"This is a condensed edition of Welcome to the Universe - essentially a pocket-sized version of the original "astrophysical tour" of the cosmos. In 8 chapters (compared to the original 24 chapters), the reader learns the essential astrophysics everyone should know -- about the size and scale of the universe; the solar system; the lives/deaths of stars; the search for life in the galaxy; our Milky Way; galaxies, the Big Bang and the expanding universe; inflation and the multiverse; and our future in the cosmos. For those who may have felt that Welcome to the Universe was a bit beyond them, this book covers all the essentials in an even more accessible and concise fashion, while imparting real physical insight into how the universe works by the book's end"-- "A pocket-style edition distilled from the New York Times bestseller. Awaiting you in this breezy book is a whirlwind tour through the cosmos-a journey of exploration to other planets, stars, and galaxies, and from black holes to time loops. With acclaimed astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott at your side, here you will find a brief and yet breathtaking introduction to the universe, which will help you in your quest to understand how the cosmos actually works.A Brief Welcome to the Universe propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space, building your cosmic insight and perspective through a marvelously entertaining narrative. How do stars live and die? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and accelerating in the process? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Exploring these and many other questions, this pocket-friendly book is your passport into the wonders of our evolving cosmos"--