Decent book that introduced me to a subject I'd not really read about before, but missing that certain spark the best books of this type have, conveying the author's excitement about the subject to the reader. ( )

The first title of this book really says it all, 'Einsteins Telescope' is definately the subject. The subtitle 'The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe' is covered, but it is definately not the focus of this book.

Gates starts off with a brief overview of cosmology and physics, basically what you will need to know to continue reading. She then describes Einsteins telescope, which is gravitational lensing, and its many uses, some of which happen to be discovering the presence of dark matter and dark energy. She does well with this subject for the most part. I found some of her analogies a bit forced, but she generally did get the point across. It is quite interesting to find out that we really have no idea what dark energy is. There are at least some viable candidates for dark matter, but dark energy is another thing entirely.

If you are looking for a book about gravitational lensing, I would definately recommend this book. If you are looking for a book about dark matter and dark energy, I would look elsewhere. Perhaps Dan Hooper's Dark Cosmos: In Search of Our Universe's Missing Mass and Energy. ( )

(posted on my blog: davenichols.net)

Astrophysicist Evalyn Gates brings the world of gravitational lensing and the search for the unknown constituents of the Universe to the reader in her book Einstein's Telescope. Gates has spent many years in this search, and this book is an excellent introduction and advanced discussion, laying the foundation for the work she (and others) will do over the next decade to unmask some of the great mysteries in cosmology and astrophysics.

Gates introduces a brief history of how scientists came to understand that dark matter and dark energy had to be part of our Universe in order to explain a few basic observations. Once she has offered the reader a framework for why we need to look more deeply at the way our Universe appears, Gates explains just what causes the "Einstein's Telescope" effect. This fascinating technique involves gravitational lensing of distant objects by massive objects sitting closer to the Earth. Often, the lenses are clusters of galaxies, and through the process of lensing more distant galaxies, we can learn how much mass is acting on the light of the distant sources, giving us insight into where dark matter may reside and exactly how it interacts with ordinary mass.

The book explains various theories of dark matter, primarily MACHOs and WIMPs, offers glimpses at the even more mysterious dark energy, for which there are no shortage of wild theories, and eventually goes deep into the cosmic web that may hold clues to the earliest formation of galaxies.

Later parts of the book, which may well be the strongest in what is a very solid presentation, describe the multiple experiments ongoing and various theories currently being formulated. Gates explains how these new techniques and new opportunities may shed light on our understanding of the Universe, its beginnings, and its evolution. Anyone who wants to understand the amazing findings that have begun to trickle out of this astrophysical work (and which will continue to become available over the next decade or two) will find strong explanations by Gates herein. This section alone makes the entire book worth reading for me.

Gates is an excellent writer who refuses to waste the reader's time. She has a solid grasp of her subject, and better, is highly successful at making the complex scientific concepts approachable by most any reader. Tons of great cutting-edge science is in store for a reader of this book, and those with a strong knowledge of cosmology and astronomy can still find much to learn and enjoy in Telescope. A handful of excellent images and illustrations are included in the hardback edition which offer the reader tantilizing, beautiful references to Gates' material, including real photographs of some fantastic shots of gravitation lensing.

For any science reader, and most especially those who enjoy space sciences, this book is highly recommended as a solid effort to update the reader's understanding of current astrophysical efforts and approaches to this fascinating field. While much of the science is complex, the style makes it easy to digest, without watering down the concepts. Four stars. ( )

Whew! It took me six weeks to get through this astrophysics book. I haven't picked up a physics book since high school and was hesitant to start reading this. While this book was interesting, the subject matter was intense and I found myself re-reading sections two or three times to ensure I comprehended the concepts. Evalyn Gates does an excellent job of explaining Einstein's theories and how they are harnessing those theories to explore dark matter and dark energy. ( )

Einstein's Telescope, by Evalyn Gates, demonstrates the impact of gravitational lensing on our ability to measure, “see,” and understand the universe. With an ultimate focus on the search for dark matter and dark energy, Gates effectively explains gravitational lensing – starting, for the lay reader, with the basic tenets of general relativity. Einstein's Telescope is a fascinating look at one of the hottest areas of cosmology for the scientist and non-scientist, alike, and will certainly change the way you look at the night sky.

If I have any criticism, it's that the author exposes an apparent bias toward experimental vs. theoretical science. That, however, should not prevent you from picking up the book. ( )