Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Published 2017 · 240 pages · 45,000 words · about 3 hours at an average pace · Nonfiction, Science & Nature

How hard is Astrophysics for People in a Hurry to read?

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry scores 22 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it relatively accessible. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 35 out of 100
Astrophysics terminology explained for general audience.
Sentence structure: 25 out of 100
Abstraction: 40 out of 100
Abstract concepts (dark matter, cosmic inflation) made concrete.
Information density: 48 out of 100
Compressed. A lot of science in 200 pages.
Narrative indirection: 50 out of 100
Direct scientific exposition.
Symbolic density: 100 out of 100
The cosmos as perspective-altering framework.
Ironic distance: 12 out of 100
Humor and enthusiasm throughout.
Resolution withholding: 80 out of 100
Open questions in astrophysics acknowledged.
Structural complexity: 18 out of 100
Stand-alone essay chapters. Simple structure.

How Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is regarded

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry holds a literary regard score of 35 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.

About the author

Neil deGrasse Tyson