!

By Philip Plait, Ph.D.

By Philip Plait, Ph.D.

By Philip Plait, Ph.D.

By Philip Plait, Ph.D.

Best Seller
Paperback $17.00

Aug 25, 2009 | ISBN 9780143116042

Ebook $13.99

Oct 16, 2008 | ISBN 9781101078785

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    Death from the Skies! by Philip Plait, Ph.D.
    Paperback $17.00
    Aug 25, 2009 | ISBN 9780143116042

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    • Paperback $17.00

      Aug 25, 2009 | ISBN 9780143116042

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    • Ebook

      Oct 16, 2008 | ISBN 9781101078785

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    About Death from the Skies!

    With wit, humor, and an infectious love of astronomy that could win over even the science-phobic, this fun and fascinating book reminds us that outer space is anything but remote. The scientist behind the popular website badastronomy.com, Philip Plait presents some of the most fearsome end-of-the-world calamities (for instance, incoming asteroids and planet-swallowing black holes), demystifies the scientific principles at work behind them, and gives us the odds that any of them will step out of the realm of sci-fi to disrupt our quiet corner of the cosmos. The result is a book that is both terrifying and entertaining?a tour of the violent universe we live in, written with an enthusiasm that every stargazer will appreciate.

    About Death from the Skies!

    A lively astronomy primer that uses cataclysmic scenarios to explain the universe?s most fascinating events.

    According to astronomer Philip Plait, the universe is an apocalypse waiting to happen But how much do we really need to fear from things like black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae? And if we should be scared, is there anything we can do to save ourselves? With humor and wit, Plait details the myriad doomsday events that the cosmos could send our way to destroy our planet and life as we know it. This authoritative yet accessible study is the ultimate astronomy lesson.

    Combining fascinating?and often alarming?scenarios that seem plucked from science fiction with the latest research and opinions, Plait illustrates why outer space is not as remote as most people think. Each chapter explores a different phenomenon, explaining it in easy-to-understand terms, and considering how life on earth and the planet itself would be affected should the event come to pass. Rather than sensationalizing the information, Plait analyzes the probability of these catastrophes occurring in our lifetimes and what we can do to stop them. With its entertaining tone and enlightening explanation of unfathomable concepts, Death from the Skies! will appeal to science buffs and beginners alike.

    About Philip Plait, Ph.D.

    Phil Plait, Ph.D. is a NASA-funded research astronomer with more than ten years of professional experience. He has written astronomy articles for magazines such as Astronomy, Muse, and Space Illustrated, and has been published in the Boston Globe. Plait has… More about Philip Plait, Ph.D.

    About Philip Plait, Ph.D.

    Phil Plait, Ph.D. is a NASA-funded research astronomer with more than ten years of professional experience. He has written astronomy articles for magazines such as Astronomy, Muse, and Space Illustrated, and has been published in the Boston Globe. Plait has… More about Philip Plait, Ph.D.

    Product Details

    Category: Science & Technology | Humor

    Paperback | $17.00
    Published by Penguin Books
    Aug 25, 2009 | 336 Pages | 5-5/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780143116042

    Category: Science & Technology | Humor

    Ebook | $13.99
    Published by Penguin Books
    Oct 16, 2008 | 336 Pages | ISBN 9781101078785
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    Praise

    “[Plait] describes each doomsday scenario with glee. . . . Yet for all that, his book is strangely comforting.”
    –The Washington Post Book World

    ” A surprisingly upbeat look at all the ways the universe can destroy us . . . Eminently readable.”
    –Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    “The enthusiasm Plait has for his subject is not any morbid fascination with the upcoming bang or whimper, but with how much we know now about the universe around us, and he conveys this enthusiasm with pages full of wonder.”
    –The Commercial Dispatch

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