 |
|
|
|
| |
|
List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £5.48
Author:
Ian Ridpath
By Dorling Kindersley
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
 So Simple, Even I Can Find What I'm Looking For!, 2004-05-13
I am one of those people who has trouble finding specific constellations, and is never quite sure whether I'm looking at Jupiter or Venus. I carry around little scraps of paper from the newspaper so I can figure out which planets are visible . . . but have a hard time reading the scraps in the dark. With this book, I can see when and where each planet will appear through 2012. I can also get all the help I need to know what constellations are up there now, and which ones will be present when. As a result, I can finally introduce the starry heavens in an appropriate way to younger people. I already know a lot about astronomy, but the night sky was beyond me. No longer! Whew! Although my four children did not get much help with the heavens from me, the grandchildren will receive great benefits from this resource. Even if you are good at identifying objects in the night sky, this book will be a valuable, convenient reference for you. Enjoy the lore that our ancestors appreciated by seeing new aspects of the night-time sky!
List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £3.91
Author:
Sir Patrick Moore
By Philip's
by Sir Patrick Moore (Author), Wil Tirion (Illustrator)
 Plenty of information, 2010-01-31
I bought this for my nephew, who has just started star-gazing, so I haven't actually read it properly myself. However, a brief appraisal suggests that it has plenty of information, diagrams, etc, to put a new astronomer on the right track. Written by Patrick Moore should be enough reassurance that it will be accurate and practical.
Especially at the price, seems a very good purchase.
List Price: £18.99
Our Price: £14.78
Author:
Stephen Webb
By Springer
Pleasantly surprised, 2004-01-07
Not being a science fiction fan, initially I doubted the scientific value of the book as the author includes some rather sci-fi solutions to the Fermi paradox early in the book. Presumably they have to be included for completeness. But he presents some very sensible, interesting solutions with his own as the last one, No. 50. I was particularly interested in the solutions dealing with the evolution of human characteristics, such as language and the probability of an extraterrestrial civilisation developing it. These factors are also treated like terms in the Drake equation.I can recommend it to anyone wondering if there really is intelligent life in space. A less scientific, but worthwhile companion to "Rare Earth" which to me still represents the "bible" on planetary evolution.
List Price: £19.99
Our Price: £10.81
Author:
Patricia Daniels, Robert Burnham
By National Geographic Society
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
Review, 2009-12-30
The book is well produced with pages are made up of mainly informative text wrapping around images, but some decent photos are missing (e.g. no photo of the titan moon landing, no photo of Neptune as a whole planet). I like the artistic paintaings included on some of the title pages which is more reminiscent of the National Geographic Picture Atlas Of Our Universe book. However, a well produced book worth looking into for the price it is currently selling at, just wish it had some more half-page or full-page photos put into it, then I would have given it 5-stars.
List Price: £7.99
Our Price: £2.29
Author:
Peter Coles
By Oxford Paperbacks
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
Stunning, 2009-03-26
This is an outrageously well-written and FUN book covering the biggest topic it is possible to imagine (in our physical world, at least).
The VSI format is well-established and the publishers choose their writers carefully. I am not a cosmologist so I have no idea where Peter Coles stands in any sort of pecking order of those specialists, but he is the perfect choice to make this (potentially) difficult topic easily accessible to anyone willing to engage with it. Technical terms and jargon are ruthlessly eschewed in favour of transparent clear writing. The sheer wonder involved in considering the Universe we inhabit is effortlessly painted, without ever losing a sense of playfulness and humility (i.e. there are a lot of things even the best cosmologists do not understand, but we are trying our best).
I can assure potential readers that this is ACCESSIBLE and FUN. Bravo to Peter and all concerned!
As a rider, an excellent companion volume for those with their appetite whetted by this book - do not fail to read "Galaxies: A Very Short Introduction" by John Gribbin. John is of course a well-known general science writer but he was an astrophysicist (or some such) first. A great book.
List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £5.30
Author:
Johanna Paungger, Thomas Poppe
By C W Daniel Co Ltd
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
Very interesting and informative!, 2009-04-26
I have to admit I have not finished the book yet but What I have read has been very interesting indeed. My only issue is that I did find the explanations slightly confusing and had to read certain paragraphs a few times for it to sink in. Maybe it will all come together once i read the whole thing? :) very enjoyable book though, I would recommend it!
List Price: £11.99
Our Price: £5.08
Author:
Neil deGrasse Tyson
By W. W. Norton & Co.
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
The facts and fun behind the fall of a planet, 2009-05-17
There are definitely two sides to this book.
Neil Degrasse Tyson takes the scientific debate about Pluto's planetary status seriously and there is lots of real astronomy in this book. However, he is also an entertaining writer and catches the emotional attachment to Pluto as a planet that made its downgrading such a big deal, especially for children. He succeeds in bring the serious and fun elements together.
This book is an informative and accessible history of Pluto and of the changes in our knowledge of the solar system that have lead to a revisiting of our understanding of our little corner of the galaxy. There is enough of the detail to appreciate the real science, and to see the personalities involved in the debate about how to describe the findings to a wider audience.
He wants us to appreciate Pluto and its surroundings for what they are, and not just to learn a list of planets.
The emotional side of the debate makes the book stand out. This is a very human issue, and, through his role in the New York's American Museum of Natural History he became identified as the man who killed Pluto. The discoverer of Pluto had always defend his historic planet-finding moment. Thousands of school-children wrote in to protest at the potential downgrading of Pluto to dwarf planet. Their letters are scattered throughout the book and are great fun. Newspaper cartoonists had a great time with the topic too, and a great selection is included.
Over this book is a treasure-trove of good science and fun things, and well worth a read.
List Price: £26.99
Our Price: £13.22
Author:
Vladimir Rubtsov
By Springer
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
|
|
|
|
|
|
|