Neil deGrasse Tyson answers questions about life, the universe and everything....er....well, the universe anyway, in an almost "Dear Abbey" style format, under the the guise of a character named Merlin. He makes it all very easy to understand for those excess masses of us who AREN'T astrophysicists, and in the audiobook, it's narrated by the man himself, which makes for real easy listening.

That said, given the question and answer format, I don't know that Tyson's use of an avatar really adds anything to the book. There's little in way of narrative, though he occasionally uses it to spin the odd yarn about hob knobbing with historically figures, but these are few, more to the point, his constant referring to himself , as Merlin, in the third person could be irritating. No doubt he felt this helped him get more in the spirit and relax more, as this was originally his first book, as such, I think it served the author more than the reader.

Worth the time if you're a casual interested in the cosmos.

ARC provided by NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing

A wizard traveling the universe and answering science questions? Sign me up.

Not sure if I've shared this with yall, but I'm a huge nerd, besides books and video games, documentaries, of all types ranging from history, science, and nature, but especially space. I love to learn and gain knowledge even if, at the time, I can not grasp nor comprehend it at the presented time.

From a semi comedic POV, we learn about our solar system, about moon phases, along with other interesting facts about our earth, galaxy, and known universe.

It's a plus for me that the main narrator is none other than the man genius Neil Degrasse Tyson, but also that the guest narrators made this feel more into a welcoming to science to others that are not experts on the subject but are curious to learn non the less. It even grasped the attention of my 8yo on the ride home.

I adored this quick, entertaining but educational audiobook.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review.

Thus was fun! To be honest, I usually just put this on before falling asleep, so I may have missed some parts and have definitely repeated some parts a couple of times lol but overall, I thought it was a very fun idea with some super interesting questions! I also love that Neil deGrasse Tyson was the narrator.

I have to admit that the concept of the fictional Merlin giving advice sounded a little strange, but it really works! I love the Q&A format, and I learned a lot of new information from this book. The humor makes the concepts more memorable and engaging, and a combination of the print and audio would be the perfect way to take this one in. It’s great to hear it in Neal deGrasse Tyson’s voice, and the print would make it easier to absorb some of the specific numbers and details too.

Highly recommend this one, and I look forward to listening to it with my kids in the car so they can learn more too!

Despite growing up in the age of Epcot Center and numerous closer to home places of scientific edutainment, I have always struggled to understand scientific concepts. I’ve read books, watched documentaries, looked at exhibits - and generally felt like I was missing something. I’ve even read a few of Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s other books that others have gotten a lot out of, and I still didn’t get it.

This one, however, hit different. I will admit to some skepticism at the concept - a fictional alien answering astrophysics questions did not sound like something that lends itself to the audio format. But amazingly, it works. I’m sure the print version makes it easier to go back and look things up later, but the broad array of question-askers and NDT’s reassuring voice are a perfect match for the gently whimsical and conversational tone. I’m pretty sure I picked up more in the four hours of listening to this book than in all of the years of reading/watching/listening to other things- and I would 100% listen to it again, which is rare for me. The amount of revision that was apparently required to reflect new discoveries since the original version was published in 1989 really underscores the importance of continuing to keep up with scientific news after you’re out of school- and I would love to see similarly formatted materials regularly updated for other branches of science as well - maybe Neil can talk some friends into writing their own entries in a series.

This is a great one for all ages - I can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely delightful, even though this left me with a lot of homework, as I’m now desperate for more information on many of the topics Merlin discusses here.

I was a little skeptical of the Q & A structure in book form, but it works well (especially on audio), and hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson narrate of course only enhances the experience.

I sort of love pop science or things that follow the format of, essentially, “here are some cool space facts,” and this does an excellent job of keeping it light and simple and giving you those little factoids while still packing in a lot of really valuable and at times reasonable complex science.

As someone who doesn’t generally have a lot of interest in this type of material, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe (Revised and Updated for the 21st Century) does a good job at igniting a spark of interest. The narration is (of course) wonderful, as it’s performed by Neil deGrasse Tyson himself.

Content-wise, Tyson does an excellent job at weaving humor into material that has the potential to be dry. But while he does a great job at artfully explaining some complicated concepts in a way that listeners of different understandings of astronomy and physics may understand and enjoy, others feel very glossed over. There were many times I had to ask my partner (an astrophysicist) what was meant by certain things or how various concepts work in practice/theory/application, or just for a basic explanation of things. Some explanations were so thorough and helpful by Tyson, then others felt rushed over, leaving a reader a little frustrated.

Thank you to Neil deGrasse Tyson, Blackstone Publishing, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

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!