Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson

This was such fun book. I really enjoyed it a lot, although few things I still can't understand but it's not at the fault of Tyson but at the incapability of my brain to process it beyond a point. The narration was really good and kept me hooked. I was able to finish this in my two gym workouts. I laughed out loud several times which made other people in the gym wonder what I was listening to.

Overall really good book and audiobook too and definitely gonna recommend it to every science and astrophysics loving guy.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone publishing for the amazing ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the Audio ARC!

I had never come across this book before, so I can't really speak to the updated edition vs the original, but I can say that touring the universe with Merlin was a marvelous experience, and should be undertaken by all Earthlings. I will definitely read this one again.

This was phenomenal! I haven't read any of Neil deGrasse Tyson's work before, and I will now need to change that. This made science so accessible, applicable, and interesting. I adored the content, and the narration just took it to the next level and infused the content with such a human nature and humor! I loved it!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing- Audiobooks and NetGalley for an ARC of Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century! This was so interesting, I listened to it with my daughters. Neil deGrasse Tyson does an excellent job taking a difficult and often confusing subject and makes it simple enough for regular people to understand. Merlin's poems and rhymes were fantastic! Neil deGrasse Tyson also has the perfect reading voice and listening to this audiobook made me feel like I was sitting and having a conversation with him.

I love how the author uses simple language to describe the complex world of the universe. This is an excellent book for children aged 8 (advanced kids who love the universe) up to seniors aged 88 who own telescopes and want to use this book to remember fun facts about the universe.

This was so much fun! Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson himself as his character Merlin from the andromeda galaxy, this was a fun and interesting way to learn more about astrology, physics, and space! Short and sweet, I really enjoyed revisiting some topics I haven’t thought about since high school science (and apparently retained little to none of!). Whimsical, comical, and a lot of fun. I loved visiting space with Merlin.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review

Text - I thought the concept of this book was so fun. Astronomy Q&A from an alien named Merlin. The answers are relatively short so it keeps the book moving. The questions that were chosen were interesting and I was curious about the answers. At one point “Merlin” quoted Neil DeGrasse Tyson 😂 Love it!

Audiobook - I loved the format, various narrators asking the questions and Neil DeGrasse Tyson doing the answers. The separation makes easier as a reader to know who is talking. Also, I think I just like the sound of his voice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is narrated by the following: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bronson Pinchot, Lauren Fortgang, Jim Meskimen, André Santana, Pun Bandhu, Em Grosland, Luzma Ortiz, Kevin R. Free, Jaime Lincoln Smith.

Originally released in 1989, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s book has been updated to reflect the changes in knowledge of the universe. There’s this character named Merlin who answers all sorts of questions about the universe from people young and old. It’s a cute concept, and as this is my first book by the author, I was pleasantly surprised at how accessible the information was, for the most part. Some answers to questions are written in a way that even the youngest person would understand, yet there are some answers that even a college educated person like me would still be confused.

I feel like I just emerged from a university class, full of new knowledge and better understanding of the cosmos. And hey, I know that Pluto isn’t a planet anymore, but the 10-year-old me still thinks of it fondly.

A fun Q&A style book with all sorts of questions on astronomy and astrophysics. Its easily digestible and written in a way that is easy for the more curious amateur to understand.

I have to admit, I'm very biased towards Mr. Tyson. I am a big fan and so naturally, I loved the book and loved that he narrated this audiobook. He really shows his passion while he speaks. This is a quick book that I found to be very fun. Some things I knew, others I didn't and found super interesting. Worth the read (multiple times even).
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange of my honest feedback.

Merlin's Tour of the Universe: A Skywatcher's Guide to Everything from Mars and Quasars to Comets, Planets, Blue Moons, and Werewolves

This is a fun book.

Tyson tackles a huge list of fun questions, with short, often funny and pointed quip answers.

I found the book was really interesting and organized well.

A great amount of answers that give the reader wonder and awe in our universe.

I didn't fully love the Merlin-side of things, I found the whole "asking Merlin" kinda kitschy. But still fun, sure.

The closest book I can think of to this book in terms of genre would be the excellent What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.

Definitely check this book out if you like fun scientific trivia.

4.4/5

This was an amazing audiobook.
It is whimsical in it didactic approach and Neil deGrasse Tyson, as Merlin, is both friendly and fun.
I loved the little rymes and poems.
The information is very approachable and easily digestable as scientific information goes.
Due to it's form factor, it would make a perfect science oriented 'bathroom reader' type book, if those are still a thing ;-)

This is an incredibly fascinating science non-fiction title. Really enjoying the question and answer format as it keeps me engaged despite some of the more difficult material. A great way to learn all about our universe!

I absolutely love NDT. He has such a great way of explaining complex things. In this book he answered questions posed to “Merlin”. A fictional character for this book’s purpose. However everything was answered with facts but the Merlin character added a bit of fictional whimsy. I very much enjoyed this book!
NDT is always great for anyone trying to learn more about the cosmos.

Not so much a tour or traveler’s guide as it is a Q&A. It was originally compiled in the late 1980s of questions asked of then-student deGrasse Tyson. He decided to answer them in the invented persona of Merlin, an intergalactic sage. These Q&As were collected and published in the 1990s with illustrations by his brother. Now, some 35 years later, Tyson has gone through and updated those answers that needed updating based on our more recent knowledge of the universe.
I listened to the audiobook and in doing so, it reminded me that I had listened to the earlier audiobook many years ago. Naturally, as I’m not a scientist, I can’t recall what specifically has changed or been updated. I will take his word for it. The book is entertaining but perhaps best as something to dip in and out of. As an audiobook it was like drinking from a firehose with random science questions and explanations coming at me non-stop. For five hours.
Dr. deGrasse Tyson narrates #MerlinsTouroftheUniverseRevisedandUpdatedfortheTwentyFirstCentury (seriously, that is the recommended hashtag from the publishers!) with his usual wit and humor, so I was entertained whilst becoming smarter. Thank you, #BlackstoneAudio!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook for review purposes. The updated book and audiobook are now available.

I'm rating this one 3.5 stars because it's good but I have issues with some details.
Merlin is a fictional character through which Tyson answers questions from people of all ages and walks of life about the universe. Questions big and small all get answers that are easy to follow if you already have a basic knowledge of the material. My problem was that some of those answers were too glib while others were too complex for a book that's supposed to be for enthusiasts as much as for those in the know. It's a tough line to balance the two and there are some questions where it's expertly done, which only makes the times when it's not even more obvious.

It's narrated by Tyson, so you know that you'll get his charm and wry wit even clearer than with the print edition. Plus, the questions are all read by different voices, which makes for a nice little detail.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks!

Oh my gosh, this book is like the ultimate cheat sheet to the universe but served up with so much charm and personality! So here’s the deal: it’s Neil deGrasse Tyson (aka Merlin!) casually answering all the wild, random questions about space and science that you’d totally ask at 2 a.m. Merlin’s this clever alien wizard who knows everything from black holes to what would happen if the Earth suddenly stopped rotating, and he explains it all with this totally epic mix of humor and smarts that keeps things fun and super clear.

The book is packed with these little jokes that keep it from ever feeling too "science lecture." And instead of just dumping facts, he throws in mini-stories, and recounting of chats with, like, Einstein or da Vinci, making it feel like a cozy hang with the greats. Every question answered makes the cosmos feel a little less overwhelming and way more fascinating.

Honestly, if you’re even a little curious about the universe—or just want to sound extra cool talking about galaxies at parties—this book’s your new BFF.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! 🌠

𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏'𝒔 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler's Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far by Neil deGrasse Tyson is the furthest escape I could muster for today, thankfully provided by @blackstonepublishing via @netgalley, available now for your escape as well!

I am utterly fascinated by the universe and its infinite beauty and mystery. The tiny nuggets that those supremely smarter than I, make accessible are invaluable and only add to the immense awe I have. I also have questions, in which apparently, I am not alone. I find this comforting. I am also comforted by knowing there are so many who are studying and learning things that make my brain hurt. I am not one who doesn’t accept simply because it is beyond my education, but I do appreciate those like deGrasse Tyson who make it palatable and easy to digest.

This is a collection of questions that were first published in 1989. Wow, so much has been seen since then! This is a revised edition and included a mix of more basic questions to those that exceeded my ponderings. I appreciated the audio version of this as there was a great cast to give each question a voice. I did have to laugh at a couple of one-word answers to some of the questions! I won’t deny that some of these answers left me with more questions, but isn’t that what is wonderful about learning?!

Now if Tyson and Dr. Who could get together and really help me visualize, I will be set! (seriously)

Through the character of Merlin, Neil deGrasse Tyson answers cosmic questions from children and adults with wit and scientific accuracy. With humorous cartoons and conversations with history’s greatest minds, Merlin explores gravity, light, space, time, and the wonders of distant galaxies. This updated volume is informative and fun to read. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved the format with the different voices asking and answering questions quickly, and found this to be as entertaining as it was informative. There were so many interesting questions, some of them things I've worried about, and as weird as it is, the answers were reassuring too. I highly recommend this for curious people of any age.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook