Review of Universe Unveiled: The Cosmos in My Bubble Bath by C. V. Vishveshwara

Phillip Helbig

The Observatory, 136, 1251, 96–97 (April 2016)


This is a book review of Universe Unveiled: The Cosmos in My Bubble Batche by C. V.  Vishveshwara. This is basically a short history of astronomy and cosmology, though told in a somewhat roundabout way. The book does provide a reasonably good historical overview of astronomy and cosmology (with the balance shifting towards the latter as the present is approached), but offers nothing really new. That some chapters share their titles with other works (certainly homage and not plagiarism) will probably be lost on most readers. My only real complaints about the scientific approach are that the author sometimes just mentions relatively new topics, such as the flatness problem, without really explaining them: the reader has then heard the terms but is none the wiser; and that the author dismisses the entire concept of multiverses: certainly a valid position in a debate, but a popular book should concentrate on well established consensus, or at least not take sides. I would like to recommend the book, which the author obviously enjoyed writing, though I'm not sure if the target demographic exists. Stripped of the conversational framework, there is really nothing new, but it could serve as a short introduction to the topics for someone who would enjoy the way in which they are packaged.


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