Finding Cosmology Resources for Beginners

[81+]

I would appreciate some guidance. I don't get very far in reading peer-reviewed papers before I'm really confused --- they're way beyond my level. Even some posts on this forum are a little beyond me. And "popular" books can be misleading or just plain wrong ---and there are LOTS of them out there --- but which to read? I realize that "popular" books, even those written by leading cosmologists and within the last few years, are not as stringent in their coverage of cosmology as many members of this forum would like, but it looks like that's what I'm stuck with, for the present anyway.

So, can someone suggest a few books, or authors, that might get me to the next level of cosmological comprehension?

Thanks.

Frank

 

[cristo]

I would advise Big Bang by Simon Singh as a good popular Cosmology book.

 

[mgb_phys]

Then at a slightly higher level;
Steve Weinberg - The first three minutes
Joseph Silk - The big bang

 

[TalonD]

Would anyone recommend or offer an opinion of a book called "The End of Time" ?

 

[qspeechc]

I read George Smoots "Wrinkles in Time" several years ago and I couldn't put the book down it was so interesting. He also talks about the actual stuff the cutting-edge cosmologists do (or did when the book was written).

 

[chronon]

I've written reviews of quite a few cosmology books on my website

I think a good bridge between popular works and textbooks would be Cosmology : The Science of the Universe by Edward Harrison

I've written a review of Julian Barbour's The End of Time at http://www.chronon.org/reviews/End_of_Time.html

See also
http://www.chronon.org/books/cosmic_horizons.html
http://www.chronon.org/books/stretchy_space.html