Gravity's Engines

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 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 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 * This heady story of astronomical endeavour and cosmic conjecture prompts a happy mix of marvels * Guardian * 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 * 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 * 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 *