This book journeys into one of the most fascinating intellectual adventures of recent decades - understanding and exploring the final fate of massive collapsing stars in the universe. The issue is of great interest in fundamental physics and cosmology today, from both the perspective of gravitation theory and of modern astrophysical observations. Pankaj Joshi has written a wonderful book, full of challenges for the reader and also for all physicists! Only in 1998 did dark energy become established, subverting common thought. Joshi takes it all in and he teaches us to "listen to nature" to figure out how to progress and make the leap to quantum gravity, the final unification of the fundamental forces in nature.