Gravity's Engines: The Other Side of Black Holes

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A spellbinding journey, based on extraordinary new discoveries in cosmology, into the nature of black holes We have long understood black holes to be where the universe as we know it comes to an end - huge bodies so destructive that not even light can escape their deadly power. In Gravity's Engines, however, renowned astrophysicist Caleb Scharf reveals an entirely new, and crucially important, side to these mysterious chasms. The latest research has located super-sized black holes, often billions of times more massive than the Sun, which have the power to rearrange the cosmos and control entire galaxies of stars. Engaging with our deepest questions about our origins, Scharf shows how, without these black holes, life in the universe could not exist.

Reviews

This is a book that is rich in the poetry of scientific language. ... Not only does [Scharf] know more about the universe than you or I do, he knows how to transmit his knowledge by deft use of analogy. -- Guardian (Paperback of the Week) * Nicholas Lezard *
Scharf makes vivid the mind-boggling nature of the universe. . . [There are] bright beams of knowledge coming from this excellent book -- John Gribbin * Wall Street Journal *
A virtuosic history of the universe... [Scharf] serves as an appealing tour guide to the eerie, infinite corridors of the cosmos in which we reside * Prospect *
This heady story of astronomical endeavour and cosmic conjecture prompts a happy mix of marvels * Guardian *
A wonderfully detailed tapestry of what modern astronomy is all about . . . Using rich language and a brilliant command of metaphor, [Scharf] takes on some of the most intricate topics in . . . astronomical research * Nature *
Caleb Scharf is a lively and eloquent writer as well as a fine scientist. Gravity's Engines is particularly welcome because it presents topics at the frontiers of our understanding which have not hitherto been presented so clearly to a general readership -- Sir Martin Rees
In Gravity's Engines, Caleb Scharf tells the mind-blowing story of 'supermassive' black holes, the true masters of the Universe. Black holes are smaller than the Solar System yet project their power across the cosmos, sculpting entire galaxies of stars. They might appear esoteric and remote, but as Scharf explains, life on Earth may have been utterly impossible without them -- Marcus Chown, author of Solar System

Author Bio

Caleb Scharf is the director of Columbia University's Astrobiology Center. He has written for New Scientist, Science and Nature, and his Life, Unbounded blog was named one of the 'hottest science blogs' by The Guardian. He was born in England, and now lives in New York City.