Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet

Book Description

The first photographic tour of the surface of another planet has now been accomplished. Those who thrilled to the lunar beauty of Full Moon and the IMAX smash Roving Mars will marvel at this awesome, vivid, beautiful portrait of what it is like to take a stroll on Mars.

The most fantastic of all journeys—the Spirit and Opportunity mobile robot missions to the surface of Mars—produced over 150,000 astonishing photographs. While the images were made available on low-resolution computer screens as they were sent back across millions of space miles, no one until now has done the painstaking work of editing, cropping, and processing these massive (often larger than 100 megabytes) images.

The person to do it is Jim Bell, the scientist and photographer who led the photography team on this historic expedition. With his unique perspective, these photographs take us from the brave launches of these robots, to the alien landscape they discovered and the mysteries of the planet that they have helped to solve.

Over 150 lavish full-color-process prints bring the colors and textures of Mars to vivid life on the page. Four of the most impressive pictures are presented in their entirety as gatefold images— which extend over three feet in width—providing a view of the surface of another planet unprecedented in its detail and clarity. Postcards from Mars is the perfect gift to give readers who have their feet on the ground and their eyes on the heavens.

Customer Reviews:

Had some damage.......2007-09-27

A beautiful book for a good price. However, the book came with a damaged corner that was not related to the packing. It should have been rated at a lower level.

In fact, this has been the only book I have ever received with this kind of damage.

So, who is profiting from this great book!.......2007-05-16

This book is simply fantastic! The photos are "out of this world". However, my only concern is that as a tax payer, who funded these missions to Mars, how is it that someone is profiting from these photos taken by United States of America vehicles? Why isn't the money from this book going to the USA to offset the cost of the mission?

Mars at ours fingers.......2007-05-16

Spirit and Opportunity rovers are in good health after
three years of hard working in freeze dusty environment.
All this history and images are excelent exposed in this
great book.

spectacular.......2007-05-15

Beautifully written and coreographed , this book is spectacular. The photos from the Mars' surface are superb. What backs up the visuals are the insightful information from an scientist who wrote the book and created it. It is very readable and has a lot of interesting information. It is not a book to instantly read through but to read in sections and savor. I am glad I found the review in USAtoday otherwise I might not have even known about it.This is my review and I think it is a great book for those who want to find and learn about Mars up close.

Mars Photography - with a bonus.......2007-05-07

I expected great photographs in this book and I was not disappointed. They are outstanding. What I didn't expect were the detailed text descriptions of the science and engineering that went into this mission. In addition to being a great coffee table book, it is also a book that I have spent many hours carefully reading. That was a bonus that I didn't expect, but one that I deeply appreciate. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this wonderful project.

Average customer rating:

ESSENTIAL TO HAVE
Big, beautiful color astro-photos, & exemplary pop-sci text
A jewel...
Words don't do it Justice
Not your average coffee-table book!

The Invisible Universe
David Malin
Manufacturer: I B S Books Stocked
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0821226282

Book Description

The Invisible Universe is a tour of the farthest reaches of the universe with more than fifty of Malins stunning photographs and his accompanying informative text. A wonder of artistry, technical wizardry, and scientific interest, The Invisible Universe is the ultimate gift book on a fascinating subject.

Customer Reviews:

ESSENTIAL TO HAVE.......2006-09-22

After seeing these amazing, huge, gorgeous photos with stars in numbers beyond the imagination, I would think most people would find it hard to not believe (1) that there is a God and (2) there is plenty of other intelligent life out there.

Big, beautiful color astro-photos, & exemplary pop-sci text.......2005-09-13

______________________________________________
First, the photos -- they are gorgeous! Click over to Malin's Website [G00GLE] for a preview. Sky & Telescope calls Malin "the Ansel Adams of the sky," and his photos have been exhibited worldwide. Have a look; you'll see why.

Malin is a pioneer color astrophotographer, and an engaging writer --
by the time you've finished his book, you'll know that those
beautiful glowing-red nebular veils are fluorescing interstellar
hydrogen clouds. And those electric-arc-blue highlights are stellar
nurseries, shining through yellow-brown, smoggy-looking dust
clouds that might be the feedstock for more new stars, or strange new
worlds....

Malin's photos tour worldwide, so if you see an exhibit scheduled nearby -- well, the reproductions here are excellent, but the full-size, original photos are stunning.

Next to an eye-popping picture of an
"ocean of stars" that looks like beach sand poured on black velvet,
Malin quotes Plato: "And after having thus framed the universe, he
alloted to it souls equal in number to the stars, inserting each in
each."

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman

A jewel..........2001-09-29

This book, in it's bountiful size and otherworldly beauty commands attention. It was in stock at a bookstore I used to work at, and I had to look at it every week. The photos inside are so lush and gorgeous that they will make you wish you had a larger print to hang up in your apartment. This photography book captures some of the most beautiful, mysterious forces known to us. From magnificent galaxies to nebulas daunting in their size colors, only a book of this size could begin to give the true essence of what is out there. A picture is worth a universe of words.

Words don't do it Justice.......2001-08-24

Perhaps the most superb collection of astronomical and cosmological photographs I've ever seen in one collection. If you have even the faintest interest in astronomy or cosmology, do yourself a kind service and buy this book. You will never look at the stars the same way again. This book renders a perspective on the universe and our tiny place in it like no other.

As for the size, it is a little large but several of the photos demand it. The person who commented on the image quality certainly doesn't have a strong grasp of astro photography or he surely wouldn't criticize. This is a masterful work.

Not your average coffee-table book!.......2001-05-26

I think one of the reviewers has his wires a little crossed. The book quite clearly states that the photographs were all taken by David Malin using the Anglo-Australian Telescope, NOT by the Hubble Space Telescope! There are several other excellent publications covering HST photographs if that's your desire. How anyone can possibly complain about the photos being grainy and repetitive is totally beyond me(?) This is a magnificent publication by the world's foremost GROUND-BASED Astro-photographer. No more, no less. Spend 10 minutes just staring at the photo of the Trifid Nebula. It has a depth to it that no amount of digital manipulation could possibly produce or duplicate; Hubble or otherwise. It makes me feel proud that these pictures were taken less than 40 kilometres from my old hometown. I agree with one of the other reviewers concerning this and Ken Croswell's book. Buy both of 'em!

Average customer rating:

Not so hot.
Universe
AWESOME!
Disappointing to say the least
beautiful photography

The Universe: 365 Days
Robert J. Nemiroff , and Jerry T. Bonnell
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810942682

Book Description

Photographs of outer space--produced by earthbound and space telescopes and planet-roving satellites--have captivated a vast audience. And nowhere has this audience found more enthralling views than on Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), a website so popular that it draws well over one million hits every week. The Universe: 365 Days presents in unprecedented clarity 365 spectacular images culled from the thousands that have been featured on the site, which has been hailed as one of the best science sites by both Scientific American and Popular Science magazines.

Following the enormously successful format of Abrams' Earth From Above: 365 Days, The Universe: 365 Days has been crafted by the two astrophysicists who in 1995, in collaboration with NASA, created and continue to maintain the APOD website. Accompanying each stunning image is a short explanatory text that greatly expands the reader's appreciation of the wonders of the cosmos.

Customer Reviews:

Not so hot........2007-07-23

I am a HUGE fan of Earth From Above, I think it's by far one of the best photo books out there. This book pales in comparison to the caliber of the photography in Earth. Very disappointing. There a couple of amazing shots, but that's about it. I wouldn't bother, unless you're super into astronomy.

Universe.......2006-08-24

We have purchased several of these books - one for ourselves and the others as gifts. It is awesome.

AWESOME!.......2006-03-18

This is a truly awesome and inspiring book. The gorgeous photographs and the informative text will challenge your imagination to the breaking point! Best of all, this book will strengthen your faith in our awesome Creator God, and in the Bible - His word of truth to all mankind.
Consider the following Bible verses, written hundreds to thousands of years before the invention of the first telescope:
"The host of heaven cannot be numbered." Jeremiah 33:22
"As many as the stars of the sky in multitude - innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore." Hebrews 11:12
"Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing." Isaiah 40:26
"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have made, what is man that You are mindful of him?" Psalm 8:3,4
"[God] hangs the earth on nothing." Job 26:7
"It is [God] who sits above the circle of the earth." Isaiah 40:22
"There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory." 1 Corinthians 15:41
"Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades? [Can you] loose the belt of Orion?" Job 38:31
"Can you guide Arcturus?" Job 38:32
"God ..... has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." Hebrews 1:1,2
"For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it ..... who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18
"You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host ..... the host of heaven worships You." Nehemiah 9:6
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and there words to the end of the world." Psalm 19:1-4
"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Disappointing to say the least.......2004-10-05

I wanted to buy this book for a long time and waited until the price was right. When I bought it, I couldn't check inside because it was wrapped in plastic. So when I brought it home and opened it, I was very disappointed with the photos. I was expecting super high quality photos and instead found tons of OLD photos of galaxies and stars that have been available in other books (which I have or have read) since the 1960s and 1970s. Or worse, photos seemingly taken directly from websites, with web quality, ie: not very good.

They had to fill this book with 365 photos and I say 250 of them are not worth spending any amount of money on, because they're free on the internet or the quality is terrible or simply because they've been available in other (and better) books for several decades now and the writer didn't bother getting updated versions of those old photos. As an example, on Nov. 27, there's the famous "Earth at Night" photo. I already have the photo as a desktop image (it's widely available on the net) and it looks better on my computer than in the book, which is murky and lacks detail.

The Universe: 365 Days is just not what I expected. The concept is actually cool but the execution is very uneven and at times poor. I would have left it at the bookstore if I initially had the chance to look inside it before purchasing it.

beautiful photography.......2004-06-02

There is a website called "Astronomy Picture of the Day". The website is exactly what it claims to be. Every day the website posts a new picture related to astronomy with a description of that picture written by a professional astronomer. With the first archived photo on that website from June 16, 1995, the editors of "The Universe: 365 Days" had nearly 8 years of photographs to draw on when this volume was published in May 2003. This book can be used like a calendar because that is how this book is laid out: every day of the year has an astronomy photograph, with a description of each picture.

As someone who knows very little about the universe, or astronomy, even with the descriptions next to the pictures I still wasn't always sure what I was looking at and how one picture was truly different from another. I understand that they look different and that they are pictures of very different parts of the universe, but the details are far beyond my comprehension. What is not beyond my comprehension is the fact that these are stunningly beautiful pictures. Even simple pictures that we may have seen many times before, like a picture of our planet from space, is striking and beautiful. Others are of star clusters and galaxies that are so far away and so alien that it boggles the mind to know that there are places like this out there and we really know nothing about what it would be like to travel there.

This book can be read as a calendar, where you flip the page each day and see what new photograph is waiting. It can be read like that, but I couldn't imagine only looking at one of these pictures a day. After seeing one picture, I just had to turn the page to see what wonder was waiting for me, and almost without exception, there was a wonder on every page. Beautiful space photography (though some are on Earth, and others looking out from Earth). If that sounds interesting, this collection is probably for you.

Book Description

After a journey of seven years and 2.2 billion miles, the spacecraft Cassini, with a probe named Huygens aboard, reached Saturn in July 2004, beginning a four-year tour to observe the remote planet, its rings, and its moons in depth. As a result of the spectacularly succesful Cassini-Huygens mission, photographs of astounding beauty have come streaming back to Earth, together with enough data to keep hundreds of scientists engrossed for decades. Reproduced here, in unprecedented detail and exquisite, high-quality format, are 150 of the best of those images, among them rings from the unlit side never visible from Earth and panoramas of the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon.

This breathtaking volume, including authoritative essays on the planetary system and the mission, reveals the planet, its ethereally beautiful rings, and its 40+ moons in ways never before seen or recorded.

“Astonishing, amazing, and personal.”
— Dr. David Livingston

Host, The Space Show

Customer Reviews:

Saturn.......2007-06-08

For anyone who is interested in astronomy, especially when it relates to the planets in our solar system, this is a must have. The book beautifully describes and illustrates this elegant planet, providing detailed photos of it's body, rings and moons. I purchased this as a gift for my boyfriend and he absolutely LOVES it!

Very beautiful book.......2007-01-09

This book presents some very beautiful views of the Saturnian system as captured by the Casinni Spacecraft. It also provides some inciteful essays detailing the design, construction and operation of the spacecraft as well as the physics of the planet itself, its atmosphere and fascinating ring system and moons.

Breathtaking Visualizations of the Lord of the Rings.......2007-01-07

Lovett's Saturn book is a tribute to the Cassini mission science team in images. The visualizations tell so much about the new knowledge now being acquired from the spacecraft in orbit of the planet. While the book is short on scientific detail, it is not designed to be a scientific treatise. It will take years to digest what is now being witnessed. The many Saturnian moons hold so much new knowledge yet to be understood. The images only begin to tell the story but each is worth seeing while the experts struggle to explain their meaning. I HIGHLY recommend this book to the astronomer and the lay person alike. It is well worth every penny to share in the spellbinding images contained on nearly every page with a brief text description. This is a display of The Lord of the Rings!

An Entirely Subjective Review.......2007-01-06

My disclaimers up front. First, I have worked for JPL for close to 20 years; half of my career (including currently and during the entire period these photos were taken) has been spent supporting Cassini directly or indirectly. So there is no way I can even pretend to have an objective perspective. Second, this is my personal review and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cal Tech, JPL or NASA.

I love this book. It is so exciting as one small cog working on a mission to see the fruits of my labor being so prominently and publicly displayed. I put out semi-regular "astropics" newsletters to a group of family, friends, and now friends of friends who similarly love astronomy and JPL's missions. If I were to compile my favorite pics out of the years that I have been doing this, many of my favorites would be ones included in this book. I highly recommend this book to any lover of astronomy, old and new to learn the latest that is being revealed by this wonderful mission.

Chuck Kirby
Cassini Spacecraft Systems Engineer

Wonderful Book, Breathtaking Photos.......2006-12-27

Saturn, A New View

This book is perfect for the armchair scientist. I can't add much to the other reviews here, but will certainly add to the chorus of praise. This book is excellent. It is well-written, well-executed, and well-organized. Needless to say, it's the pictures that make the book so special. I get goosebumps thinking about the fact that there is actually a man-made spaceship orbiting Saturn RIGHT NOW. It's hard to describe the feeling. It's even cooler, of course, that we have a probe sitting on Titan!!!!!

Anyway, if you did nothing but bought the book for the pictures, it would be worth it. It's sort of designed as a "coffee-table book", but this one is actually worth reading and returning to. Thank you Lovett, Horvath, and Cuzzi! But mostly thank you Cassini and Hugyens for your fantastic, dangerous journey to Saturn [hey - if you can't anthropomorphize Cassini and Voyager and objects like that, what's the point of reading about science? :-) ].

My Rating System for Amazon.com
---------------------------------
5 Stars -- The best of the best. Made a real impact on me and/or represents a classic of the genre. Would read it again and recommend it without reservation.

4 Stars -- Very good. Loved it, recommend it to all. Some issues and/or doesn't rise to the level of "classic of the genre".

3 Stars -- Okay. Wouldn't read it again, but enjoyed it. Usually some major flaws or just very pedestrian.

2 Stars -- Not good. Don't recommend it. Some redeeming qualities. May be desired by some.

1 Star -- No redeeming qualities. Will never touch again. Warn people away.

Average customer rating:

sunny side up
Stark beauty of a devastating weapon
100 suns
100 suns is the ultimate photo book!
Excellent idea, poorly executed

100 Suns
Michael Light
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400041139
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Book Description

Between July 1945 and November 1962 the United States is known to have conducted 216 atmospheric and underwater nuclear tests. After the Limited Test Ban Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1963, nuclear testing went underground. It became literally invisible—but more frequent: the United States conducted a further 723 underground tests, the last in 1992. 100 Suns documents the era of visible nuclear testing, the atmospheric era, with one hundred photographs drawn by Michael Light from the archives at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the U.S. National Archives in Maryland. It includes previously classified material from the clandestine Lookout Mountain Air Force Station based in Hollywood, whose film directors, cameramen and still photographers were sworn to secrecy.

The title, 100 Suns, refers to the response by J.Robert Oppenheimer to the world’s first nuclear explosion in New Mexico when he quoted a passage from the Bhagavad Gita, the classic Vedic text: “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One . . . I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” This was Oppenheimer’s attempt to describe the otherwise indescribable. 100 Suns likewise confronts the indescribable by presenting without embellishment the stark evidence of the tests at the moment of detonation. Since the tests were conducted either in Nevada or the Pacific the book is simply divided between the desert and the ocean. Each photograph is presented with the name of the test, its explosive yield in kilotons or megatons, the date and the location. The enormity of the events recorded is contrasted with the understated neutrality of bare data. Interspersed within the sequence of explosions are pictures of the awestruck witnesses.

The evidence of these photographs is terrifying in its implication while at same time profoundly disconcerting as a spectacle. The visual grandeur of such imagery is balanced by the chilling facts provided at the end of the book in the detailed captions, a chronology of the development of nuclear weaponry and an extensive bibliography. A dramatic sequel to Michael Light’s Full Moon, 100 Suns forms an unprecedented historical document.

Customer Reviews:

sunny side up.......2007-09-04

This is a beautiful book. Very powerful (no pun intended). Exceptionally well-conceived. Lovely art direction. High printing standards. All of which were established with the author Michael Light's previous book, The Moon. (With a surname such as Light, he was destined to be a photographer.) I first saw a copy of 100 Suns at a friend's place in Paris and, without knowing it was the same photographer who had collated the pictures in both books, said how much its aesthetics and purpose reminded me of The Moon. Rather than NASA's various explorations to the lunar mass (assuming you believe, like me, that they did indeed go to the moon), this book is devoted to the war-mongering Americans' obsession with nuclear warfare. As a counter-balance to the predilection of other superpowers, such as the former USSR and China, for power, the Americans went for gold from the outset, initially possessing a ridiculously huge nuclear arsenal, a dominance that wained during the supposed Cold War (a propaganda exercise to rival the Nazis, if ever there was one). Then, for a spell, the Soviets possessed more nuclear warheads than the Americans, which is perhaps fair enough since they did send the first man into space (well done Yuri). However, throughout the atomic age, the Americans, like the pesky French, the irritable Russians, the stroppy North Koreans, the determined Chinese, the desperate Pakistanis, the resolute Iranians, etc, have continued to conduct tests of nuclear weapons. Unfairly, the French have even arrogantly and selfishly pursued theirs in the Pacific, which, as New Zealanders, my family, friends and I occupy. Is it any wonder we now have global warming? Isn't it at all conceivable that the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of nuclear tests conducted underground, on land, at sea and in the air are partially (perhaps even largely) responsible for global warming? These are, after all, mammoth disruptions to the harmony of earth and her atmosphere. I use the word 'mammoth' on purpose too because, like the furry fellow, we may one day be utterly extinct. Of course, if nuclear weapons (and the woeful double bombing of Japan to end the Second World War) are a crucial counterbalance between good and evil, the haves and will haves, they are perhaps a necessary (yet problematic) deterrent. Now, having jumped atop my soap box (actually, bar stool in front of my computer), I must admit that the pictures in 100 Suns are utterly bewitching. To say they are beautiful is fraught with guilt, since it is members of our very species who created and propagated such an evil force. However, in many things evil a kind of beauty resides, whether we wish to concede this or not. And there is something strangely, hypnotically, philosophically haunting about the 100 pictures of nuclear tests in this book. They look like amoeba, jelly fish, demons, and, yes, mushrooms. They appear to be the visual manifestation of some weird hallucinatory concoction - though in this case it's the result of mankind's intellect run amock. Not enough is spoken about the nuclear age. The pictures in this must-have book say much. Let the buyer beware.

Stark beauty of a devastating weapon.......2007-07-09

As terrible as a nuclear detonation can be, this book manages to capture the spectacle and beauty from the above-ground nuclear tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site and other detonation sites in the 50s and 60s.

The book is a collection of 100 colour and B&W photos from the US National Archives and LANL of various detonations. Some are taken mere milliseconds after detonation and show fascinating detail. Others show the detonations with soldiers looking on. Aerial shots show the impressive scale of the detonations.

Captions for the photos giving details on the test are listed in the back so as not to distract from the photo itself. It's an interesting book to look through and to see the scale of the above-ground nuclear weapon testing that was done in the middle of the 20th century.

100 suns.......2007-06-05

Some of the most brilliant photos of nuclear explosions you will EVER find. The book is almost all photos with a small documentary section in the back to help augment the photos. VERY nicely done for the non-technical person.

100 suns is the ultimate photo book!.......2007-05-21

this book is awesome! it has very stunning photos and is just plain cool.this is definitely the best coffee table book for people facinated by nuke technology.

Excellent idea, poorly executed.......2007-02-17

I agree with the review about the mushroom cloud in the center of the binding, split in two. That really reduces the effectiveness of the shot.

The idea of this book is great. I think the book is one-of-a-kind...to date I have not found a more comprehensive collection of *photos* in one place, of atomic explosions. That is cool.

But! The book misses the point! I wish there was so much more information, give me some specifications. How wide is that explosion? How tall? As I recall, there was scant info, such as power (X kilotons), but that is way in the back of the book. How annyoing to have to flip around the book to find out what could easily have been printed on the page where the photo is, such as a legend.

Here are a few things that would have pushed this book over the top.
- explosive power.
- width
- height
- location
- a perspective item, such as the transamerica pyramid, so we can see how big the cloud is.
- Etc. Surely there is declassified information available that the authors could have brainstormed, and included...?

I'm guessing the authors didn't want to "pollute" the pristine images with this extra info, however, by leaving out this critical information, we are left with images that fail to measure to their full grandeur. It's like when astronomy books show us pictures of galaxies, but don't tell us how many light years across they are, or how far away they are. Something's missing.

I give the idea of this book 4.5 stars. I give the execution 1.5 stars. The book is incomplete.

Earth From Space: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Average customer rating:

Earth From Space: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
The view from above
really nice visuals
The Latest and The Best

Earth From Space: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Andrew K. Johnston
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1552978206

Book Description

Three hundred spectacular views of Earth taken by the latest generation of satellites.

For orbiting satellites, no place on Earth is isolated. The Himalayas are as easy to photograph as Manhattan. While satellite images are important for science and technical needs, they can also be appreciated for their astonishing beauty.

Earth From Space shows how satellite imaging -- also called remote sensing -- works and showcases some of the most extraordinary photographs ever published.

In the mid-1990s a new generation of satellites began to orbit the Earth. More powerful and accurate than ever, they can record the effects of human and natural forces, and how the planet is changing through time can be clearly seen.

The book also dispels popular misconceptions like those used in Hollywood movies for dramatic effect such as exaggerated surveillance capabilities of orbiting satellites. However, what the satellites do see is nothing short of spectacular.

Earth From Space presents stunning color photographs of:

Coastal ports and major world cities
Military installations such as the Russian Pacific submarine fleet
Rebuilding lower Manhattan and the Pentagon after 9/11
Landscapes of wars including Iraq and Iran
Rain forests, wetlands, coral reefs, rivers and mountains
Effects of deforestation and desertification

Earth From Space covers subjects ranging from aeronautics to history to ecology with unforgettable illustrations - an expansive big picture view of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Earth From Space: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.......2006-02-22

The condition of the book is good.
It took about 10 days to delivery the book from US to Hong Kong. The delivery is quick.

The view from above.......2005-11-10

This collection of color satellite images is fascinating and awe inspiring. Dramatic images show weather phenomena like active hurricanes, forest fires and tornado paths. Rivers, oceans, lakes and deserts illustrate the varieties of our planet and other images show how man-made constructions have altered the earth. Especially distressing are images that show the effects of deforestation and oil spills. Cities like Paris and New York are featured as well as famous structures like the pyramids, Statue of Liberty, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in New Orleans and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. City views alone would make a fascinating book - this volume shows aerial views of Paris, New York, Venice, San Francisco, San Diego, Pittsburg, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. One of the most memorable images is a photo of Earth taken at night showing city lights.

really nice visuals.......2005-05-22

Lots of computer graphic enhanced pics, Not alot of text, But it does have lots of pics of the natural world and human impact. A must for a geography lovers library.

The Latest and The Best .......2004-12-30

This book is incredible. To my knowledge there is no other collection available with such up-to-date (many were shot in 2003) and high-resolution photographs of our planet from space.

Most of the photos are mind-boggling. There are many instances of comparison shots that span decades. For example, a 1967 Rhodonia (province in Brazil) shot and a 2002 Rhodonia - the Amazonian deforestation as seen from space is shocking. This book is a fantastic resource for the conservation-oriented.

It is also a very aestetically pleasing book. While many photos show ecological damage, others show the wonderful wholeness of our planet. Shots of snow-covered North America (after a winter storm) were also very beautiful - I had never seen such a photo before, with great swaths of the Midwest covered in white. City shots are also very revealing.

You will have difficulty closing this book once it is opened. I give it my highest recommendation.

What's Out There: Images from Here to the Edge of the Universe

Average customer rating:

excellent coffee table book
The Best Images of the Universe at your Fingertips!!!
Wow! The Ideal Picture Book
Fabulous coffee-table book for astronomy buffs at bargain price
A striking collection of images culled from world archives

What's Out There: Images from Here to the Edge of the Universe
Mary K. Baumann , Will Hopkins , Loralee Nolletti , and Michael Soluri
Manufacturer: Duncan Baird
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1844831906

Book Description

This breathtaking photographic tour of the universe features more than 180 exquisite, cutting-edge images, as well as a foreword by award-winning physicist Stephen Hawking. The photos, taken by the newest space explorers—highly sophisticated telescopes, probes, and satellites—are arranged in an A to Z format with thorough text blocks that elucidate the phenomena in a refreshingly concise and accessible manner. From asteroids to pulsars to white dwarfs, each entry consists of bold photos and descriptive text. A data box accompanying each picture provides fascinating details about how, where, and when each shot was taken. In the back of this awe-inspiring volume are the stories behind the space probes and telescopes, along with an essay on color imagery in space and a glossary.

Customer Reviews:

excellent coffee table book.......2007-03-10

visually stunning and excellent coffee table book. if you are looking for a picture book of the universe for casual purusal this book will more than do. provides very brief, non-technical descriptions of what each photograph is of. not for heavy duty research. recreational reading only. once again, the photos are...wow!

The Best Images of the Universe at your Fingertips!!!.......2006-10-04

++++++

"Astronomy is one of the sublimest fields of human investigation. The mind that grasps its facts and principles receives something of the enlargement and grandeur belonging to the science itself. It is a quickener of devotion."

The above is a quotation uttered by American educator Horace Mann in the 1800s. It eloquently sums up my feelings when I viewed the images (the majority of which are taken from our Galaxy) and read their accompanying text in this fascinating book by M. K. Baumann, W. Hopkins, L. Nolletti, and M. Soluri (with astronomy consultant R. Villard).

Stephen Hawking, who wrote the book's forward, tells us that "the [spectacular] images in this book represent some of the most up-to-date and high-definition data available." Yes, the more than 180 images are truly spectacular and were selected because they were judged to be the "most important" examples to highlight a particular topic. (The earliest image was taken May 1967 and the most recent was taken Jan. 2005.) Each photographic image has a standard data area that gives key information about the image. For example the data area of the image that's on the front cover of this book (shown above by Amazon) might be as follows:

(1) Identification icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. (I will explain more about these icons below.)
(2) Saturn with its moon Enceladus appearing near its south pole
(3) Visible-light image (metallic color added)
(4) Cassini orbiter (Note that this spacecraft consists of this orbiter and the Huygens probe)
(5) 16 May 2004
(6) 12.5 million miles (20 million km) from Earth

Each topic is presented alphabetically with a brief, easy-to-understand, descriptive, and interesting text to explain a topic. The letters covered are from "A" to "W" (excluding "K," "O," and "Q"). Topics under each letter range from one to several. For example, under "A" are two topics covering four pages but under "C" are six topics covering ten pages.

Thus each topic generally has three pieces of information. For example, the first topic under "A" is "Asteroid." Then there is:

(1) a descriptive text of an asteroid
(2) an actual image of an asteroid--in this case asteroid Eros
(3) a data area for asteroid Eros (which, as shown above, has (i) an identification icon (ii) image description (iii) image type (iv) image source (v) date image taken and (vi) distance celestial object is from Earth).

At the end of the book are three sections. One section lists with a brief description the mechanical and human image-makers that made the images in this book possible. Another well-written section explains the science behind the images used in this book. The last section is a glossary of important terms.

The section regarding the image-makers is one I found especially interesting. Over forty image-makers are listed and well described. These image-makers are divided into four groups:

(1) Earth-based (like observatories)
(2) Near-Earth (like space-based telescopes)
(3) Spacecraft, probes, & cameras
(4) Individuals (who work with accessible and mobile equipment).

The identification icons I mentioned in the sample data area above are in this image-makers section. Any icon that appears in the book can be matched with the same icon in this section. For example, the icon of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft mentioned in the sample data area above can be matched with the identical icon in the above-mentioned third group. Then below the icon is a brief description of this spacecraft that I found quite interesting.

Finally, I did find some problems with this book. I should emphasize that these in no way affect the book's readability but I found them to be irritations:

(1) There is no introduction. There is a four-paragraph blurb on the inside front jacket flap that promotes the book and at the same time tries to give some indication of what to find in it. It does not do the latter very well. For example, how to use the icons is not explained at all. There should have been a good introduction included within the book itself.
(2) Three astronomical images located on the first two pages are not explained at all. Why?
(3) There are no references for the text. True, we are given the names of almost sixty scientists and space professionals who shared their knowledge. But throughout the book's pages are certain figures that must have been looked up somewhere. These sources are not given credit.
(4) The glossary is somewhat redundant. For example, the first word in the glossary is "asteroid." But as I mentioned above, it's a topic in the main section of this book! Why include it in the glossary? I found this for several other words as well.
(5) Right after the index of this book (that is, on the very last page) is a description of a newly discovered phenomenon that is "a telltale trace of other Earth-like planets out beyond our solar system." I found this VERY interesting. Why was it on the very last page of the book? It should have been included in the main narrative.

In conclusion, if you're an armchair astronaut like me, you'll appreciate this visually stunning and informative book that reveals the awesome beauty and mystery of the cosmos!!!

(first published 2005; forward by S. Hawking; the Milky Way; celestial phenomena from "A" to "W;" science behind the images; the image makers; main narrative 175 pages; glossary; index; picture credits; acknowledgements; Earthshine)

+++++

Wow! The Ideal Picture Book.......2006-09-01

Not many things in the world can literally take your breath away. Maybe it was your first kiss, or maybe when your son or daughter finally became part of the living. But this book cannot be excepted from that category, because these pictures seem to live and breathe just as we do. Light years and light years away.

Mars is viewed up so close, you feel like you're actually breathing in the dusty storms of the planet and you're surrounded by barren red wasteland, where life might once have existed. Jupiter's moon, Europa, has so many stunning pictures, as each one depicts its greenish-blue hue cracked with red lines and ice that fit in with the satellite so icily, but coolly. And don't get me even STARTED on the nebulae! They are so unbelievably beautiful - swirls of reds tingling with blue and a shiver of yellow belting down an orange, with sparkles and beauty outlining every inch of it. I think the nebulae deserve fifty chapters just for themselves.

All the pictures are arranged alphabetically from their title, from A for Asteroid to W for WMAP (check the book if you don't know what that is ;D), this book has it all. All the pictures are high-definition and just a frightful wonder to look at, staring at the deep, stellar field of space.

But as another reviewer said, don't miss out on the captions! There's an universe of information to be read, and they just can't be ignored because the pictures are so gorgeous. They're extremely factual and faultless, and only glorify the images with much information, unlike other space books where one-liners just dismiss the true meaning behind the pictures.

This book is highly recommended. I can't imagine a better source to start a lifelong interest in space, or to simply indulge in the beauty of space.

Fabulous coffee-table book for astronomy buffs at bargain price.......2006-08-28

Splendid images, combined with descriptions of what you're viewing, abound in this book, available for less than $20.

It's arranged alphabetically, so you can either browse from page 1 onward, or go to your favorite subject, such as "galaxy" or "black hole." And, it runs from our backyard to the edges of the universe, so whether your interests are planetary, interstellar, or deep space, there's plenty here for you.

The text material greatly adds to the value of the book (if that is possible).

For instance, under the pictures of different types of galaxies, readers will get an explanation of how barred spirals or ellipticals are believed to develop. But, that's not all.

In the caption for each photo, the authors carefully note what satellite, explorer craft, or telescope took the picture, what wavelength it was used, how it was filtered, etc. and otherwise brought to "normal" visible light, etc.

And, that's not all. There's more for backyard astronomers with telescopes.

In all pictures of nebulae, M or NGC numbers are provided for nebulae so identified.

A striking collection of images culled from world archives.......2006-04-27

Stephen Hawking provides the foreword to WHAT'S OUT THERE: IMAGES FROM HERE TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. Here are nearly two hundred of the most important images ranging from close-ups of Mars to views of the most distant nebula. An alphabetical arrangement allows for quick and easy reference and topics which lend to commentary by experts as they accompany striking color photos. Photos have been culled from archives and astronomical sources from around the world and beyond the planet and provide an amazing A-Z picture record of striking images. Very highly recommended; especially for college-level astronomy holdings.

G is for Galaxy: An Out of This World Alphabet Edition 1. (World/Country Alphabet)

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G is for Galaxy

G is for Galaxy: An Out of This World Alphabet Edition 1. (World/Country Alphabet)
Janis Campbell , Cathy Collison , and Alan Stacy
Manufacturer: Sleeping Bear Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1585362557

Book Description

Aspiring astronauts, star gazing astrophysicists, and even toddlers pointing at the moon will now have the right stuff for exploring our galaxy. With rhymes for younger children and their accompanying fact-filled expository test for older readers, syndicated Yaks Corner columnists Janis Campbell and Cathy Collison shuttle us through an out of this world alphabet as seen through the windshield of a space ship. Each page answers galactic questions like: What planet is 300 times heavier than Earth? Why is space the ultimate place to study? Which planet is closest to the sun and which one is the farthest? Who said, Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind?

Customer Reviews:

G is for Galaxy.......2006-01-03

Appealing introduction to astronomy for targeted 4-8 year-old audience (or precocious younger ones) as well as to expand knowledge. This grandma learned some new tidbits!! Wonderfully informative, engaging text "talks" to reader, holds interest. Details in illustrations provide added information. Author and illustrator background information of interest to young readers as well. Three households of grandchildren and their parents were delighted with this gift book.

Average customer rating:

Stunning
Fascinating Fotos
Glorious Images
an atlas, not a text
watch the stars, learn your universe

Astronomy: 365 Days
Jerry T. Bonnell , and Robert J. Nemiroff
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810957159

Book Description

Astronomy: 365 Days is a spectacular collection of photographs of space and sky, drawn from Jerry Bonnell and Robert Nemiroff's enormously popular website, Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

The follow-up to their previous collaboration, The Universe: 365 Days (the second-highest- selling title in the 365 Days series), this volume is filled with amazing images from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars and the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn, the latest revelations from the Hubble Space Telescope, and gorgeous views from professionals and amateurs. Each photograph is accompanied by explanatory text that greatly expands the reader's appreciation of the wonders of the cosmos.

Perfect for anyone who's ever felt the allure of the skies, Astronomy: 365 Days is a heavenly treasure.

Customer Reviews:

Stunning.......2007-09-11

This book lives up to the others that preceed it. The collection of photographs are powerful, and there are 365 days of these images along with desciptions. The book is informative as well as stunning to look at. This is one for the coffee table and not the shelf.

Fascinating Fotos.......2007-08-23

I purchased the book as a gift and was lucky enough to have the recipient show me what was inside. The photos are breathtaking and really amazing. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the stars.

Glorious Images.......2007-05-30

Astronomy: 365 is a wonderfully simple concept: one picture for each of the 365 nights of the year. This allows for a great variety of images, taken by all sorts of instruments from ordinary cameras to the Hubble Space Telescope, spanning broad panoramas of the night or evening sky to extreme close-ups of the Moon, galaxies and other heavenly bodies. Each image comes with a page of explanation of what can be seen and how the image was obtained.

A fascinating collection: the only criticism possible being that the book is rather small in both senses: it leaves you hungry for more pictures, which could be done more justice on larger format pages...

an atlas, not a text.......2007-05-13

nice photographs. a book to look at photos, not to learn about astronomy

watch the stars, learn your universe.......2007-04-11

Nice photo & info in brief caption. i love it. but too heavy for children :-P

Average customer rating:

Vivid and Engaging
buying used? Beware!

Earth: Our Planet in Space
Seymour Simon
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689835620

Book Description

This intimate and beautiful study of Earth investigates the relationship between our planet, the sun, and the moon. Why are there seasons on Earth? How does day pass into night? What protects the Earth from the sun's intense heat? Why is the surface of the Earth constantly changing? The informative text reveals how Earth's unique position in relation to the sun makes it the only planet where life is possible. The stunning full-color photographs will mesmerize young readers about the mysteries of space.

Customer Reviews:

Vivid and Engaging.......2006-10-20

I found this book at the library and am considering buying a copy for my home library. The writing was on the perfect level for a K/1st-grader and the images (beautiful color images) held my and my son's interest. It is such a quality book that it seems more like a "gift" or keepsake book than something I'd find jammed on the shelf at the library. I also appreciate that it stayed away from questions of the origins and age of the earth - so regardless of a parent or educator's take on creation/evolution, this book could be used with ease and enjoyment.

buying used? Beware!.......2006-04-12

The above review says:

"The stunning full-color photographs will mesmerize young readers about the mysteries of space.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition."

I purchased the book Earth: Our Planet in Space (used) and it is a hardcover edition but apparently not THE hardcover edition described in the above review. The book I received is filled with black and white photographs taken from space. A complete dissapointment.

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