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.
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
The Universe May Be a Mystery,
But It's No Secret
Michael Schneider leads us on a spectacular, lavishly illustrated journey along the numbers one through ten to explore the mathematical principles made visible in flowers, shells, crystals, plants, and the human body, expressed in the symbolic language of folk sayings and fairy tales, myth and religion, art and architecture. This is a new view of mathematics, not the one we learned at school but a comprehensive guide to the patterns that recur through the universe and underlie human affairs. A Beginner's Guide to Constructing, the Universe shows you:
- Why cans, pizza, and manhole covers are round.
- Why one and two weren't considered numbers by the ancient Greeks.
- Why squares show up so often in goddess art and board games.
- What property makes the spiral the most widespread shape in nature, from embryos and hair curls to hurricanes and galaxies.
- How the human body shares the design of a bean plant and the solar system.
- How a snowflake is like Stonehenge, and a beehive like a calendar.
- How our ten fingers hold the secrets of both a lobster and a cathedral.
- And much more.
Customer Reviews:
presents both practical and mystical aspects of numbers as they relate to nature.......2007-09-23
A Beginners Guide to Constructing the Universe shows the mathematical underpinnings of nature by explaining how nature makes use of the numbers 1 - 10 and also 12 and 13. For example number six is used by nature in the construction of many things including walls of cells as the six sided hexagon is a very stable geometric object. There is some focus on mystical aspects of math but not too much so that there ends up being a lot of practical knowledge to be found here. The Fibonacci sequence is presented along with the use it is put to by nature. There is a presentation of the golden mean also. I highly recommend this book to those who have had interest in math drilled out of them by the drudgery of unfocused arithmetic and algebra lessons. This book is a peak into the fascinating world of mathematics and should whet your appetite for more. One book to consider after reading this book is "Fascinating Fibonacci's" as it contains more detailed information on the material found in chapter 5 of this book.
This book changed my life.......2007-09-11
An amazing combination of mathematics, science, history, religion. As the story of geometry unfolds so unfolds many other stories of our universe.
Hint: invest in a compass, do the suggested activities and examples, have fun
A few gems--mostly blather.......2007-08-22
Reminds me of people who see number patterns in everything--even when it's mere coincidence. A few good ideas and concepts, but trying to tease them out is a chore. And some of the books statements are flat wrong--sorry, but nature is sometimes horribly prolific with resources, not studiously careful. If you are interested in a kind of metaphysical approach, it might be very interesting, but if you are interested in real numbers, real math, real life, um, not here. He points things out that are derived from a triangle or rectangle or the intersection of this or that . . . but really, the 'things' could be designed with other concepts in mind.
geometry for the art.......2007-08-03
I did very little geometry in school and as I was wanting to understand the golden mean I bought this book. I'm now on the number 5. This book discribes the making of the universe and how each number got its name. How everything starts from 1 and it goes on what 2 does and so on. It is deep reading but very interesting.
Discover a hidden depth to numbers and geometry.......2006-11-03
I always enjoyed geometry in school, and this book opened up a whole new depth to the subject for me.
Reading the book, I dug out my compass, pencil, straight edge and 30, 60, and 90 degree angles to perform the various exercises recommended by the author.
Constructing the various geometrical figures I found to be akin to creating mandalas. You create something originating in the abstract that becomes concrete, that in turn ultimately becomes personally meaningful.
Also, I learned to view several churches in town on a completely different level.
Reading this book, you will never look at the numbers one through ten in quite the same way again.
The numbers take on significance and hint at something sublime and even transcendent.
Through this book, I discovered the rich undercurrents of pythagorean number theory, and their application to the rich christian architecture of the medieval churches.
With all the fuss over feng shui, this book draws from our decidedly western tradition, revealing we have our own undiscovered architectural history that has yet to capture the popular imagination.
A wonderful introduction, chapter by chapter, number by number, to sacred geometry and the pythagoreanism that runs through it.
Average customer rating:
- andrew lost his mind!
- (...)review
|
In Time (Andrew Lost #9)
J.C. Greenburg
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
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Similar Items:
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On Earth (Andrew Lost #10)
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In the Deep (Andrew Lost #8)
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In the Ice Age (Andrew Lost #12)
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On the Reef (Andrew Lost #7)
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With the Dinosaurs (Andrew Lost #11)
ASIN: 0375829490
Release Date: 2004-11-23 |
Book Description
The evil Dr. Kron-Tox has kidnapped Uncle Al and whisked him away in his time machine! Luckily, Andrew has a time machine of his own. But like most of Andrew’s inventions, the Time-a-Tron doesn’t work quite right. It tumbles Andrew, Judy, and Thudd back to the very beginning of the universe! Will they regain control of the Time-a-Tron in time to save Uncle Al . . . and themselves?
J. C. Greenburg is the author of many books for young people in the library and reference field. She’s a frequent visitor to schools and pays close attention to kid feedback. She’s married to Dan Greenburg of The Zack Files. The author lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.
Customer Reviews:
andrew lost his mind!.......2006-03-13
I purchased this book around November,2004. I was a bit dissapointed in the book as it was not as exciting as the other books in the series. I also think that some content could be misinterprited as evolution based. Otherwise,this is a nice time-killing book and reccomend this as a light read.
(...)review.......2006-03-13
Andrew Lost in Time is about Andrew getting lost through time trying to get Uncle Al, who got kidnapped. He was taken in time to the Ice Age. They had traveled back in time 3 minutes before the solar system was created and there were billions of suns all around. They traveled again and all there was was one sun and asteroids started shooting out of the sun and became the planets. This was an exciting book and I would recommend it.
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:
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Stargazing for Beginners
John Mosley
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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ASIN: 1565658213 |
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- An educational guide to stir interest in the stars
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A Beginner's Guide to the Universe
Andrew Conway , and
Rosie Coleman
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0521806933 |
Book Description
A Beginner's Guide to the Universe is a fascinating introduction to astronomy and the wonders of the night sky. It begins by looking at the universe as a whole, describing what we can see in the night sky. The authors then go on to explore the planets of our solar system, from the hot world of Mercury near the Sun to the distant, frozen world of Pluto. Moons, asteroids, meteoroids and comets are described in detail, and objects outside the solar system are explained. Young readers will learn what stars are, and how they cluster together to form galaxies that allow us to map out the furthest reaches of our Universe. A key feature is a section in which John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, answers astronomy questions posed by schoolchildren. This guide will also appeal to adults wishing to learn about astronomy for the first time. Andrew Conway is a lecturer in astronomy, based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Open University, UK. He is an active researcher in solar physics, and has given many lecture courses on popular astronomy. He is also a regular guest lecturer at astronomical societies. Rosie Coleman is a primary school teacher in Scotland, UK, and has taught children for almost thirty years. She has given many educational talks, and produced material for use in schools throughout Scotland.
Customer Reviews:
An educational guide to stir interest in the stars.......2003-04-08
Written by Andrew Conway (a professional astronomer) and Rosie Coleman (a primary school teacher), A Beginner's Guide To The Universe is an amazing, fact-filled science book especially recommended for inquisitive young readers ages seven to fourteen, but which would be intrinsically interesting introduction for readers of any age or background. Color artwork and photography superbly enhance the enriching and informative text packed from cover to cover with information about the solar system, planets, galaxies, and beyond. An amazing and educational guide to stir interest in the stars, A Beginner's Guide To The Universe is enthusiastically recommended for personal, school, and community library Astronomy collections.
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Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides)
Lewis Dartnell
Manufacturer: Oneworld Publications
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1851685057 |
Book Description
Astrobiology, the study of life and its existence in the universe, is now one of the hottest areas of both popular science and serious academic research, fusing biology, chemistry, astrophysics, and geology. In this masterful introduction, Lewis Dartnell explores its latest findings, and delves into some of the most fascinating questions in science. What actually is 'life'? Could it exist on other planets? Could alien cells be based on silicon rather than carbon, or need ammonia instead of water? Introducing some of the most extreme lifeforms on Earth - those thriving in boiling acid or huddled around deep-sea volcanoes - Dartnell takes us on a tour of the universe to reveal how deeply linked we are to our cosmic environment, and shows why the Earth is so uniquely suited for the development of life.
Books:
- Astronomy for All Ages, 2nd: Discovering the Universe through Activities for Children and Adults
- Astronomy for All Ages, 2nd: Discovering the Universe through Activities for Children and Adults
- Astronomy Today (5th Edition)
- Astrophysics, Clocks and Fundamental Constants (Lecture Notes in Physics)
- Binocular Highlights: 99 Celestial Sights for Binocular Users (Sky & Telescope Stargazing)
- Cabanatuan: Murder Under the Sun
- Classical and Celestial Mechanics: The Recife Lectures
- Click Here: To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade
- Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings
- Compton Gamma Ray (Aip Conference Proceedings)
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