Book Description
This newly revised and updated Ninth Edition of HORIZONS shows students their place in the universe ? not just their location, but also their role as planet dwellers in an evolving universe. Fascinating and engaging, the book illustrates how science works, and how scientists depend on evidence to test hypotheses. Students will learn to focus on the scientific method through the strong central questioning themes of "What are we?" and "How do we know?" Students are also provided with an assessment tool, AceAstronomy, to help test their knowledge of the concepts through assessment, tutorials, and post-tests.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Introductory Text.......2007-02-21
All beginning astronomy books have to cover about the same material. You know what they are: the Big Band, the Time-Line of the Universe, the Sun, the Solar System, the stars -- and that's just what this book covers.
So why would I recommend this book over others?
1. It's updated frequently. This gives Dr. Seeds frequent opportunities to update it with the latest theories (i.e. Pluto, Planet No More), and even more important the latest pictures, which seem to be coming at us with ever increasing speed.
2. It's about the right length. At 516 pages it seems like a bit much for an introductory course. But that's before you consider how profusely illustrated the book. Were it reduced to just text, like the first course I took oh so many years ago, it would probably be about a hundred and fifty pages.
3. It has a student centered approach. It's not just a dry lecture on what's happening to the Cosmos, it's a 'where are we,' 'how do we know that,' 'where are we going' approach that (hopefully) the student can see to relate herself to a bigger world.
4. Beyond just astronomy, this book teaches the whole scientific approach: peer review of articles, use of theories to predict discoveries, etc. This is a subject sadly lacking in today's education.
This book could be used as a course taught at either a first year background course for science/physics/astronomy majors, or would be good for a non-science major science course.
mediocre.......2005-12-08
I adopted this text for my first try at teaching intro astronomy. It has lots of pretty pictures but I was not impressed with the content. This includes the text, the organization and the question/problem sets. If this text is better than most of its competitors, I am in real trouble. =-)
So, so..........2005-07-05
The delivery time was very quick, that was good, and the price was great. The condition of the book was very used and they said it was like new. Other then that I guess it was O.K.
Superb textbook - beautifully illustrated, clearly written!.......2004-02-01
This is the Eighth Edition of a truly superb textbook for an introductory astronomy course, or for anyone (amateur astronomers?)who is looking for a great and beautifully illustrated general reference source on astronomy. I've been teaching intro astronomy for many years and keep my eye on all the textbooks. Aimed primarily at non-science majors, Seeds' book is a hum-dinger and really the best I see out there at this time.
The author has a very clear and quite intertaining writing style, and each edition of the book is even more beautifully illustrated than the last. The artwork especially in the last two editions is simply super, and clearly illustrate many phenomena that students often have trouble with. This textbook covers every topic needed in a survey course from the nature of light, a bit of astronomy history and telescopes, properties and formation of stars and galaxies, the planets, and very current data on cosmology, dark matter, life in the universe and so on. Very up to date!
Mike Seeds' book goes fairly easy on the math (although all important concepts are covered)compared to some other "intro astronomy" books. Overall, I find this book ideally suited to a survey course for non-science majors. For science majors or a textbook that might also be useful in somewhat higher level astronomy courses, I would recommend Kaufmann/Freeman's "Universe" as an excellent choice.
Seeds' book is comprehensive and about 500 pages in length - similar to almost all intro astronomy textbooks. To a great extent, literally all these 500 page textbooks are way too lengthy for a one semester survey course. It is difficult to get students to read this much for each class. I keep hoping that Mike Seeds, and excellent author, will produce a 250-300 page (maximum) version of Horizons specifically for one semester courses. Until someone creates a shorter version of the same high quality, I'll keep recommending this textbook.
Can a good thing get better?.......2000-10-03
As a freshman in college (majoring in Astronomy) I had to use Horizons 4e for an Intro Astronomy course, and fell in love with it. I loved it so much that I bought Horizons 6e! I think this great book just keeps getting better! The art and photos are fantastic, and tie in well with the text, which is an easy read, great for majors and non-majors alike. In summary, Horizons 6e is a great text, well worth the money.
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!
Book Description
A vibrant collection of essays on the cosmos from the nation's best-known astrophysicist.
Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to your body if you fell into one. "Holy Wars" examines the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts. "The Search for Life in the Universe" explores astral life from the frontiers of astrobiology. And "Hollywood Nights" assails the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right.
Known for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while simultaneously sharing his infectious excitement about our universe.
Customer Reviews:
Educational and entertaining.......2007-10-02
I have long known Tyson to be an excellent speaker and purveyor of scientific ideas with a Saganesque ability to convey the excitement of scientific findings with a bit more hipness and swagger to his talks than Sagan. This book is an excellent read through and through. I couldn't beat the feeling as I sat on the roof of a 14 story building in Curitiba, Brazil watching the sunset alone on the summer solstice (their winter solstice) while reading the section on Stick-In-The-Mud-Science and watching the long shadows creep across the sky and have Tyson explain to me all the celestial happenings around me (this really happened). Quite a magical read. The author presents complex scientific ideas in short, readable, cohesively-themed articles. Each article is on a topic familiar to us, upon which he expands towards scientific ideas which may be unfamiliar to us. There is enough overlap in the independent sections that the read feels like one is being 'taught' rather than just reading information. And Tyson is first and foremost a great educator. Although I did find myself trying to remember something from a previous chapter and flipping back through, I feel like I have learned a great deal about astrophysics from a book that was downright entertaining.
An enjoyable read for those with an interest in science and astronomy.......2007-09-27
The qualities that make Neil deGrasse Tyson so annoying on Nova Science Now are absolute positives when it comes to the written word. He is an intelligent and entertaining writer with an uncanny ability to reduce complex scientific concepts to bite sized chunks even I could (mostly) understand.
Death by Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.......2007-09-19
An astrophysicist for the American Museum of Natural History, director of the world famous Hayden Planetarium, and columnist for Natural History magazine, Neil DeGrasse Tyson brings to the non-scientific world the ideal book for those fascinated with space, the cosmos, black holes, and all the questions and wonders therein. Death by Black Hole is the perfect book for the reader who wants answers to questions about the universe in a simple and clearly defined way so that even if they know next to nothing about science and it's jargon, Tyson makes it easily understandable.
While I was hoping for something a little more in depth in the style of Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos or Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics, Death by Black Hole nevertheless provides quick and simple answers to many questions everyday readers without a science background have about physics, the universe, space, and most matters dealing with the cosmos. The book is a selection of his columns in Natural History that are organized in a somewhat textbook fashion. Tyson starts with the idea of science and nature in its basic form, how humanity views Earth, the solar system, the universe. Along with this discussion, Tyson also gives minor history lessons on the development of different ideas in physics and astronomy, what people came up with what big ideas and how the progression led to the development of the big theories of our current time with string theory and relativity. Going on from here, Death by Black Hole address the crucial steps that led to the formation of the universe and its development over the many billions and billions of years, again explaining how it is that scientists know what they do and what instruments were used, as well as the history of who invented and used said instruments.
It is then that Tyson finally turns to the subject matter of the title of the book in the section "When the Universe Turns Bad: All the Ways the Cosmos Wants to Kill Us." Here he addresses the complex and still relatively unknown subjects of chaos theory, dark matter (which constitutes over 90% of all matter in the universe, while we still know next to nothing about it), and finally black holes. Tyson takes the reader on a hypothetical journey with what would happen if one were to be sucked into a black hole and how as they approached the event horizon, they would become stretched until the elasticity point of their skin was surpassed and the body would be torn into thousands then millions of little pieces.
With many questions now answered, in the next section Tyson discusses how science is viewed by the media, Hollywood, and people around the world in general. The final section addresses the concept of science and religion, again taking the reader on a historic journey through the development of first religion, then science, and the struggle that has ensued for centuries. It is the perfect end to a book on science, as Tyson lectures the importance of supporting fact and reality in a time when there are many who believe more in faith, even when all the evidence is to the contrary.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com
Conversational Cosmology 101 - Superb!.......2007-09-19
New York Planetarium director and astrophysicist Tyson has been writing a column for "Natural History" magazine for some 11 years - that makes about 132 short essays. Tyson says this monthly chore is "one of the most exhausting and exhilarating things I do." Forty-two of these essays appear in this volume, "mildly edited for continuity and to reflect emergent trends in science."
He divides these essays into seven sections:
1. THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE - The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE - The challenges of discovering the contents of the cosmos.
3. WAYS AND MEANS OF NATURE - How nature presents herself to the inquiring mind.
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE - The challenges and triumphs of knowing how we got here.
5. WHEN THE UNIVERSE TURNS BAD - All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us.
6. SCIENCE AND CULTURE - The ruffled interface between cosmic discovery and the public's reaction to it.
7. SCIENCE AND GOD - When ways of knowing collide.
"Natural History" is the same magazine Stephen J. Gould wrote 300 essays for, overlapping with Tyson for seven years. In both cases, the authors excelled in making their respective fields (evolutionary biology and cosmology) easily readable for the general public, adding to their already impressive credentials.
From page 33: "This universality of physical laws tells us that if we land on another planet with a thriving alien civilization, they will be running on the same laws that we have discovered and tested here on Earth - even if the aliens harbor different social and political beliefs. Furthermore, if you wanted to talk to the aliens, you can bet they don't speak English or French or even Mandarin Chinese. You don't even know whether shaking their hands - if indeed they have hands to shake - would be considered an act of war or of peace. Your best hope is to find a way to communicate using the language of science."
The format provides for benign redundancy as the Big Bang, formation of galaxies, creation of the chemicals in the periodic chart, and predictable physics versus chaos of interactions are looked at over and over from differing perspectives. This book is highly entertaining and I recommend it for anyone who wants to buff up their knowledge of astronomy (cosmology, astrophysics...) or for the confirmed science nut like me. First rate!
Heavy & light reading all in one.......2007-09-14
Anything by this author is worth reading. I like the way he starts off explaining things in a very simple way and winds up getting deep into the end result. "A professional con job with very educational results".
Book Description
A brief, introductory astronomy book designed for readers with little or no scientific background, A Beginner's Guide uses an exceptionally clear writing style. The authors present a broad view of astronomy without complex mathematics, yet the book discusses important concepts without simplification. The book's organization follows the popular and effective “Earth-Out” progression, starting with our planet and then moving through the solar system. A study of the Sun as a model star follows, then the book covers the Milky Way Galaxy, cosmology, and the universe as a whole. Because of its easy-to-read yet comprehensive coverage of astronomy, this book can serve as excellent reference material for those readers interested in learning about our universe.
Customer Reviews:
Solid Intro Astronomy Book.......2007-03-28
This textbook presents information about the Earth, solar system, and universe in a clear manner that avoids technical jargon while staying scientifically respectable. The author demonstrates the practical uses of mathematics throughout the book and the end of chapter questions challenge the reader's grasp of the material. It's a rarity for such a readable book to be written by a person with this author's impressive educational creditials. I would definitely recommend this text and any other written by Chaisson.
good condition and speedy delivery.......2005-09-19
item arrived in 2 days and was in perfect condition. completely satisfied. would recommend to others!
Way too expensive for a paperback.......2004-08-27
Attractive book but not a good value. All the information is available for free on the internet where it is periodically updated and can be referenced for free without wearing out.
Astronomy Text Book.......2004-01-06
Text book arrived in excellent condition (brand spankin' new) and in a timely manner (about 3 business days). I got a great deal too! No problems whatsoever. Thanks a bunch!
Great Textbook.......2001-03-01
For anyone who has a vague interest in astronomy, this would be the book to read. Albeit not entirely simple, this is a relatively straight forward book that uses excellent examples to explain difficult concepts. There are many charts and diagrams. How exactly does a black hole work? What's the difference between a nova and a supernova (not as simple as you might think)? Why do we get meteor showers? There is a bit of mathematics involved, but nothing too intimidating. This is an excellent textbook. Best of all, a CD-ROM is included with lots of multimedia content, study questions, and links to more sources. Avoid other dry textbooks and purchase this one.
Book Description
People have long gazed in wonder at the universe and asked, Why are we here? Until recently, the answer has been the province of priests and philosophers, but now scientists are starting to weigh in with ideas that are both surprising and deeply controversial. In his new book, physicist Paul Davies shows how recent scientific discoveries point to a perplexing fact: many basic features of the physical universe— from the speed of light to the most humble carbon atom—seem tailor-made to produce life. A radical new theory says it’s because our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, each one slightly different. Our universe is bio-friendly by accident; we just happened to win the cosmic jackpot. While this multiverse theory is compelling, it has bizarre implications, from infinite copies of each of us to Matrix-like simulated universes. Davies believes there’s a more satisfying solution to the question of existence: the observations we make today could help shape the nature of reality in the remote past. If this is true, then life and, ultimately, consciousness aren’t just incidental byproducts of nature, but central players in the formation of the universe.
Customer Reviews:
Reading Jackpot.......2007-10-02
Very interesting reading, captivating topics, most definitely a great source of reflection. Without diminishing the fascination of the big bang and inflation theories, I enjoyed more the second half, related to the fundamental questions about Universe and Existence. I found out for the first time about a possible Self-Explaining and Self-Determined Universe, where our existence could have a special and privileged meaning. Some parts of the book seemed a bit inclined towards dry classifications as opposed to elaborate dissertations "Elegant Universe" style.
A good exposition of physical theories for the uninitiated.......2007-10-02
Having read his scientific arguments in the rest of the book, I was somewhat surprised (although he says his inclinations "will be clear") by the author's concluding section (p.267), where he states, "I do take life, mind, and purpose seriously, and I concede that the universe at least appears[italicized word] to be designed with a high level of ingenuity".
Elsewhere (p.196) he contrastingly says, "If there is a designer, then this being is clearly not micromanaging the process very well", and alleges some "design flaws". Interestingly, he also writes (p.192) that biological organisms "look nothing short of miraculous. The many and diverse components function together in a coherent and amazingly orchestrated manner", and that the living cell contains "exquisite examples of nanotechnology", and so forth.
To add to these conflicting observations, the author downgrades the Intelligent Design movement, an American defense of the idea that organisms have an intelligent designer. Perhaps he does so because he is British, since other Brits have that attitude, but what seems truly unfortunate is that the Intelligent Design group is the only one he denigrates with name-calling. He speaks of their being "political" (p.284n.8), their "propaganda" (p.196), not to mention "confusions".
Not to be misunderstood, I love Americans and Brits equally (I am of middle-European Jewish birth), but I consider the Intelligent Design group just as honorable and intelligent as others, though I hold, like other cases, its arguments deficient. Presently, my concentration is on the author discussed, and I find numerous weaknesses in his argumentation.
He puts special emphasis on the concept of explanation. To him every fact must be explained; otherwise it must be "taken on faith" (p.217). He illustrates this on that page and the preceding one with humorous pictures in which the Earth is "explained by a deeper reality" of resting on an elephant, the elephant explained by resting on a turtle, which rests on another turtle, and, to "avoid infinite regress", last is "a levitating super-turtle, which is self-explaining and self-supporting".
The trouble is that the author is unclear about what he means by "explanation", by a "reason", and why some is always necessary. There exist various "reasons". A most common one is giving a cause for an event. Another one is giving a proof for a logical or mathematical proposition. All these have the purpose of satisfying some desire for resulting knowledge. But much of knowledge is gained directly, without explanation, by for instance any immediate perception of something. Laws pertaining to things are likewise often learned from experience, without need of further explanation, unless an underlying broader law might be helpful. The point is that once certain facts are learned, they become objects of knowledge, whether or not one learns more about them. If accordingly the existence of God, considered as a "super-turtle", is the question, it is beside the point whether or not "God exists reasonlessly" (p.219).
Returning to the first-mentioned last section (p.267), the author disputes there a like "exist reasonlessly", but this time appears to connote an additional sense of "a reason", namely "a purpose". He evidently means that, with the universe "a package of marvels", he takes "life [and] mind...seriously" as resulting by some "purpose", saying, "It seems to me that there is a genuine scheme of things--the universe is 'about' something". However, in Darwinian fashion he says, "I do not believe Homo sapiens to be more than an accidental by-product of haphazard natural processes". Here goes inconsistency again; he believes in both, life (and mind) as purposeful and as accidental.
Let me observe for one again that mind, consciousness, is the medium by which all reality is known. One is reminded of Berkeley's dictum, "To be is to be perceived" (Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues (Oxford World's Classics)). It is hard to explain how a world can be certain to exist if unperceived, that is without live beings like us perceiving it. As regards life itself, in that last section the reviewed author wonders about a "life principle", and one can indeed speak of life in terms of purpose, as I have tried to convey in reviews before and especially, among other issues concerning knowledge, in my book On Proof for Existence of God, and Other Reflective Inquiries. Unlike held by scientists for whom, as the author notes in that section, "any suggestion of a teleological (purposive) trend...is anathema", purpose in life is so glaringly staring us in the face that it may be for that reason this purpose is completely overlooked: All of life is characterized by its unceasing purpose of action toward self-preservation.
It is satisfying to me that the author considers at least this "half-glimpsed life principle". He, as indicated, is besides lucidly informative of contemporary theories, even if I personally question the correctness of a number of them. I accordingly gladly recommend the book for its educational worth.
Almost there!.......2007-09-19
This is the first popular cosmology book I have read in years. (They were getting a bit samey - big bang, quantum theory, multiverse etc etc.) But this book is an interesting addition to the genre. Anyone reading this, whether a born-again Christian or a convinced MWI atheist, will have his thoughts well and truly provoked.
I get the feeling that we are almost there. Just one little brainwave away from linking consciousness and the universe to explain the whole shebang. If it comes to me, I'll let you know.
A summary of the cutting edge ideas.......2007-09-01
This book talks about everything that is known about cosmology as of 2007. The author argues with an anthropic bias, the theories of the origin of the universe. He tries to make sense of the many questions, like why we are here, why the universe is as we see it, what is it that breaths fire into the equations etc. In the light of all theories about the universe, the author attempts a synopsis of which one makes more sense than the other. Again his main criterion is which theory gives life, mind and consciousness a priority and tries to incorporate them as a fundamental thing in universe. He also argues for the Goldilocks universe, that is everything in this universe looks too right for life to evolve, saying that any theory that talks about the origin of the universe must explain these anthropic conditions. Theory of Multiverse is just a Platonic scapegoat to all these questions. This book teaches you not to indulge into too much of mathematics, but to pause and ponder where are we heading and also what are we doing, and ask oneself the question whether it all makes sense or not.
broad.......2007-08-31
Very good in all respect. Broad and up to date view of the universe and a deep discussion of the problem (or solution) of God. Religions, long time ago, tried to explain the creation of the world and science took this task afterwards. The bigbang and a single universe extremely biofriendly (why?)seems almost an probabilistic absurd (without God). Than (using strig theories) science invented (or discovery)a multiverse, whith an infinity number of diferent universes, and ours is one of them. Whith an infinity number, some should be biofriendly. But this also is problematic because send the problem a step backward. The solution (up to now) is a loop, a self creating universe cosmos/life/mind/cosmos ...
Customer Reviews:
"Universe" Astronomy Textbook.......2007-09-30
It was very easy to order and the price was the same as my bookstore at school. The only thing that made it more expensive was the shipping and then it took about 5 days to get to me. When I received it it was in a very solidly sealed box that I couldn't open without a knife. When I finally opened it, the back cover of my "soft" textbook had poke holes all over it from where I tried to open the box on the back seam.
The book itself is well written with great pictures of the cosmos.
Great introduction to astronomy with well thought out steps.......2006-11-05
This textbook is well written with well thought out sequence of topics and its bundled softwares are superb. It expounds the items of astronomical subject in clear unambiguous words arranged in logical order requiring only a modest mathematical skill, well suited for a freshman student for science requirement as well as an intelligent and curious lay reader. The content is quite up-to-date; more remarkable for its online companion for prompt updating for currency. For instance, in barely 2 months after new definition excluded Pluto as a planet, the webpage supplement already informs its reader of it. Included exercises and problems are thorough and complete, and thus allowing students to critically refine their grasp of the preceding topics. There are a few minor errors which are easy to be discovered by a reader, and how to access additional websites and CDs are not clear enough in the preface to the student. I base my review only on the first 5 chapters that was covered in my first academic quarter of study. However. browsing the subsequent chapters to the end lend me confidence that the quality has been maintained.
Descriptive Astronomy for the Astronomy Student.......2006-06-11
Most introductory astronomy texts take the descriptive approach and subject the student to very little mathematics. Such tomes assume that the student is taking the course to fulfill a core science requirement or to satiate non-technical interest. This text is a rare exception to this rule.
Throughout the book simple explanations of the scientific phenomena discussed are detailed using algebra and trigonometry. Basic formulas are illustrated and ample problems are given to drive home the mathematical nature of astronomy. This text is perfect for the freshman or sophomore science major who requires a deeper knowledge of astronomy than a non-mathematical text could provide.
Make no mistake, the text can be used easily in a general astronomy class that requires no math prerequisites. However, for the physics or astronomy major who is just starting her study of the subject, this text is the perfect blend of description and mathematics. It would also make a fine introductory graduate text for elementary and high-school teachers who wish to pursue a master's degree.
The software on the enclosed CD-ROM disks makes visualizing the concepts presented within the text much easier. If one's physics department doesn't have access to a planetarium the software offered remedies the problem quite nicely.
Quality of the delivered product........2006-02-21
While the reason for buying the book was met (required text book for university study) the condition of the delivered item was very substandard. When the book arrived it was bent and creased and the front cover had been "pushed" in such a way that it was starting to come away from the spine. The book was not secure in its packaging and was able to slide around inside the box scuffing both front and back covers. I would not be happy if this happened to a $20 book let alone a book that cost me AUS $135.
I will seriously consider next time I need a book whether I will get it from Amazon.com . The amount of money I saved was not worth the damage that occured to the item.
Not Happy!!!!
Fabulous In-Depth Intro to Astronomy.......2005-10-12
I'm an amateur astronomy nut, and have read several dozen books on astronomy, cosmology, etc. This is probably the most clear, in-depth, understandable treatment of astronomical issues that I have ever read. Be it stellar evolution, stellar death, theory of relativity, black holes, galactic evolution -- you name it -- this book presents the research clearly, and explains tough to explain issues in terms I can understand. Bravo! My only complaint is that it's a bit heavy on Solar System research (first half of the book); I found the last half more to my interest.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2007-05-25
The book was just as i expected!!! it was new, no marks, and no bent pages! it was a great price and it looks like i just bought it from a book store!! shipped really fast! THANKS
Publisher Fails!.......2006-04-19
This textbook is an adequate basic astronomy text that covers all of the bases and as might be expected has many updates reflecting recent research in the field. However, much of the really cool photography, demonstrations, animations, and illustrations are not in the book but are supposed to be on the web-site to which purchasers are given free access for more than an academic year. Although the book was released months ago, the web-site will not be available before the end of May 2006. The Prentice Hall Product Support people took over three weeks to find this out and were unable to offer any other solution to the problem which was shared by half of my class section. Do not purchase this book; it is a ripoff. If you must buy it, buy an older edition that comes with the CD (which the rest of my section purchased.) You won't have to deal with Prentice-Hall. Even better, try "Discovering the Universe" which is better written and comes with a CD.
Book Description
Stephen Hawking’s worldwide bestseller, A Brief History of Time, has been a landmark volume in scientific writing. Its author’s engaging voice is one reason, and the compelling subjects he addresses is another: the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, the history and future of the universe. But it is also true that in the years since its publication, readers have repeatedly told Professor Hawking of their great difficulty in understanding some of the book’s most important concepts.
This is the origin of and the reason for A Briefer History of Time: its author’s wish to make its content more accessible to readers –as well as to bring it up-to-date with the latest scientific observations and findings.
Although this book is literally somewhat “briefer,” it actually expands on the great subjects of the original. Purely technical concepts, such as the mathematics of chaotic boundary conditions, are gone. Conversely, subjects of wide interest that were difficult to follow because they were interspersed throughout the book have now been given entire chapters of their own, including relativity, curved space, and quantum theory.
This reorganization has allowed the authors to expand areas of special interest and recent progress, from the latest developments in string theory to exciting developments in the search for a complete unified theory of all the forces of physics. Like prior editions of the book–but even more so–A Briefer History of Time will guide nonscientists everywhere in the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.
***
Stephen Hawking will be lecturing at the following locations:
11/7/05:
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 408 Alamden Blvd., San Jose, CA, 95110, (408) 277-5277
11/10/05:
Paramount Theater of the Arts, 2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA, 94612, (510) 465-6400
11/16/05:
The Paramount Theater, 911 Pine Street, Seattle, WA, 98101, (206) 467-5510
Tickets for "The Origins of the Universe with Dr.Stephen Hawking" are available through Ticketmaster.
Customer Reviews:
Half confused, half amazed.......2007-09-20
For as simple as Hawking was supposed to present the complicated theoretical physics concepts, at times I still found myself as confused as Adam on Mother's Day. Dr. Hawking's work is caught between a rock and a hard place in "A Brief History of Time" and the subsequent "The Universe in a Nutshell"; he provides neither the technical language to satisfy the experienced readers, nor the sufficiently simplified rhetoric to appeal to the uninitiated. Not to worry as the theories and supporting arguments in both books can still satisfy the curiosity of the inexperienced, and his celebrity status in the world of physics keeps the experienced audience engaged.
There is one update to this book not mentioned, and that is, Hawking eventually admits that he was wrong about his theory of loss of information in black holes. This idea of his had put him at odds with many theoretical physicists. Instead, he puts forth the unproven theory that information in a black hole is transferred to a parallel universe. Unfortunately, time may not permit Hawking to complete his work on the proof or supporting evidence of this important theory. His terminal illness appears to be finally catching up to him. I wish him well and thank him for his important contributions to the science of understanding the universe.
Despite its shortcomings, A Brief History of Time succeeds in shedding light on the mysteries of the creation of the universe at the point of singularity, what happened subsequently, and what may or may not transpire in the future. Hawking discusses in length Einstein's general theory of relativity, quantum mechanics and the attempt to combine these into a grand unified theory, a lofty goal that has eluded theoretical physicists to date.
Fascinating.......2007-09-17
Quite accessible for a book on the beginning of the universe. It doesn't explain how it got here, but begins at 1 second post big bang. It has a good explanation of the work of Isaac Newton and why it was important and also the work of Einstein. I understood the physics, at least I did when I was reading it. The explanations were good enough to let me wrap my mind around them. It is interesting that the idea of ether is coming back up for consideration again. Not sure I believe in string theory though. Why not just say everything is made of energy?
Hawking :a master writer.......2007-09-02
Hawking's new book "The Briefest History of Time" should be read by all intelligent Americans. Every book of this quality and with a similar contents may help to stop the tide of idiocy proposed by supporters of creationism in America.Only by spreading real science we will escape becoming the richest but also the most primitive intellectually nation in the world. We need a heavy counterweight to the evangelic snake oil peddlers who can gather tousands sing along automata and preach bible which offenses every educated and intelligent mind. Hawking's book can help to be such a counterbalance.
Great Renewed Introduction on our Time.......2007-08-21
This book explains the physical concepts in very understandable fashion. It can be understood by any person. You do not have to be a scientist or physicists to read the book. There are also wonderful examples explaining the scientific phenomenon underlying our universe and black hole or other galaxies.
customer.......2007-06-27
Book arrived in timely fashion, excellent condition, well packaged to protect it during shipment. I'd read it in the library and thought it excellent. I'm a logical person but not a physicist or a mathematician yet the material was understandable, well presented and the illustrations very helpful. The absence of long proofs/equations not only shortened the book but made the descriptions and illustrations easier to follow and not so intimidating. The large print version was especially helpful even though my eye sight is good. I'll read it a number of times and I'm sure my understanding will increase with each reading.
Book Description
Co-authors Morrison and Owen are leading researchers in planetary astronomy today, and this book reflects their expertise and excitement for the subject. Drawing on recent findings, this authoritative, up-to-date book gives a straightforward account of our solar system. Written in an informal style with minimal use of mathematics, this book is ideal for beginning non-science readers. Since publication of the previous edition of The Planetary System, the pace of planetary exploration and new discoveries has accelerated. Also, the new multidisciplinary field of astrobiology has emerged and now provides a fruitful perspective for the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life within our solar system and other planetary systems. As scientists who have participated in the definition and development of astrobiology, Morrison and Owen have integrated these new perspectives, as well as many other discoveries, into this new edition to make it once again undisputedly the most authoritative, up-to-date, and exciting planetary book available. For anyone interested in astronomy or planetary astronomy.
Customer Reviews:
Stars and Galaxies and Nebula, oh my!.......2003-11-13
I bought The Planetary System for an Astronomy class and enjoyed the text immensely. I think Morrison and Owen should have added a few more explanations of events/heavenly bodies in a few places but overall this is a great book for introducing astronomy and definitely kept my interest! The cdrom that comes with the book "Voyager Skygazer" turned out to be fabulous fun although a little distracting when I discovered that I was able to track satellite orbits as well as the night sky events with its help.
Unbelievably boring.......2001-10-11
This book is very clear, but it is quite boring. I have to read it for an astronomy class and the hundred dollars I spent on it has been wasted. All the concepts are very clearly explained through pictures, examples from real life and diagrams, but this textbook still sucks nonetheless. IF you know that you have to purchase this textbook for a class, pray the class isnt as dull as the reading
Product Description
Is Earth merely an insignificant speck in a vast and meaningless universe? On the contrary: The Privileged Planet shows that this cherished assumption of materialism is dead wrong. In this provocative book, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards present a staggering array of evidence that exposes the hollowness of this modern dogma. They demonstrate that our planet is exquisitely fit not only to support life, but also to give us the best view of the universe, as if Earth were designed both for life and for scientific discovery. Readers are taken on a scientific odyssey from a history of tectonic plates, to the wonders of water and solar eclipses, to our location in the Milky Way, to the laws that govern the universe, and to the beginning of cosmic time. The Privileged Planet contains astounding findings that should lead any individual to reevaluate and even to reconsider our very purpose on what so many have dismissed as nothing more than an accident of cosmic evolution.
Customer Reviews:
A Better Reference Than A Reader.......2007-08-14
I really appreciated the work & thought that went into this book. I was already a proponent of intelligent design & actually got boored by the extensive examples of cosmological features that suggest design. Someone new to the subject & open-minded might find it far more interesting. The issue itself has eternal consequences & is therefore inherently interesting.
I was impressed that these fellows are capable philosophers of science & did well in their presentation of their argument as well as responding to criticisms. My main challenge for the intelligent design camp is to focus it's excellent critical examination skills upon the assumptions that undergird mainstream dating methods for the earth & cosmos. This is a weak link for them, which has been pricked by authos such as Kenneth R. Miller in Finding Darwin's God.
Have they read the book?.......2007-08-12
I do find it interesting to note, from the one star reviews, just how many of these "reviewers" take on the concepts of the book rather than engaging in personal insults and name calling. Seems like this book, and others, strikes a nerve that the secular humanist has a hard time dealing with?
Overall, this is a fabulous book. Written at an appropriate level of technical detail for general readers but chock full of the references to the hard science underlying the ideas. Like the distance from the earth to the moon, the diameter of the earth and the diameter of the moon. This interesting "coincidence" that these few facts present allow us to enjoy a total solar eclipse. The eclipse, in large part, allows us to understand what the sun is all about. We can then generalize to other stars in the universe. My what an interesting group of coincidences. These facts sounds like "Christian Science" to me?
Just as Michael Behe and Michael Denton and scores of others are rightfully bringing up questions about "just so" stories in biology relative to how we got here Guillermo Gonzalez and Mr Richards are bringing up many questions relative to just exactly where our earth happens to find itself in the universe.
God in a cheap suit.......2007-08-01
This is not a book about science, this is a book about a myth, written by people who do not understand science.
Worthwhile to look through to see what an "intelligent design" believer will claim.
Sure this book sucks, buuut..........2007-07-30
Sure this book sucks, but it's great for scientists and philosophers to use as a teaching guide for what is not science. There are so many fallacies, straw men and just plain false "facts" that it makes someone who is a scientist sick to his stomach. This kind of propagandistic filth is what holds back science and our youths from advancing. Thanks Gonzalez!
First-rate scholarship.......2007-05-15
On many occasions, I have loaned the DVD summary version of the book, "The Privileged Planet" to my college students to challenge their thinking in the field of Intelligent Design. The results have almost always been favorable. What is especially engaging about both the book and the DVD, is the "non-preaching" format: the research is purely scientific and presented in a manner that a wide range of readership should both understand and appreciate. My only "critical" comment would be this: the authors systematically build a scientific foundation of contingency. Since Jay Richards has a strong background in philosophy, I would have enjoyed an approach to the subject based upon Aristotle and his development of the argument of contingency. But this is a moot point. If you have high school students, read the book together with them and discuss.
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