Astronomy Today (5th Edition)

Average customer rating:

New Book that was NOT a new Book

For the Non-Science Major

Astronomy Today 5th edition

A Paradox of Blind Astronomers!

A joy to read!

Astronomy Today (5th Edition)
Eric Chaisson , and Steve McMillan
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0131445960

Book Description

Chaisson/McMillan's writing style and pedagogically driven art program are recognized as being scientifically accurate yet accessible to non-science majors. The integrated media program contains the market's only E-book. It provides readers with innovative and interactive tools to learn and test their understanding of astronomy concepts. Topics covered include Astronomy and the Universe, Our Planetay System, Stars and Stellar Evolution, Galaxies and Cosmology, and more. For one or two-semester introductory astronomy course.

Customer Reviews:

New Book that was NOT a new Book.......2007-06-08

Simply put - I purchased this Astronomy book through Amazon because the price was the same as elsewhere but I would save on shipping. I expected a NEW book but received a Used Book in good condition.
The Book itself so far seems well laid out and interesting but the course I am taking has just reached the 1/3 mark toward completion.

For the Non-Science Major.......2007-03-08

This book is designed to be the astronomy book that non-science majors would use to meet their one-year of science requirement as part of their undergraduate degree. As such it is written without the mathematics content that would be normal in a course aimed at astronoly or physics students. In addition, this particular book has several advantages. To identify just a few:

1. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on teaching the scientific method. This area has been strengthened in this edition because (I'm guessing) the current attempts by the un-intelligent design people to disparage scientific theories.

2. Revised to include the latest discoveries being made by the Mars rovers and the down grading of poor Pluto to a minor planet.

3. Updating the current theories regarding dark matter and dark energy.

In summary this is a well written, well illustrated text, ideally suited for the non-scientists.

Astronomy Today 5th edition.......2006-03-11

I have had a lifetime love of Astronomy but have lacked the mathmatical background for a thorough understanding. Most popular books on the subject rarely cover the field in the manner that I desire. Astronomy Today is a textbook for a beginning course in astronomy at the college level and does, in fact, cover a great deal of information without the need for mathmatical knowledge. The authors express their ideas and information in clear, concise language and clearly manifest an enthusiasm for their subject. I have enjoyed the book immensely.

A Paradox of Blind Astronomers!.......2005-06-23

This is an excellent textbook, but I deducted one star (from a possible five-star rating) because of the absurd comments made by the authors in the beginning of the book. In this fourth edition of Astronomy Today, a textbook published by Prentice Hall for college students, the authors open the very first chapter with the following statements:

"Of all the scientific insights attained to date, one stands out boldly: Earth is neither central nor special. We inhabit no unique place in the universe. Astronomical research, especially within the past few decades, strongly suggests that we live on what seems to be an ordinary rocky planet called Earth, one of the nine known planets orbiting an average star called the Sun, a star near the edge of a huge collection of stars called the Milky Way Galaxy, which is one galaxy among countless billions of others spread throughout the observable universe."

Huh!? Earth isn't special? Compare the other planets in our Solar System to Earth and tell us it isn't special. And Earth is "...an ordinary rocky planet..."? It's the only planet we know of with vast oceans of liquid water, a breathable atmosphere, lush vegetation, and a spectacular collection of life forms. The authors of this textbook must have been "out to lunch" when they wrote that trite introduction, or... this is just another deliberate attempt by "philosophers of gobbledygook" to strip the Earth of its special place in the universe and to squash any special characteristics that may differentiate it from everything else in the cosmos. I strongly suspect the latter viewpoint is the correct one.

The fact is the Earth is indeed a very special place, and the Sun is a very special star. In fact, the Sun-Earth relationship represents a very special arrangement that permits life to thrive upon our planet. Mercury, Venus and Mars may be nothing more than ordinary rocky planets, but Earth is truly unique from all the other planets in our Solar System, and may be truly unique in all the universe.

I stand by my initial rating of the textbook: 4 stars and an excellent read. I just have a wee bit of a problem with blind astronomers.

A joy to read!.......2005-02-18

This book is really outstanding! It contains 757 pages of text (not counting the preface and appendix), about 480 (mostly quite smallish) photos, some 400 drawings/figures/illustrations and almost 50 tables. The writing style is very clear, not at all dry or overtly technical. It is a joy to read this book. I know of no other book that clarifies all kind of astronomical subjects as thoroughly and understandably as this book (and I did read many books on astronomy.....). Highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

Excellent as a Historical Text Book
Not very good...
A very useful beginners guide to American film.
Movie spoiler

American Cinema/American Culture
John Belton
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 007004466X

Book Description

Developed to accompany the Annenberg-funded telecourse American Cinema, and written under the aegis of The New York Center for Visual History, this text offers a fascinating look at the interplay between the movie industry and mass culture in America.

Ideal for film appreciation and film and culture courses found in Cinema Studies, English, History, American Studies, or other departments, American Cinema/American Culture first examines the industry, its narrative conventions, and its cinematographic style.

Following this introduction, students are exposed to the sweep of film history in the U.S. using five genres as the bases for discussion and focusing on the point at which each had the greatest affect on the industry, film aesthetics, and American culture.

Finally, the book concludes with a look at Hollywood post World War II, giving separate chapter coverage to the effects of the Cold War, television, the counterculture of the Sixties, directors from the film school generation, and the trends of the Eighties and Nineties.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent as a Historical Text Book.......2007-03-24

So, I expected this book to be a bit more fun. Unfortunately, the fun element is missing. However, in fairness, the book serves as a thorough textbook for the history of American Cinema and its techniques and various genres. I did enjoy reading about the early studio system and the vast amount of control this oligopoly held. There were some very good critiques and studies of specific films, and a bit about specific actors and actresses. Even a bit about directors. Though packed with information, the book just lacks an entertainment value that it could and should have pulled off based on the subject matter.

The different genres studied include:

Westerns
War Movies
Silent Films
Film Noire
Screwball Comedies

As well as an overall dissertation on Classical Hollywood Style and its various techniques.

Not very good..........2005-03-05

I got this book for a class on the history of cinema. Unfortunately, as the title implies, it only deals with American Cinema. If this is a book for school, check out the class to see if foreign films and film history will be discussed. This book is, again, as the title implies--one-sided. Most of the movies it discusses, gives away crucial plot-points and endings. Some movies that I've been dying to see were ruined in just one or two sentences. This book is also very puffed-up and biased (I don't know any other way of explaining it). Many times throughout the book, Belton seems like James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio", and goes on and on about the greatness of Hollywood, actors, director's, and films with nothing negative to say. It's not at all critical of anything and the author frequently inserts his own interpretation of films into the general text, which I found a little pompous. The book does offer up some interesting facts about the early history and the birth of cinema, but there's something about the way this book was written that makes it hard to stay interested. I think the chapters about film genres exaggerate the importance of some of them, and neglects other genres completely, ie. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-fi, Animation, Epics, etc. Again, question the instructor and/or look at the class syllabus before siging up if this is the only book for this class. I don't believe this is a comprehensive and unbiased view of cinema and it's history.

A very useful beginners guide to American film........2003-01-08

Years ago I took an intro-level film class at a community college. This was the text for the class. It was accompanied (at least in my class) by a PBS video series that combined film clips with interviews and historical information. Going into the class I had little more than a passing interest in film and film history. But after taking that class, my passion for film has grown exponentially with each year. But back to the book, I really liked this book and highlighted my way from the front cover to the back cover. There are of course limitations to this book. Firstly, it deals only with American films. Secondly, this book barely breaks the 300-page mark - hardly a comprehensive volume. You aren't going to get any information on John Cassavetes here or anything. Now if you have a chance to use this book in conjunction with the PBS films, I think you'll do much better (in fact I think the vids even give a nod to Cassavetes), but even then please note that this material is for an INTRO-level film class, and won't be much good for someone who already knows a fair amount about American film. But with that in mind, the book still has a lot to offer someone looking to introduce themselves to film history.

The first third of the book starts with the birth of film, moves quickly on to the Hollywood studio system, and walks us through the basics of film style (camerawork, lighting, editing, etc.). The second third covers the basics of film genre; there is a chapter about film noir, one on comedies, one on war films, and one on westerns. This second section was particularly useful to me. I could read each chapter, jot down a list of promising titles, hit my local video store, and I was good to go. The third section covers American film after World War II. In this section things seem a little compressed. 110 pages for 50 years of film? A lot is lost on the cutting room floor. But there's lots to dig into all the same. There's a chapter on Hollywood during the McCarthy years (yikes!), one on film's evolution during the emergence of television, a chapter on 1960s counterculture films, one on the film school directors of the 1970s and 1980s, and finally a pretty weak chapter on film in the 1990s. Oh yeah, and at the end of the book there's a handy glossary (in case you're ever stuck on what point-of-view editing is) and a pretty thorough index.

Again, not a book for someone who already has a good feel for film history. But definitely a great resource for someone new to film studies, or for someone who has trouble finding a movie at Blockbuster on Fridays. It did a great job getting me excited about movies, and I imagine its done the same for others.... A good companion to this text (or possibly an all-out replacement of it) is Scorsese's VHS/DVD, "A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies."

Movie spoiler.......2002-10-08

This would be a great book to read if you have no intention of watching the films discussed within, or if you've already seen them. On quite a few films, it tells the whole plot, in detail, from opening to end credits.

I also don't like the prose of the author, as he excessively uses sentences "in quotations". The writing structure is very formulaic and boring. The "5 paragraph essay" format is good for high school students learning to write, but imagine an entire book written that way. I can only read it for 15 minutes before losing interest.

The book does, however, provide plenty of examples from a variety of films.

Book Description

Wil Wheaton has never been one to take the conventional path to success. Despite early stardom through his childhood role in the motion picture "Stand By Me", and growing up on television as Wesley Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Wil left Hollywood in pursuit of happiness, purpose, and a viable means of paying the bills. In the oddest of places, Topeka, Kansas, Wil discovered that despite his claims to fame, he was at heart Just a Geek. In this, his newest book, Wil shares his deeply personal and difficult journey to find himself. You'll understand the rigors, and joys, of Wil's rediscovering of himself, as he comes to terms with what it means to be famous, or, ironically, famous for once having been famous. Writing with honesty and disarming humanity, Wil touches on the frustrations associated with his acting career, his inability to distance himself from Ensign Crusher in the public's eyes, the launch of his incredibly successful web site, wilwheaton.net, and the joy he's found in writing. Through all of this, Wil shares the ups and downs he encountered along the journey, along with the support and love he discovered from his friends and family. The stories in Just a Geek include: - Wil's plunge from teen star to struggling actor - Discovering the joys of HTML, blogging, Linux, and web design - The struggle between Wesley Crusher, Starfleet ensign, and Wil Wheaton, author and blogger - Gut-wrenching reactions to the 9-11 disaster - Moving tales of Wil's relationships with his wife, step-children, and extended family - The transition from a B-list actor to an A-list author Wil Wheaton--celebrity, blogger, and geek--writes for the geek in all of us. Engaging, witty, and pleasantly self-deprecating, Just a Geek will surprise you and make you laugh.

Customer Reviews:

Not Just A Geek, but an Author, too!.......2007-08-29

Like Mr. Wheaton's other book, I was very pleased with this one as well. I could relate to the "geekness", being a recovering geek myself.
Wonderful book.

A Peek Inside..........2007-05-13

I bought this book because I started reading Wil Wheaton's blog and some of the articles he's been writing for various internet sites and found them to be very funny. So, I thought I was going to get a funny, behind-the-scenes look at Star Trek:TNG. I didn't get that. What I got was excerps from his blog over the past 5 years or so. And it really wasn't all that funny. I actually cried (yes, cried) a lot more than I laughed. But you know what? I wasn't disappointed. It turns out to be a peek inside WW's head and his journey from seeing himself as a washed up actor to being happy being a writer, family man, and "Just a Geek." It's really a much more human story that the average person can relate to (I know I did!) instead of being a gossip-fest.

Wheaton writes in an easy, conversational style sprinkled with interesting, occasionally brilliant descriptive turns of phrase. Is he the next F. Scott Fitzgerald? Probably not. But it is an easy, enjoyable read about a guy coming to grips with his life taking a big left turn that he didn't intend to take. Even if you don't know Wil Wheaton from Adam and have never seen a Star Trek episode in your life, you will enjoy this book, because it's not about being a Trekker. It's about being a human.

Please don't shut up, Wesley!.......2007-04-01

"Just a Geek" by Wil Wheaton is an incredible book. Wil has proven himself not only a gifted actor, but a gifted writer. The book is raw and revealing. You feel every emotion right along with him. Tears well up when he does not land that role. You feel his love for his wife and stepsons. You experience the joy he finds in doing Star Trek conventions, meeting fans, and writing his blog. You will roll with laughter at the fireworks story. You see Wil, not as an untouchable Hollywood actor, but a real man, complete with all the trials, tribulations, and joys that all of us experience. My only complaint is with the foul language. This is not a book for kids, unless it is filtered by a parent, but it is a must-read, especially for the Gen Xer and Trekkie.

Hollywood is missing out, but at least we have this book.......2007-02-24

I laughed, I cried, but more than that, Wil Wheaton made me feel part of his life and shared struggles I had also experienced.

Snubbed by Hollywood execs since he quit Star Trek his audience has had to follow him via his blog or his live comedy performances. It's a big loss to the movie industry but our gain as it is unlikely he would've written such a brutally honest account of his transition from struggling actor to writer if he had still been caught up in the Hollywood madness.

I can't wait for the next book.

Good stories, not enough details..........2006-04-06

Wil is all over the map in this book, but understandably so since it's mostly expanded versions of posts from his blog and his commentary on making them. It's good material, however it doesn't go into deep enough detail in many of the stories, leaving you thinking "That's good, but is that really it?" The material could use more spicing up, or at least some deeper thoughts on the subject. He could have made the book twice as long and used smaller print without it seeming like too much, really. A for effort, B- for execution. Still, very much worth reading.

Oracle DBA Guide to Data Warehousing and Star Schemas

Average customer rating:

Practical Implementation Details
Unprofessional style and lack of knowledge
A Recipe for Success
Loosely coupled - arrogant attitude
A Veritable Gold Mine of Practical Hints and Tips!

Oracle DBA Guide to Data Warehousing and Star Schemas
Bert Scalzo
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130325848

Customer Reviews:

Practical Implementation Details.......2007-03-15

Gives the straight scoop on how to make the star transformation work right. Not wicked technical, a book for doers. Non-nonsense, read it in a day, then get the job done. Just what a practitioner needs (at least it is just what I needed). Thanks.

Unprofessional style and lack of knowledge.......2005-12-21

The author definitely has an arrogant style of writing. The book just talks about one way of doing things without being open about other possible better ways of designing and implementing efficient techniques. Oracle features such as partitioning, materialized views, external tables are not done enough justice.

Data warehouse requirements are much more than the two-dimentional approach discussed. There is minimal or no discussion of performance at the system level taking into account infrastruture, architecture, query optimizaion, front-end tools etc.

A very narrow outlook on datawarehouse implementations.

A Recipe for Success.......2004-08-21

Allow me to bestow some well-deserved praise upon Bert Scalzo's terrific "Oracle DBA Guide to Data Warehousing and Star Schemas". A true gem - I won't go on another Oracle project without it.

What Bert provides here is nothing short of a clear and crisp recipe for success for implementing Oracle-based data warehouses. It fills in a much-needed area of dimensional data warehousing best practices, by describing precisely how to coax the best achieveable Oracle performance from dimensional data models.

I can't tell you how many projects I've been on where I've had to compromise physical data models in order to address perceived "shortcomings" in Oracle's ability to efficiently service dimensional queries. Using Bert's book on my most recent project, we followed his "recipe", and were able to consistently achieve the ideal query optimization plans and aggregate navigation behaviors - simply - without any of the usual hassles that I have (unfairly) come to associate with large scale Oracle data warehousing.

To data warehousing newbies I humbly suggest: pick up any one of Ralph Kimball's terrific texts on data warehouse design, and then if you are rendering it in Oracle, buy this book and follow its advice. The resultant system will be simple, powerful, and fast.

Bravo Bert - a great contribution to the field.

Jim Stagnitto
Llumino, Inc (www.llumino.com)

Loosely coupled - arrogant attitude.......2004-08-05

I am uninterested in the authors opinion on this and that. I do not need to be looked down upon because I made something that the author thinks is inappropriate or possibly ridiculous. What I am looking for in a profesional book is vision, possiblity, technique, option and positive experience.

When the author argues that 'just throw in as many as you need to keep your users happy' as he does for aggregates I loose my potential profesional respect for that author and put the book aside as untrustworthy. I know very well that I get an unwanted result because I am missing some possibly good points, but the simple nuiscense I get from reading the book leads me to other souces.

A final question: why would I need the proposed aggregates when I have materialized views? If anyone would like to answer my mail id is njessen@sol.dk.

A Veritable Gold Mine of Practical Hints and Tips!.......2004-02-18

As an Oracle DBA transitioning from the OLTP world to the warehousing arena, I found this book enormously helpful. In a mere 200 pages, Mr. Scalzo has elaborated on an extensive range of data warehousing topics, including: star-schemas, dimension hierarchies, SQL-tuning, partitioning and parallel loading to name a few. His style is informative and direct; his examples are meaningful and clear!

Book Description

There are enough special people, wildlife, and natural wonders in the Lone Star State to fill several alphabet books, and Sleeping Bear Press has picked out the finest to represent Texas in L is for Lone Star: A Texas Alphabet.

Author Carol Crane has worked for twenty-five years reviewing, lecturing and enjoying children's literature. She is a respected national educational presenter, speaking at state and regional reading conventions across the United States. As a historian, Carol loves to read all historical markers. She is still stopping and reading them across Texas.

Illustrator Alan Stacy is a self-taught artist, but his first practical art lessons came at age 6 from his mother, Jeanne, who is a fine artist. His father Fearl, an Air Force pilot and officer, took the family to Germany, Virginia, Alaska and New Mexico before settling in Texas in 1975. The time they spent outdoors siteseeing, camping and hiking in the American West and Pacific Northwest instilled within Alan a profound love of animals and nature, which is reflected in his art.

With poems to engage younger readers and text to give further details for older students, Lone Star is a fantastic tool for sharing Texan pride with the ones you love. So lasso a copy of L is for Lone Star and get ready for a very special ride through the alphabet!

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book!.......2006-03-13

I am going to use this next year with my students. They will then make a Texas ABC book of their own. I love it!

Packed With Texas Trivia - Highly Recommended!.......2003-10-08

This book is part of Sleeping Bear Press' State Alphabet series. Now, some of these books need some liberal stretching to get 26 verses of relevant information. Not this one, though. We're talking Texas here. If there's one state that could easily fill an ABC book, it's the Lone Star State.

Carol Crane has done a very nice job selecting a wide range of Texas locations, events, and people to use in this book. Besides the usual suspects, such as the Alamo, the book mentions Scott Joplin, armadillos, Quanah Parker, Spindletop, Dr. Pepper, and, of course, bluebonnets.

The book's layout, like that of the others in this series, features a very interesting two-tiered system. The main flow of the book is carried by a series of 4-line verses, one per letter. This portion is suitable for reading to pre-readers. Along the sides of each page, relevant factoids are given, further illuminating the main verse. This makes the book hold appeal for older readers, probably even up to 4th or 5th graders.

Alan Stacy's well-drawn illustrations bring the subjects to life, especially for younger readers.

Book Description

This second volume of a comprehensive three-volume work on theoretical astrophysics deals with stellar physics. After reviewing the key observational results and nomenclature used in stellar astronomy, the book develops a solid understanding of central concepts including stellar structure and evolution, the physics of stellar remnants, pulsars, binary stars, the sun and planetary systems, interstellar medium and globular clusters. Throughout, the reader's comprehension is developed and tested with more than seventy-five exercises. This indispensable volume will allow graduate students to master the material sufficiently to read and engage in research with heightened understanding. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Volume 1, which covers a wide range of astrophysical processes, and the forthcoming Volume 3, on galaxies and cosmology.

Average customer rating:

Great fundamental Astronomy Text
A Fundamental Astronomy Reference
A Great Astronomy Textbook!
Fundamental to students

Fundamental Astronomy

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

ASIN: 3540341439

Book Description

Fundamental Astronomy gives a well-balanced and comprehensive introduction to the topics of classical and modern astronomy. While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences.
The fifth edition of this successful undergraduate textbook has been extensively modernized and extended in the parts dealing with the Milky Way, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology as well as with extrasolar planets and the solar system (as a consequence of recent results from satellite missions and the new definition by the International Astronomical Union of planets, dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies). Furthermore a new chapter on astrobiology has been added.
Long considered a standard text for physical science majors, Fundamental Astronomy is also an excellent reference and entrée for dedicated amateur astronomers.

Customer Reviews:

Great fundamental Astronomy Text.......2005-10-26

As an amateur astronomer who loves theory and the math that goes with it, I found this text to be utterly exquisite for helping me recapture a lot of my old math skills. While the real amount of calculus needed in the text was not overtly taxing, I did find the text very useful indeed for requiring the use of a strong algebra background, along with lots of Trig, and of course, geometry and Calculus.

The problems in this book were intriguing, challenging and just awesome in every respect. For example, I found myself for the first time since I can recall, drawing Trig and geometrical diagrams to assist in visualizing a particular problem as an aid toward the ultimate answer! These problems, all of them mathematical in nature, are extremely interesting and encourage you to make a sketch of the phenomenon at hand in order to arrive at a solution.

And in addition to the problems, the text has very useful solved examples that show you how a particular problem calculation is reached. You really do learn a lot just from these examples.

I think the book might have benefitted from having even more exercises in it, which to me would make it even more useful for a semester university course in introductory Astrophysics. Instead of having 73 exercises, perhaps 150-200 problems would have been more 'whetting' to an appetite like mine is for Astronomy. But, I can heartily recommend that this book, if completed and all the problems worked, will definitely prepare one for a more challenging text with more Math and problems!

The authors could only improve this thing with more text length and more problems, as far as I am concerned. The appendixes and Tables in the back give the student a little bit of good background to the Math needed in the book as well.

This text is a complete WINNER in the category of INTRODUCTORY TEXTBOOKS for the beginning course in college Astronomy!

A Fundamental Astronomy Reference.......2005-07-01

Fundamental Astronomy is both the title and an excellent description of the content of this handsome hard back volume. For the book to reach the fourth edition, it must be hitting a niche in the market. The preface to the first edition in 1987 identifies that market as a "university textbook for a first course in astronomy" which is also suited for serious amateurs who "find the popular texts too trivial". In my opinion, that description from the original preface is "spot on" and makes this volume a must-buy for any serious amateur looking for a comprehensive overview of matters astronomical.

The book covers the basics of astronomy, stellar astrophysics and mainly features of our Universe which are relatively close-at-hand. Large scale structure and cosmology are less than ten percent of the content. It covers all topics to considerable depth, far more so than most publications aimed at a general readership. It is mathematical, although the maths is present largely for academic completeness, and can be skimmed or by-passed as required without reducing to any great extent, the utility provided. Its usefulness for education purposes is enhanced by worked examples in each section followed by exercises.

Within its 19 major sections, it contains much relevant and dare I say fundamental material. The book is well illustrated with mainly monochrome plates which are relevant to the subject at hand plus many carefully constructed, concise graphics and illustrations.

This is a comprehensive reference volume, which will age but slowly on any serious amateur's book shelf, as the subject matter is largely timeless.

A Great Astronomy Textbook!.......2004-01-24

.This is a great and comprehensive primary textbook for a student. It is massive introduction to the huge field of astronomical study, and as such contains much of the basic concepts and plenty of hands-on exercises.
I have been mainly using the Finnish version, but having also browsed through the English one I can safely say that the two differ from each other only minimally and thus my experiences with the original hold true with the translation too.
As an end note I might point out, that even though having studied astronomy at the university, it is by no means my area of expertise: I'm majoring in linguistics. That alone, I think, proves how clear and well-written this tome really is: even an Arts students can read it and actually understand and learn! ;)

Fundamental to students.......2001-01-10

I am an astronomy student, i like so much this book, because i can laern all about the fundamental ideas in astrophisics, is so easy to read, so clear and it have a wonderful content.

The items of this book are so importants to any student in astronomy, and is very interesting to the other people, if they like study the universe.

I like so much the part about CCD, and the study of spectrography, I realy want to have this book with me.

Thank you so much.

Amazon.com

Anyone wishing to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer has to pass four mandatory exams and two electives. Windows 2000 Core Four provides the certification candidate with review material that addresses the Windows 2000 operating system and its behavior on networks, which is what the four required exams of the MCSE battery are all about.

This boxed set comprises four books, each available separately:

Windows 2000 Directory Services, for exam 70-217
Windows 2000 Network, for exam 70-216
Windows 2000 Server, for exam 70-215
Windows 2000 Professional, for exam 70-210

Plus, the set includes a test simulator on CD-ROM.

The Exam Cram format is oriented toward a review of facts and filling in of details, rather than communication of new concepts from author to reader. If you work with a Windows 2000 network regularly, or if you have a lab system set up for experimentation, you'll get more out of these books than if you're trying to learn the facts from them ex nihilo. A typical section begins by defining a feature or technology with a few paragraphs ("A Windows 2000 dynamic disk is a physical disk that does not use partitions or logical drives...."), then listing relevant procedures (how to convert a basic disk into a dynamic disk, for example). Where they're needed, the authors list variations upon procedures as bullet points. Chapters conclude with questions in styles that are typical of the exams. Though the answers to the questions are generally explained well, the answers and questions appear together, making honest self-quizzing difficult.

Fie on Coriolis Press for not pricing this set better. The cover price on each of the books is $29.99; the boxed set sells for $119.99--actually a slightly higher price than you would pay for the books separately! Other than the convenience of one-stop shopping and the fact that you get the CD-ROM with the set, there's no real reason to buy this set rather than individual books that address the aspects of the test battery in which you're weakest. --David Wall

Topics covered: The subjects Microsoft says you need to understand in order to pass the required examinations en route to your Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification. The four required exams--Server (70-210), Professional (70-215), Network Infrastructure (70-216), and Directory Services (70-217)--have to do with building and administering data networks with Windows 2000 products.

Book Description

Contains the MCSE Windows 2000 Directory Services Exam Cram, MCSE Windows 2000 Network Exam Cram, MCSE Windows 2000 Professional Exam Cram, and MCSE Windows 2000 Server Exam Cram guides. Covers exams 70-217, 70-216, 70-210, and 70-215 Features updated content 100% focused on the New Windows 2000 Core Four Exams. Includes three CDs containing 400 practice questions and selected Audio Review from the MCSE Core 4 Exam Cram Audio Review tape series. Each book includes two updated practice exams with questions designed to assess the reader's readiness to sit for the exam and answers and explanations that reinforce the reasoning behind the correct answers.

Customer Reviews:

MCSE W2K Exam Cram Core Four.......2002-01-15

I am currently preparing for MCSE in Windows 2000. These books provide an excellent supplement to the material learned in class.

Diagrams, tips, alerts to notify you of key terms to study for the exam, and end-chapter exams with answers have made mastering this material a breeze.

Highly recommended.

Excellent prep.......2002-01-03

I'd have to say this is the best set of books to help you pass the core Microsoft exams you can get....but it is FAR from perfect. The Server book gave me to much of "you'll have to know" whatever to pass the exam, and then went on to NOT inform me of that subject. That's why I bought the book isn't it?
Also, the Network book had this big chapter on IPSec that went WAY TOO IN DEPTH. I killed myself trying to learn the intricacies of the Diffe-Hellman algorithm because it was mentioned so often....one IPSec question on the exam...ONE! Maybe I got lucky, but trust me, you don't need to know how that much. Keep in mind, each book has a different set of authors.
And the CDROM that comes with the pack has practice exams on it....DON'T BOTHER! They are aggrevating!!! With answers like "although D is technically correct, the question was 'the best' answer, therefore A is correct..." Puhleez. If Microsoft gave exam questions like that, nobody would get certified. Some are just outright wrong. you will not learn from them. (Hint, go to 2000exams.com)

Now that I'm done trashing the pack, I'll say this, you could go around Amazon searching for indidual books and get better books, but as a whole, it is a very good set of books. I passed all 4 exams (and studying for more) but from many other sources besides the pack. Well written for the most part, and I didn't find any inaccuracies.

A very useful resource.......2001-11-09

I just passed my 70-240 exam today, due in part to this set.

This set isn't designed to TEACH you what you need to know. It's designed as a to-the-point review to be used after you've already read a more appropriate text. I found the information on-topic with the tests. I've always like the exam cram series, in part because of they're easy to hold and the type is easy to read.

In my studies, I used the McGraw-Hill set (ISBN 0072126159) which I really liked, the Exam Cram set (also liked) and the Cramsession.com study guide (free). I would recommend reading them in that order. It's hard for me to say after the fact which was the best, but I'd recommend all 3 to anyone.

Exam Cram ROCKS.......2001-10-24

Exam Cram Cour Four is really the best certification book I have ever used. If you have read an unleashed book and the Exam Cram there is no way you can fail a cert test.

Nowhere close to right for 2000.......2001-09-07

Books from this series were excellant for the A+ and Net+ exams, and a good aid for the CCNA test, but completely missed the mark for the Windows 2000 MCSE exams. The books are themselves a good overview of Windows 2000 establishment systems but unfortunately they do not approach the level of detail, in either the body of text or the sample exams, of the actual MS exams. A nice bookshelf reference, a completely worthless study aid. These books seem to me to still be prepareing for the NT 4.0 MCSE, with only an update in content to Win2K but without anticipating the increased level of difficulty which MS has included as part of the Win2K MCSE exam system.

Globular Cluster Systems (Cambridge Astrophysics)

Average customer rating:

Globulars are everywhere

Globular Cluster Systems (Cambridge Astrophysics)
Keith M. Ashman , and Stephen E. Zepf
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521550572

Book Description

Globular clusters are roughly spherical, densely packed groups of stars found around galaxies. Most globular clusters probably formed at the same time as their host galaxies. Therefore they provide a unique fossil record of the conditions during the formation and early evolution of galaxies. This volume presents a comprehensive review of globular cluster systems. It summarizes their observed properties and shows how these constrain models of the structure of stars, the formation and evolution of galaxies and globular clusters, and the age of the Universe. For graduate students and researchers, this timely volume provides the definitive reference on globular cluster systems.

Customer Reviews:

Globulars are everywhere.......2001-09-07

I have found this peice to be very enlightining. It is fairly comprehensive and is well written. It delves in depth into one of the most amazing facets of the universe. Globulars are not only beautiful and amazing to behold but are probaply one of the most curious objects in the universe. This work explores most of the recient research on globulars and tries to make sence of it all. I would recommend it to any one interested in this aspect of Astronomy.It is fairly technical and does require background in stastics and at least be an intermediate astronomer.

Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Out-dated but absolutely essential.
Need all 3 Volumes
A book with overwhelming information...
Great bathroom material for the Deep Sky Observer
A rare book to be cherished.

Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System (Volume 1)
Robert Burnham Jr.
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 048623567X

Book Description

A unique and necessary reference for amateurs and professionals alike, with comprehensive coverage of the thousands of celestial objects outside our solar system—but within the range of two- to twelve-inch telescopes. The objects are grouped according to the constellations in which they appear, and their definitions feature names, celestial coordinates, classification, and a full physical description, along with hundreds of charts, photographs, and other visual aids. These, together with a star atlas, will assist stargazers at every level of experience in finding and identifying celestial objects. This volume, Volume I of a three-volume set, consists of an introduction and the beginning of the alphabetical list of constellations, from Andromeda to Cetus. Also available are Volume II, with entries from Chameleon to Orion; and Volume III, which completes the sequence, from Pavo to Vulpecula, and includes an index. 1977 ed.

Customer Reviews:

Out-dated but absolutely essential........2006-09-03

Yes, the coordinates are badly outdated. But anybody can get updated coordinates for any of the many thousands of astronomical objects described in this encyclopedia of observing. What's totally irreplaceable are the descriptions and star lore associated with all the objects.

What Burnham has compiled here is nothing short of miraculous. I know of no serious amateur astronomers who doesn't hold these three volumes dear to their heart. If you are a serious amateur and you don't own them, you are missing out. If you are a beginner, the introduction to Volume 1 is alone worth the purchase.

No, they are not pretty, and the typesetting is straight out of the Jurassic, but once one realizes just how much information is here, one realizes that there are no substitutes.

One word review: "Essential"

Need all 3 Volumes.......2003-03-08

There isn't too much this book has left out when it comes to information about stars, galaxies, clusters, nebula etc... These 3 volumes are more like an enclyclopedia set. Any star or other celestial object you want to know more about will probably be here. In fact it would take you more than a lifetime to study and find all of the different wonders of the galaxy and universe that are listed in these volumes. I never realized just how many galaxies had been documented along with variables, eclipsing binaries, star clusters, double stars etc... If you see a star in the heavens that has a certain luster or location or interests you in some way just look it up in this guide and you will find out all kinds of things about it that other books don't delve into.

A book with overwhelming information..........2002-07-11

Being an amateur astronomer I bought this and the other two volumes recently and I have found it indispensible. Im writing this review keeping solely the tyro's in mind, since one knowledgeable in astronomy would have already had this book. If you are getting interested in astronomy, this is the book to buy - it will surely deepen your interest. Get the book and take a journey through the starts that Burnham offers you in the first few pages.

There are plenty of astronomy books for amatuers with fantastic photos. And sometimes it can be intimidating to know what to buy. Burnham's book is worth every penny (and it doesnt cost much either). It does not contain colorful photos (though contains plenty of b&w photos taken from Lowell/Palomar and other observatories). All 88 constellations are dealt with in detail. First a list of double stars are given in each constellation followed by details of each bright star (including spectrum analysis for some). The book is set in "type-writer" font, so it gives a special feeling of reading some research paper.

A unique feature of this book, which is probably not found in any other astronomy book I have come sofar, is that, it also contains a perspective of a given constellation or star by several different cultures. Most astronomy books stop with Greek and Roman myths - giving a feeling that no other culture was knowledgeable in astronomy. Coming from Indian background, I found it very intriguing that Burnham mentions several stories and myths from Indian folklore (including those that I heard from my granny!). For eg, Varahamihira (c 100 AD?) in his "Brihat Samhita" compares Ursa Major (aka called "Seven Sages") to string of pearls. I was surprised to see Burnham mention this.

One other way I use the book is to first locate some star in the telescope (by lazily moving it around), notice the color, constellation and other characteristics, then look into the book about the details and compare with what you saw. Thats a fun way of learning.

Though more experienced astronomers would observe that some Burnham's values are of older epoch, this should not really bother a beginner. Burnham has certainly packed a wealth of information into three volumes. Again this is a book that will accompany for life on observing the wonders that are up above the sky.

Great bathroom material for the Deep Sky Observer.......2002-03-20

Robert Burnham (NOT the former Editor of Sky and Telescope, BTW) from the 50's to the late 60's spent many years working for an observatory on the tedious project of "blink comparing" countless photographic plates. In his spare time, he made and recorded observations of thousands of the most interesting objects in the deep sky. In addition he compiled a library of observations from other great observers, as well as star lore, scientific data, and personal refleciton. The result is a hodge-podge, somewhat out of date, collection that nonethless facinates.

Thousands of objects are cataloged by constellation, and hundreds are described in detail. When arriving at an object that seems to be the most familliar of its class (M13 for globular clusters, Sirius B for white dwarfs etc,.) Burham provides an essay on that class of objects (state of the art for its time, usually the 1970s)- often including very useful cross-references to other objects in that class.

Most useful to the observer are the countless orbital charts of double stars.

These books are an addictive way to pass the time. Most of the essays on featured objects are a few pages long, and can be read in the short "in between" moments that life is filled with. For two years I had one or more volumes of this series of three books in my bathroom, so as to pass the time a bit more productively learning about the sky. Needless to say, some of my bathroom trips grew a bit lengthy as I found myself plowing through Burnham's collection of personal observations, scientific data, and historical tales.

A rare book to be cherished........2001-03-23

Robert Burnham, Jr., spent twenty years at Lowell Observatory participating in a proper motion survey. During his tenure, he wrote this mammoth 3-volume work covering nearly every object visible in 2- to 12-inch telescopes. Each chapter, covering one constellation (both northern and southern hemispheres), begins with a detailed list of all stellar objects (double stars, variable stars, and deep sky objects). Then, he delves, sometimes rather deeply, into the more significant objects of that constellation, bringing together history, philosophy, and science to describe each one. His chapter on Sagittarius, for example, includes a 25-page section on the dense portion of the Milky Way blending current 1970s science with wonderful passages from Greek and Eastern philosophies, Native American legends, and the history of science. His prose for each chapter reflects the content he covers: lyrical prose when describing the "personal" aspects of observing objects, and readable, accessible language to delineate the science behind what we know about objects in the heavens. Moreover, each chapter has photographs of many of the stars and nebulae with telescopes and cameras ranging from a 5-inch astrograph to the 200-inch Hale telescope of Palomar Observatory.

Yes, the book is thirty years old and a little out-of-date. And, the typewritten font looks homely. But that's part of its charm. Burnham initially self-published this very personal book from his kitchen table. Literally. (Astronomy magazine published a very interesting "self-interview" by Burnham in March, 1982 which provides some background on his struggles to get it published.) From a small-press run of looseleaf copies in binders, it became somewhat of a cult classic among amateurs because nothing as detailed like this had been published before. (True, T.W. Webb's "Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes" was available, but it was last published in 1917.)

I know of no other book that combines personal, reflective commentary on "mundane" objects like the Big Dipper (officially, the Ursa Major Moving Cluster), and clear, concise descriptions of variable stars, Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, and finder charts for objects like 3C273, the brightest quasar visible to amateur-sized scopes. (Trust me: spend the 30-minutes or so tracking this last one down at a star party and you'll have a line of folks waiting to look at a faint star-like object, the light of which left 3C273 long before the earth was even formed.)

One side note: if you're interested in the rather tragic life of Burnham, search for "Sky Writer", an article by Tony Ortega, published in the Phoenix, AZ "New Times" newspaper for September 25-October 1, 1997. All readers of Celestial Handbook owe Ortega a nod for the herculean task of piecing together Burnham's life.

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