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The Inflationary Universe

The Inflationary Universe
By Alan Guth

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Product Description

This is the compelling, first-hand account of Alan Guth’s paradigm-breaking discovery of the origins of the universe—and of his dramatic rise from young researcher to physics superstar. Guth’s startling theory—widely regarded as one of the most important contributions to science during the twentieth century—states that the big bang was set into motion by a period of hyper-rapid “inflation,” lasting only a billion-trillion-billionth of a second. The Inflationary Universe is the passionate story of one leading scientist’s effort to look behind the cosmic veil and explain how the universe began.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #72760 in Books
  • Published on: 1998-03-17
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 384 pages

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Just about everyone in the scientific community accepts the theory that our universe began in a "big bang"--but that theory leaves numerous unanswered questions about why the cosmos formed in just the manner we observe today. In The Inflationary Universe, physicist Alan Guth recounts his and others' struggle to expound a theory that could plug the gaps. The outcome is a theory of "inflation" that postulates that the universe underwent an incomprehensibly large expansion in the first fraction of a microsecond of its existence. With the perspective that only a first-person account could provide, The Inflationary Universe sheds light on a leading theory in humankind's continuing quest to understand the universe we live in.

From Library Journal
In late 1979, Guth developed concept of the "inflationary universe," proposing that, very soon after the Big Bang, the tightly packed mass that constituted the universe underwent an exceptionally rapid expansion for a limited amount of time before settling down to a more sedate growth pace. This resolved some major problems in the standard cosmological model. Here Guth relates the history of 20th-century cosmology before, during, and after his biggest contribution. Though he writes well and manages to skip most equations, this work will still be a stern test for general readers; some reading knowledge of related works for lay readers is almost a prerequisite for full understanding of the sophisticated scientific concepts expounded herein. Recommended chiefly for academic and the largest public libraries.?Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Alan Guth's book is written in a brisk, engaging style uncharacteristic of scientific autobiographies. His story tells much about how science sometimes work, how the universe may work and how on occasion one bright individual can cause an intellectual revolution. -- The New York Times Book Review, Nicholas Wade