COMING OF AGE IN THE MILKY WAY

The author reads his history of the cosmos in a whispery "Carl Sagan" voice, giving this gourmet brain food the suspenseful aura of science fiction spiced with some dryly humorous anecdotes. One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the historical background in the beginning, but toward the end the narrative, laced with fermions, bosons, and quarks, becomes a little thick. Luckily the author knows how to pronounce the technical terms he uses, and his excellent understanding of the subject helps us to understand it, as well. Suffering no loss of value from abridgment, this is a sweet treat for science-lovers. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]