History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love

Average customer rating:

Interesting subject, thin prose.
Galileo imprisoned for furthering a truth that disagreed with biblical writings and Christian teachings: a daughter's view
FAMILY PORTRAIT
Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love
THE EARTH ALSO RISES:

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love
Dava Sobel
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
The Planets
The Illustrated Longitude
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

ASIN: 0140280553
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Amazon.com

Everyone knows that Galileo Galilei dropped cannonballs off the leaning tower of Pisa, developed the first reliable telescope, and was convicted by the Inquisition for holding a heretical belief--that the earth revolved around the sun. But did you know he had a daughter? In Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel (author of the bestselling Longitude) tells the story of the famous scientist and his illegitimate daughter, Sister Maria Celeste. Sobel bases her book on 124 surviving letters to the scientist from the nun, whom Galileo described as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and tenderly attached to me." Their loving correspondence revealed much about their world: the agonies of the bubonic plague, the hardships of monastic life, even Galileo's occasional forgetfulness ("The little basket, which I sent you recently with several pastries, is not mine, and therefore I wish you to return it to me").

While Galileo tangled with the Church, Maria Celeste--whose adopted name was a tribute to her father's fascination with the heavens--provided moral and emotional support with her frequent letters, approving of his work because she knew the depth of his faith. As Sobel notes, "It is difficult today ... to see the Earth at the center of the Universe. Yet that is where Galileo found it." With her fluid prose and graceful turn of phrase, Sobel breathes life into Galileo, his daughter, and the earth-centered world in which they lived. --Sunny Delaney

Book Description

Galileo Galilei's telescopes allowed him to discover a new reality in the heavens. But for publicly declaring his astounding argument--that the earth revolves around the sun--he was accused of heresy and put under house arrest by the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Living a far different life, Galileo's daughter Virginia, a cloistered nun, proved to be her father's greatest source of strength through the difficult years of his trial and persecution.

Drawing upon the remarkable surviving letters that Virginia wrote to her father, Dava Sobel has written a fascinating history of Medici--era Italy, a mesmerizing account of Galileo's scientific discoveries and his trial by Church authorities, and a touching portrayal of a father--daughter relationship. Galileo's Daughter is a profoundly moving portrait of the man who forever changed the way we see the universe.

• Winner of the Christopher Award and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award

• Named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and the American Library Association

Customer Reviews:

Interesting subject, thin prose........2007-09-29

My real issue with this book is that Sobel's writing leaves me cold. I had avoided reading this for a long time because I had not really enjoyed Longitude. But countless critical raves and the response from friends caused me to decide to give Galileo's Daughter a try.

The subject matter is interesting enough. The book is very little about Galileo's daughter and is more a book about the man himself. That is not really a bad thing, since there is sadly not very much to know about Suor Maria Celeste. The episodes Sobel chooses to highlight are interesting, and I believe she succeeds in making Galileo human to the readers.

I would be hard pressed to say what exactly it is that I do not like about Sobel as a writer. It is not something that I can easily articulate. I think that it has something to do with the fact that her prose feels like an overextended magazine article. Both in Longitude and in this book, I felt as though the material were too thin for the weight that she was trying to hang on the pages. I am not sure that this is true, and suspect it may have something to do with the structure. In any case, with both books I had the experience that I was quite impatient with the prose even as I was interested in the material.

If you are interested in scientific history and in the mood for some reasonably light reading, then my review should not discourage you from picking up Galileo's Daughter. Myself, I am probably going to avoid Sobel in the future.

Galileo imprisoned for furthering a truth that disagreed with biblical writings and Christian teachings: a daughter's view.......2007-09-29

At sixty-eight years of age, Galileo, a Catholic, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for writing a philosophical story in support of the Copernican sun-centered universe theory. Unfortunately for him (and the truth), it was in conflict with the wording of the bible (p 62):

"O lord my God, Thou art great indeed....Thou fixed the Earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever.[103:1,5]

The actions leading up to that event make up the majority of the book, which distinguishes itself from other biographies by its inclusion of the content of letters written by his elder daughter, Virginia, who was born in 1600 and "adopted the name Maria Celeste when she became a nun" at age thirteen. Because Galileo's letters were destroyed, the majority of what we learn about him is through her writings, which is both the book's strength and its weakness. In fact, it might more aptly be titled, Galileo's Daughter's Letters: a view of his life from behind the walls of the nunnery. Because there are no letters before she became a teenager, little is known about that part of her life. And although it is reader friendly, even for the non-scientifically minded, it could have been shortened by a fourth to a half of its 420 pages without losing much in readability and coverage of the most important aspects of Galileo's life.

FAMILY PORTRAIT.......2007-07-11

A violent and unruly age is the setting for this story of the relationship between Galileo and his illegitimate daughter Maria Celestes (born Virginia). Placed in a convent at the age of thirteen, she spent her remaining years loyal to the hard life of her order, the Poor Clares, and to her infamous father. While not engaged in a "typical" father daughter relationship, the 124 letters written by Marie Celestes to her father offers the reader an insight into the intense personal devotion that developed between the two........ as well as a retelling of Galileo's notorious clash with the Inquisition and his subsequent trial for heresy as seen through his daughters eyes.

Along the way, we are exposed to the horrors of the bubonic plague as it rampages through Italy, the problems with travel and communication, the loss and damage caused by the 30 years war, and a vicarious trip into the garish lifestyle of Galileo's patrons, the Medicis.

This is truly more a story of Galileo than his daughter, but nevertheless interesting. Reading this story brings to the forefront the several interesting situations and provokes the reader to examine and compare life in the 17th century with our lives today. For example: (1) the reaction of the populace to bubonic plague versus our initial reaction to the AIDS epidemic, (2) the continuing tenuous and conflicted relationship between science and religion (stem cell research, etc.), (3) the opposition to the acceptance of revolutionary new discoveries over established methods, (4) the curtailment of freedom to pursue thought and speech that is contradictory to what is considered acceptable (attempted censorship of the conservative media).

Ms. Sobel's love for her subject matter is obvious in every word she put to paper.

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love.......2007-05-20

The Seventeenth century was the most significant period after the fall of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire fell apart, all knowledge of the Romans was lost. However, all this knowledge slowly recovered when the Reformations, Renaissance, and Science Revolution were initiated. People brought back the Classic Age that had been lost. Art, music, and literature were not difficult to revive, but science was. When the Classic Age ended, and after the Black Plague, people believed all the teachings of the church were right. People against the Church's teachings were considered heretics.
This book, Galileo's Daughter: A historical memoir of science, faith, and love by Dava Sobel, starts with a letter from Galileo's daughter, Maria. In her letters, the readers can learn many details of the 1600's. Even though she is a nun, she supports his father and does not consider him as heretic because she knew that his theory was the truth. When Galileo saw that the Copernicus's ideas were more likely to be true than Ptolemy's established philosophy, he began the teaching it in defiance of the Catholic Church. However, he was forced to recant his theory. Despite opposition of the Catholic Church, Galileo publishes Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican. Because of that, his book was banned, and he encountered peril. He was put on trial for heresy and convicted. Maria Celeste was insightful, grandiloquent, and loved her father as he loved her. Regardless of her occupation, she supported her father through the trials. Although Galileo and Maria sent letters back and forth, Galileo's letters to Maria are nowhere to be found.
At first, I thought this book was about the story of Sour Maria Celeste and her relationship with her father, Galileo. However, this book manifested the struggles Galileo went through externally and internally. Because he was a religious man, he had a hard time fighting for what was right, his theory over the teachings of the Church. At the end of the book is very poignant moment, when Galileo's body was finally allowed to be placed in the monument.
I recommend this book to other students completing this assignment because it shows Galileo's accomplishments, and much more. This book is profound to the extension that as a daughter, I could see the father and daughter relationship, and how that relationship has effected Galileo I become one of the most extolled scientists in the world.

THE EARTH ALSO RISES:.......2007-03-20

It is a fascinating tale of a father, a devout Catholic, obedient son and above all a scientist, astronomer, and a philosopher, decades ahead of his time. He paved the way for all future discoveries and revelations in Physics and Astronomy. Newton, who was born the year Galileo died, did stand squarely on Galileo's shoulders to go where no man had gone before .

It is Galileo's courage and conviction that we so admire in facing Pope Urban's ire and ridicule in the 17th century Italy. Popes come and go but the name of Galileo would shine for ever as long as the Jovian moons would orbit their planet. His brilliant "dialogues" on astronomy, wave theory, motion and scores of other subjects were the foundation of everything we know today about anything.

Even today, it is sad to say, there are remnants of Urban's ilk all over the world that cling to creation theory and even believe that Ptolemy was right.

Galileo had two daughters and a son. Tradition forced him to enroll the girls in the convent hoping to find suitable husbands if not marry them to Christ and spend rest of their lives as nuns. Sister Maria Celeste, the older daughter, a paragon of virtue, devotes her entire life in serving others and above all to take care of her dear father. Her letters are down to earth, personal, articulate and at times with a touch of humor.

The book narrates Galileo's epic journey from early childhood, as a medical student even contemplating on becoming a priest. He eventually gets his degree in physics and engineering, his true calling, and then becomes a professor at prestigious university at Padua. Medici's hire him as their court advisor. His experiments from the leaning tower of Pisa are known to all of us who took any science in school. His books promote Sun being the center of the universe confirming Copernicus's theory. The church clinging to Bible's version of a stationary Earth is outraged and begins its ignominious inquisition, sentencing the aged scientist to house arrest where he dies, blind and heart broken.

The book's other protagonist, the ever loving daughter, whose letters to her father are interspersed throughout the book, makes a interesting and noble contrast to the dogmatic, self centered pious hypocrites of Church in Rome.

It is MUST read.

Average customer rating:

The author needs a reality check
I used to run the Carl Sagan Electronic Monument; I took the site down when I read this book...
A book to make the myth into a man
For Sagan-Haters Only
A poor overview of Sagan's life.

Carl Sagan: A Life
Keay Davidson
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471395366

Amazon.com

Carl Sagan may have been one of the greatest scientists who ever lived. Then again, he may have been a relentless self-promoter who convinced everyone he was one of the greatest scientists who ever lived. Keay Davidson, science writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, aims to explain this complicated man in his biography. One thing is clear: Sagan was an extremely difficult man to love, a scientist whose passion for astronomy and biology was unparalleled, but who had little ability to express basic emotions to his wives and children. Davidson looks for reasons for this emotional distance in Sagan's childhood, when his relationship with his mother was intense and sometimes difficult. She encouraged her bright young son to be an "intellectual omnivore," to be passionate about knowledge, but she didn't give him the tools to relate to humans as individuals.

As his stellar science career developed, Sagan built a reputation as a leftist who believed that "science could serve liberal ideals," and as an arrogant man with an unshakable confidence in his own brain. Davidson writes that Sagan developed his famous skepticism as an undergraduate. Sagan suffered from a "troubling mix of intense emotion and stark rationalism," writes Davidson. He succeeded (mostly) in balancing passion with reason, a balance that made him a perfect popularizer of science, a trustworthy authority who preached that an open mind was the most valuable scientific tool. Davidson was influenced personally by Sagan's writings, and he sometimes works a little too hard at puncturing the myths surrounding Sagan, but this biography is one that deserves to be read by Sagan's fans and detractors alike. It's a compelling, very real assessment of an all-too-human god of science. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

A penetrating, mesmerizing biography of a scientific icon, now in paperback

"Absolutely fascinating . . . Davidson has done a remarkable job."-Sir Arthur C. Clarke

"Engaging . . . accessible, carefully documented . . . sophisticated."-Dr. David Hollinger for The New York Times Book Review

"Entertaining . . . Davidson treats [the] nuances of Sagan's complex life with understanding and sympathy."-The Christian Science Monitor

"Excellent . . . Davidson acts as a keen critic to Sagan's works and their vast uncertainties."-Scientific American

"A fascinating book about an extraordinary man."-Johnny Carson

"Davidson, an award-winning science writer, has written an absorbing portrait of this Pied Piper of planetary science. Davidson thoroughly explores Sagan's science, wrestles with his politics, and plumbs his personal passions with a telling instinct for the revealing underside of a life lived so publicly."-Los Angeles Times

Carl Sagan was one of the most celebrated scientists of this century-the handsome and alluring visionary who inspired a generation to look to the heavens and beyond. His life was both an intellectual feast and an emotional rollercoaster. Based on interviews with Sagan's family and friends, including his widow, Ann Druyan; his first wife, acclaimed scientist Lynn Margulis; and his three sons, as well as exclusive access to many personal papers, this highly acclaimed life story offers remarkable insight into one of the most influential, provocative, and beloved figures of our time-a complex, contradictory prophet of the Space Age.

Customer Reviews:

The author needs a reality check.......2006-12-25

By his enemies, detractors, and those envious of him, Carl Sagan has been called a "bozo", a "psuedoscientist", an "idiot", a "moron", and many other names that need not be repeated here. Those who like him though do so unabashedly, and in rare instances have had their scientific careers stymied because of their admitted admiration of him. It is fair to say, and an in-depth statistical study may support this, that the scientific community is automatically dismissive of public figures and the general public, and get angry when anyone within their midst attempts to explain things to people in these two classes. It is almost as though the attempt to explain difficult scientific ideas and concepts to the general public constitutes almost a criminal act, to be punished by banishment from professional societies and academia. The reason for this anger is unknown, and does not seem to serve any useful or constructive purpose either within the scientific community or outside of it.

Although the author is not a practicing scientist, from the words in this book it is apparent that he identifies with the general scientific community in their attitude about the popularization of science. The author comes across as being deeply cynical, and this is readily apparent throughout the book. It seems he has a score to settle with Sagan and he endeavors throughout the book to take Sagan down a notch and expose his faults and inadequacies. The book for this reason is difficult to read, for it confuses objectivity with blatant negativism. What is needed in the case of Carl Sagan is a biographer who will not engage in uncritical adulation and yet at the same time not become indulged in muckracking.

Indeed, the author makes it a point to bring out Sagan's alleged use of marijuana, his reluctance to assist his wives in housework, and his shortcomings as a father to his children. He discusses the zeal with which several scientists denied Sagan admission to the National Academy of Sciences, and Sagan's supposed inability to discuss scientific topics in depth. The author therefore patronizes the reader, with the implicit assumption that the reader has been unduly influenced by Sagan and needs assistance and release from this influence. The emotional responses that many have obtained by viewing Cosmos or reading some of Sagan's works is dismissed as being a result of Sagan's skilled oratory. It seems to never occur to the author that such responses are a natural consequence to being exposed to ideas that are accurate and true.

It is a little over ten years since Sagan has passed on, but his legacy is alive and well, and even though he has made many contributions to both science and its popularization, his most profound contribution, and one that outweighs the rest by many orders of magnitude, is his implicit demonstration that the history of the human species has been one of brilliant developments rather than war and strife. For a human being to purposely take the life of another is actually extremely rare, but it is frequently taught, both in educational institutions and outside of them, that the human species is a destructive and dangerous one. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the writings of Sagan illustrate this time and again. It would be incorrect therefore, and statistically invalid, to say that his view of history is romanticized and idealistic. It is the most realistic of any that currently exist, and deserves to be propagated at a large scale. There has yet to arise an effective surrogate to Carl Sagan, at least from the standpoint of someone who delivers the message in books, movies, and television as effectively as he did. But there are millions, or shall we say, billions and billions, of individuals that make up the collective genius of the human species, and it is these individuals, some known and some unknown, that are so eloquently described and championed by Sagan throughout his writings and personal life.

I used to run the Carl Sagan Electronic Monument; I took the site down when I read this book..........2006-07-22

I grew up with Carl Sagan. An avid watcher of his COSMOS program when it aired in 1980, I like to credit Carl with turning me on to the wonders of science and, especially, the wonders of space exploration. Prior to seeing COSMOS I thought outer space was just a playground for X-Wing fighters, Colonial warriors, and the Starship Enterprise. Carl made space into a very real place, more fascinating than my young mind had ever thought possible, and COSMOS similarly impressed upon me the value of science as, to borrow the sub-title from one of Carl's best-known volumes, a candle in the darkness.

Many years later, shortly after I got married, my wife found the entire COSMOS series on VHS tape at a local library. I eagerly re-screened the entire series with adult eyes, and was reminded again of how fantastic the series was, what a great science promoter Carl could be, and I suppose the old child-like hero worship resurfaced with new energy. Carl then died tragically not longer after I re-screened COSMOS, and in a moment of telegraphed fan grief, I set up a web memorial to the man which I called the Carl Sagan Electronic Monument.

On that web site I extolled the virtues of the Great Popularizer. I praised his wisdom, his brilliance, his prowess as both husband and father, and generally set the man up on a pedestal of enormous height. For a few years I communicated with other Sagan fans, and even received one or two touching e-mails from Ann Druyan, thanking me for the CSEM and thanking me for being part of the enormous outpouring of support and love which centered around Carl following his passing.

Knowing my affinity for Sagan, my wife bought me "Demon Haunted World" and an audiobook, read by Sagan, of "Pale Blue Dot". I loved these as I loved COSMOS, and it seemed nothing could stem the hero worship.

Then, my wife bought me "Carl Sagan: A life", and the carefully constructed illusion slowly came apart.

I'd always known that certain people had a gripe against Sagan. I'd always chalked it up to petty jealousy against a truly great man. But as I turned the pages of this book, and the REALITY of Carl Edward Sagan began to hit home, I realized that in my rush to embrace Sagan as an idol, I'd completely fooled myself.

Meticulously researched, this book is an eye-opener for any Sagan fan. I've seen a lot of the one star comments, declaring that this is a book for "Sagan haters", which I think is unfair. If anything, this book exposes Sagan for who he really was, not who we wished him to be. I think all Sagan fans owe it to themselves to read this book, and then decide, as I did, which they loved more: Sagan as a PERSON, or Sagan as a vehicle for opening the wonders of space and science to the average man?

My conclusion, upon finishing this volume, is that I was not a fan of Sagan the man. Sagan seemed a poor husband, at least until the advent of Ann Druyan, and even then it seems clear he was already involved with Druyan prior to the dissolution of his relationship with his second wife. Moreover, Sagan was not a particularly good father to his first children, again only cleaning up his act for the Druyan years.

I have always believed that no amount of professional success can make up for failure in the home. I am glad that Sagan seems to have reformed by the time Druyan came on the scene, and that his youngest children seem to have enjoyed at least a competent dad. But what of the first two marriages, and the children that came of them? What of the abuse that he apparently doled out to his first wife? These things significantly mar the brilliant image of Sagan, and left me feeling as if I'd seriously deluded myself.

Moreover, Sagan the professional was also not without faults. For much of his life Carl seems to have been an enormously vainglorious and pompous fellow, essentially ruining his relationship with COSMOS producer Adrian Malone, so much so that the men were not on speaking terms by the time COSMOS earned its Emmy and Peabody Awards. Carl also developed a reputation as a scientific dilettente, precocious and opinionated and eager to claim mastery over various scientific subjects without actually contributing much bona fide advancement in those same fields. Many scientists came to resent Sagan as being too much of a self-promoter and not enough of a researcher, and as Sagan's public popularity began to soar, so did the grumbling by some in the scientific community who felt that Sagan was getting credit for their effort.

When I came back to my Sagan memorial web site, after reading this book, I realized I couldn't keep the web site up in good faith anymore. I slowly pruned the site down until it was just a placeholder, and then I shut it down altogether not longer after that.

Having said all this, I must emphasize that "Carl Sagan: A Life" is not a one-sided bash-session. There is much good said about Sagan, especially in regard to his role as popularizer, and in regard to his struggle with health problems, including a throat condition I had not previously known about, and his long decay due to myelodysplasia. His work in debunking UFOlogy and stressing skepticism (alongside other skeptics like James Randi) is to his credit, as are his forays into environmentalism and combating the threat of nuclear holocaust. The Planetary Society continues as one of the most energetic public bodies lobbying for continued space exploration, and there is no doubt that Sagan's legacy as a spark which has fired the efforts and imaginations of millions around the world, is secure.

I still own a DVD set of COSMOS and enjoy watching the series from time to time. As a character on the screen, Sagan is engaging, witty, brilliant, and engrossing, and COSMOS still stands, in my mind, as one of the greatest television science series of all time. I still keep the copy of "Demon Haunted World" and have the "Pale Blue Dot" tapes, because there is great thought and wisdom in these volumes, and they are to Sagan's eternal credit.

But Sagan the person has been permanently removed from his pedestal. In hindsight, I should have never placed him up there to begin with.

In COSMOS, Sagan lauds German astronomer Johannes Kepler for having the courage to face the reality of celestial planetary motion, rather than cling to his beloved illusion of the nested geometric solids. In the same spirit I would encourage all Sagan fans to cast aside any illusions they may have regarding Carl Sagan the man, and read this book, and know the faults and flaws and shortcomings of the man we all learned to admire and idolize as children.

You will be surprised. You will be dissapointed. But you will know the truth.

Five stars for this book. Absolutely. Thanks to Keay Davidson for having the literary courage to delve into Sagan's life, and not just offer up a superficial pean.

A book to make the myth into a man.......2006-06-12

This biography differs from many of the other sycophantic works about celebrity lives in that it treats its subject as its subject treated the world: objectively. Those who have ears to hear, they will hear and agree.

Sagan was larger than life. A brilliant man with a passion for his subject he was none-the-less subject to human feelings and human failings. This book portrays the human side of Carl Sagan from his sudden, relationship damaging mood swings, to his desire to achieve the greatest good. It takes the myth of Carl Sagan and exposes the very real man underneath it all.

Sagan the scientist allowed his passions to distort his views at times but what great scientist hasn't had moments of irrational behavior? Sagan the humanitarian often demanded that things be done to relieve human suffering and end nuclear proliferation. He could be stubborn to the point of being annoying when it came to exposing frauds in science and the inhuman monsters (Edward Teller) whom he resented.

The book portrays a very human Sagan. A product of his era, he smoked pot, desired peace, devoted himself to his scientific calling, and became a legend. If you can stand to have the curtain drawn and the wizard exposed, this is the book for you. If you like fantasy over reality, move on.

For Sagan-Haters Only.......2006-02-11

This "biography" is one, long malicious attack upon Carl Sagan.

Keay Davidson obviously detests Sagan - so much so that I don't know why he would wrire a book about someone he hates so much.

Only someone who hates Sagan could enjoy this book - but anyone who hates Sagan wouldn't be buying/reading a biography about him anyway.

This book has no real audience. I would rate it ZERO stars if I were able.

If you like anything Carl did, please look elsewhere for a biography and do not waste a penny or a second on this unfathomably putrid piece of attack-journalism.

A poor overview of Sagan's life........2005-04-07

The book starts out reasonably well enough, with Davidson drawing you into the overview of the life of Carl Sagan's parents. But as the book progresses, you begin to see another side to the story of Sagan's life that you weren't expecting. Davidson doesn't hesitate to make broad generalizations and interpretations of his interviews with people in Sagan's life, even making borderline psychoanalytical conclusions to explain his behavior when Davidson is clearly not qualified in this area.

There were several points where I read a line and found myself just staring at the book with a gaping jaw and a sense of incredulility, wondering how he could make such a strange conclusion. For example, when he discussed Sagan's novel Contact, it quickly became apparant that Davidson hadn't even read the book or he wouldn't be making such strange interpretations of the book's plot.

Additionally, Davidson's writing is incredibly simplistic; although it may appear vivid and engaging on the surface, it is full of groan-inducing cliches and overdramatized descriptions of events. This, in combination with his purely speculative conclusions on Sagan's personality, made me want to vomit.

Overall, although I was able to glimpse a small part of what made Carl Sagan so special and see a somewhat decent overview of the events in his life, I feel I was getting a blurry and distorted picture of who the man really was.

Average customer rating:

Incredibly helpful
Excellent book
The amateur Astronomer's BIBLE!!!!!!!
Good book for amateur astronomers
Probably The Best Single Reference For Stargazers

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide
Terence Dickinson , and Alan Dyer
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe
Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them
Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories
Astronomy Hacks: Tips and Tools for Observing the Night Sky (Hacks)
Astronomy For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))

ASIN: 155209507X

Book Description

What type of telescope is best for beginners? Can I use my camera to take photographs through a telescope? How good are the new computerized telescope mounts? What charts, books, software and other references do I need? These questions are asked time and again by enthusiastic new amateurs as they take up recreational astronomy.

But accurate, objective and up-to-date information can be hard to find. Throughout the 1990s, the first edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide established itself as the indispensable reference to the equipment and techniques used by the modern recreational stargazer. Now, authors Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer have produced an expanded and completely updated edition that again sets the standard for accessible and reliable information on one of the world's most popular hobbies.

Dickinson and Dyer -- both full-time astronomy writers -- bring decades of experience to their task. They explain why telescopes often perform much differently from what the novice expects. They recommend the accessories that will enhance the observing experience and advise what not to buy until you become more familiar with your equipment. They name brands and sources and compare value so that you can be armed with the latest practical information when deciding on your next purchase. Sections on astrophotography, daytime and twilight observing, binocular observing and planetary and deep-sky observing round out this comprehensive guide to personal exploration of the universe. Dickinson and Dyer's elegant yet straightforward approach to a complex subject makes this book an invaluable resource for astronomers throughout North America.

With more than 500 color photographs and illustrations, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is also one of the most beautiful -- and user-friendly -- astronomy books ever produced.

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly helpful.......2007-09-21

I can't overstate how useful this book is. It covers naked-eye stargazing, binoculars, the history of amateur astronomy, telescope designs, eyepieces, accessories, setting up your new scope, the sun, moon, planets, stars, deep-sky objects, astrophotography, and just about anything else an amateur astronomer might want to know about. The reviews of telescope and eyepiece brands and models are particularly useful. I love browsing through telescope catalogs, but I also want expert advice on what brands and models are worth seeking out and which to avoid. This book delivers. The full color photographs throughout are a nice touch. The heavy paper and solid binding ensure that the book will last forever, which is good, because you'll be using it a lot.

I wish _every_ hobby had an intro book this useful.

Excellent book.......2007-07-15

If you are considering buying only one book on amateur astronomy this should be it. It covers the basics of observing, available equipment with recommendations, and much more while presenting it in an easy to read and understandable format. Dickinson and Dyer should be commended for putting together this book which must have been a monumental effort. It is truly one of the premier books ever written on this topic. It definately belongs in the hands of every backyard astronomer.

The amateur Astronomer's BIBLE!!!!!!!.......2007-05-24

Search no longer, everything you need to know is right here in this book.

1. Different types of scopes
2. Must have accessories.
3. Waste of time accessories
4. Recommended scopes.
5. ect, ect, ect.

It's the book that keeps on giving! Yes I also own Dickinson's "Nightwatch" and like another reviewer said, there's some repetition , which made me skeptical about buying this book, but if you already have "Nightwatch", this book goes into waaaaaaaay more depth. this is definately a must have for people who haven't purchased a scope yet and are trying to make a decision. I know how hard that decision is when you know very little about telscopes and accessories and every review you see is praising every telescope you look at. Where do you start? You start here.

Good book for amateur astronomers.......2007-05-06

I highly recommend this book to the serious amateur astronomer wanting to get the most from the night sky.

Probably The Best Single Reference For Stargazers.......2007-04-23

In one volume, Dickinson and Dyer have managed to cover about 95% of what amateur astronomers want to know to get a solid start in this fascinating hobby. From naked-eye observing to binocular astronomy, through sophisticated telescopes and astrophotography, this book provides solid info in an easy-reading, photo-filled format that will be a good companion on those cloudy nights when you're restricted to armchair astronomy. Especially helpful to me were the extensive tips on how to comfortably observe using lawnchairs and tripod-mounted binoculars. Your neck will thank you, too.

Enthisiastically recommended.

Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Finding, Observing, and Learning About over 125 Celestial Objects

Average customer rating:

Essential tool
It Goes With a Telescope or Binoculars.
excuse me, a beginner's book?
Starwatch
Harrington's Star Watch Shines

Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Finding, Observing, and Learning About over 125 Celestial Objects
Philip S. Harrington
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them
Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories
NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe
Astronomy Hacks: Tips and Tools for Observing the Night Sky (Hacks)
Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas

ASIN: 0471418048

Book Description

Your Passport to the Universe

The night sky is alive with many wonders--distant planets, vast star clusters, glowing nebulae, and expansive galaxies, all waiting to be explored. Let respected astronomy writer Philip Harrington introduce you to the universe in Star Watch, a complete beginner's guide to locating, observing, and understanding these celestial objects. You'll start by identifying the surface features of the Moon, the banded cloud tops of Jupiter, the stunning rings of Saturn, and other members of our solar system. Then you'll venture out beyond our solar system, where you'll learn tips and tricks for finding outstanding deep-sky objects from stars to galaxies, including the entire Messier catalog--a primary goal of every serious beginner.

Star Watch features a detailed physical description of each target, including size, distance, and structure, as well as concise directions for locating the objects, handy finder charts, hints on the best times to view each object, and descriptions of what you'll really see through a small telescope or binoculars and with the naked eye.

Star Watch will transport you to the farthest depths of space--and return you as a well-traveled, experienced stargazer.

Customer Reviews:

Essential tool.......2007-09-23

As others have said, this is not a glossy, colorful coffee-table book. In fact, you won't find any color pictures in this book at all. Just lots of black and white text and drawings. And yet, I have found this book to be one of the most useful astronomy guides. Why? Two main reasons.

First of all, the star charts. The author shows you how to "star-hop" from a bright star to an obscure deep sky object, which makes finding it so much easier. He also includes textual directions on how to find the object, step by step, star by star.

Second reason is expectations. As the owner of a 6" telescope, I used to be disappointed when I first started this hobby that the views of deep sky objects weren't as fabulous as I had expected from seeing colorful pictures of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters. Frequently these items seemed like just fuzzy, ghostly grayish images to me. Well, as this book explains, that's how they look to most of us with medium (6" to 8" telescopes). And to the naked eye they will never look as colorful as they do in photographs. This book rates objects by how they would look in binoculars, small telescopes of 3" to 5", and medium telescopes of 6" to 8". He'll also tell you how easy or hard it is to find every object, and what you can expect to see in each type of instrument. He also includes his own sketches of how some of these objects look through his 8" reflector. Often they look not much better than how I see them in my 6" reflector, which is a great comfort.

Excellent book for amateur astronomers - it will tell you exactly how to find the most interesting objects and what to expect to see once you do find them, depending on what instrument you're using.

It Goes With a Telescope or Binoculars........2007-02-12

The book has a big list of things you can see with only a pair of binoculars. So I gave the nerds both binoculars and a telescope.

Very good book.

excuse me, a beginner's book?.......2006-01-23

Maybe I am even less talented than I thought, maybe I am just downright stupid, maybe problem is in my expectations, as I expected something more visual and less technical.. but this book is not a beginner's book. I bought a telescope for my son this xmas, and I wanted to know what the heck we are looking at once skies clear over Croatia. This book will not serve that purpose. IF I WERE an astronomy / physics anthusiast (NEVER!), THEN this book would have been a beginner's book.

Starwatch.......2006-01-15

I used this book for my beginning astronomy class I took online and it was very user friendly and the information is quite understandable. I really liked this book and the information it entails. Enjoy this book

Harrington's Star Watch Shines.......2005-08-20

An excellent beginner's book or a back-to-basics guide for expeienced observers, Harrington meticulously lays-out the celestial sphere and ways to find and enjoy it's wonders.

This patient step by step approach not only teaches the fundamentals and skills of stargazing, but calibrates our expectation realistically regrarding what we can expect to see depending on the instrument we use and the local conditions.

Harrington selects for us 125 fascinating objects to observe
using them to develop techniques for finding and viewing.

I would recommend this work as a great primer for neophyte amateur astronomers.

Galaxies and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)

Average customer rating:

A very good book
most up-to-date, clearly structured reference book on galaxy observing
A Wealth of Information, Poorly Organized

Galaxies and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)
Wolfgang Steinicke , and Richard Jakiel
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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The Herschel Objects and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)
Supernovae: and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)

Accessories:

Celestial Mechanics: The Waltz of the Planets (Springer Praxis Books / Popular Astronomy)
Distant Worlds: Milestones in Planetary Exploration
Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

ASIN: 1852337524

Book Description

Galaxies are perhaps the most popular of all visual targets that are sought after by visual observers. At present the only way to get up-to-date information, is to query various (often highly technical) speciality books or digging deeply into the Internet. This can be a time consuming and often frustrating task, as the data aren’t often compatible. This book satisfies the need for a modern, comprehensive review in combining the three major aspects: the physical background on the nature and data of galaxies, the relevant instrumentation and viewing techniques, and finally the targets and their individual appearance in telescopes of various apertures. To illustrate the latter, a comprehensive sample of galaxies, including quasars, groups and clusters of galaxies is presented. This combination of theoretical knowledge and practical information guarantees successful observing sessions. The book could become a standard source on galaxy observing for all kinds of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced.

Customer Reviews:

A very good book.......2007-10-04

It is excellent writting, comprehensive, analytical and all subjects well presented and in the appropriate order.

most up-to-date, clearly structured reference book on galaxy observing.......2007-08-13

Wolfgang Steinicke was the leading author of the german "Praxishandbuch Deep Sky"(Kosmos 2004), which I like very much. So I started reading his new book on Galaxies with high expectations...and I was not disappointed :
I believe this is the most up-to-date, clearly structured reference book on galaxy observing - satisfying a very broad range of interests.
In three major sections, the authors not only address the needs of the most ambitious observers, but frequently add encouraging hints for beginners as well.
I recommend it A) as a reading book to gain a broader knowledge
and B) as an excellent planning guide when you want to observe MUCH MORE than the most commonly known galaxies.
SECTION I (70 pages) provides a basic understanding of the different types of galaxies and clusters, plus all those data that are important for visually observing them.
Chapter 1 explains different galaxy classification schemes, special cases and pecularities - then chapter 2 introduces pairs, groups and clusters of galaxies and shows their place within the hierarchy of the universe.
Chapter 3 presents a well structured overview for many different types of galaxy catalogs, containing galaxy data and nomenclatures. Advantages/disadvantages of these catalogs are discussed and their data quality is critically judged.
I strongly recommend to study this chapter 3 on catalogs first, because the same presentation structure is followed in the later SECTION III on observing programs.
SECTION II (33 pages) covers the Technical Aspects on observing galaxies.
Key technical instrumentation aspects are only summarized briefly (chap.4), but the Theory of Visual Observation (chap.5), together with practical recommendations on observing, star hopping and observing logs (chap.6) demonstrate the authors very broad experience in finding, identifying faint galaxies and documenting them.
SECTION III (110 pages) on "What to Observe? - The Objects" contains the largest, most valuable part of the book.
An instructive combination of "photo/textual" descriptions presents a large number of objects in the most "objective" way :
Not counting individual galaxies inside groups or clusters (though mentioned in the tables), a total of 500 objects are listed in data tables - following that same structure introduced in SECTION I. Each data table is immediately followed by a separate table with textual descriptions. Around 600 such descriptions are given, based on the visual appearance of each object with different instruments: 1. binocular (if possible),
2. medium aperture telescope(6-10"), 3. large telescope(13-20", sometimes larger).
All these observation descriptions in chapters 7 to 10 stem from renowned observers; e.g. Steve Gottlieb, Steve Coe, beside the authors.
Chapter 7 suggests a variety of Observing Programs, based on
a) M-, NGC/IC- or UGC- CATALOGS
b) Sky Areas and constellations
Chapter 8 suggests selection criteria which are dependent on the characteristics of the individual galaxy; i.e. by sorting them by their distance or by their appearance.
Chapter 9 concentrates on Groups and Clusters; i.e. by listing a) pairs and trios, b) small groups and chains, then c) clusters.
Chapter 10 finally suggests interesting targets "off the beaten path" or in the category of "ultimate challenge".
My reason for mentioning all these details is to demonstrate that this book is quite well organized - especially for all those readers with a minimal amount of patience and learning will.

There is only one unfortunate omission : Springer printed the 1.edition of this unique reference book without a page index !!!
However, after I emailed the author, he swiftly produced an INDEX OF ALL OBJECTS (xls), which can easily be downloaded
from the (Homepage Wolfgang Steinicke).

A Wealth of Information, Poorly Organized.......2007-04-17

This book is filled with a lot of really interesting information on galaxies. However, it is extremely disorganized. My copy of this book is now full of bookmarks to help me find information later. Why? This book has no index. Let me repeat that--this book has NO INDEX. This is an unforgivable sin for any reference book! Furthermore, the subtitle is "and how to observe them." There is not a clue about how to observe galaxies. Instead, the pictures of galaxies are taken through large professional telescopes that for the most part are not even identified. There are observer's descriptions for some galaxies, but most of these are through 20" and larger telescopes. Only a few descriptions are for telescope sizes you might be likely to own.

On the plus side, there are a number of pointers to more information sources, but often these are given in large, undifferentiated lists, instead of the authors making specific recommendations.

Some of the descriptions of galactic structure and evolution are extremely sparse. You won't find a clear definition of Seyfert galaxies, for example.

If you're looking for a definitive work on galaxies, this isn't it. But if you want to learn some interesting facts, you might find this book a fun read. You'll probably come away with some observing ideas as well, but stock up on bookmarks!

Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories

Average customer rating:

Vital reading for a astronomy enthusiast
Good Buying Guide
Excellent book
Star Ware 4
Way too technical -- No pictures -- Not for the novice

Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories
Philip S. Harrington
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide
Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Finding, Observing, and Learning About over 125 Celestial Objects
Astronomy Hacks: Tips and Tools for Observing the Night Sky (Hacks)
NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe
How to Use a Computerized Telescope: Practical Amateur Astronomy Volume 1 (Practical Amateur Astronomy)

ASIN: 0471750638

Book Description

Praise for Star Ware

"Star Ware is still a tour de force that any experienced amateur will find invaluable, and which hardware-minded beginners will thoroughly enjoy."

- Robert Burnham, Sky & Telescope magazine

"Star Ware condenses between two covers what would normally take a telescope buyer many months to accumulate."

- John Shibley, Astronomy magazine

Whether you're shopping for your first telescope or your fifth, don't be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the dazzling array of product choices, bells and whistles, and the literature that describes them all. That's why you need Star Ware.

In this revised and updated Fourth Edition of the essential guide to comparing and selecting sky-watching equipment, award-winning astronomy writer Philip Harrington takes you telescope shopping the easy way. He analyzes and explains today's astronomy market and compares brands and models point by point. Star Ware gives you the confidence you need to buy the telescope and accessories that are right for you and the knowledge to get the most out of your new purchase, with:
*

Extensive, expanded reviews of leading models and accessories-including dozens of new products
*

A clear, step-by-step guide to every aspect of selecting telescopes, binoculars, filters, mounts, lenses, cameras, film, star charts, guides and references, and much more
*

Ten new do-it-yourself projects for building your own astronomical equipment
*

Easy tips on setting up, using, and caring for telescopes and other astronomical equipment
*

Lists of where to find everything astronomical, including Web sites and resources; distributors, dealers, and conventions; and corporate listings for products and services

Customer Reviews:

Vital reading for a astronomy enthusiast.......2007-08-15

I have found this book to be a veritable wealth of information with the uncommon aspect of actually giving critical, unbiased assessments of the wide and varied array of astronomical hardware available.

While you might not agree with all his observations, the assessments appear to be based on actual hands-on experience, and I find it refreshing to see reviews that don't uniformly praise every single item under scrutiny!

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to future updates.

Good Buying Guide.......2007-07-08

I now own the last 3 editions of this. An excellent and extensive introductionj to astronomical equipment and accessories definitely worthwhile for the new astronomer. Even worthwhile for many more experienced astronomers. Includes a section featuring many DIY accessories.

Excellent book.......2007-06-25

There are a number of books out there that cover available equipment for Amateur Astronomy. However, I haven't found any that cover this area as in depth as this book. The Author, Phil Harrington has certainly done his research, and brings this information to the reader in an easily understood way. I first bought this book in 2006 and found some of the information to be a little dated at that time. When I saw that there was going to be an updated version coming out, I knew I would be purchasing it. I purchased the updated version and it wasn't at all lacking. At the time of it's release (4/2007) it is current with regards to available equipment for the Amateur Astronomer. This book is easy to read and understand. When I am looking to purchase a new piece of equipment, Starware is the first book I grab for the information I need.

Star Ware 4.......2007-05-20

There's a ton of useful information here. At a price of less than almost astro accessory, it's highly recommended.

Way too technical -- No pictures -- Not for the novice.......2006-12-03

This book is not for the novice interested in learning about the basics of telescope buying.

It is a very hard read as it is not organized nicely, has pages and pages of technical jargon, tons of unnecessary repetition...

They describe certain telescope features and don't explain why one feature might be better over another. They just mention the features.

The book contains a lot of reviews on outdated equipment and nothing on the latest telescopes.

It did not provide a simple outline of the various features one should look for in a telescope -- perhaps aperture, focal length, mm diameter, etc. -- this is what I was looking for.

I found more informative concise information on Yahoo! Answers for free.

I decided to purchase another book that was meant for the newbie and explains in simple terms what one should look for and has a lot of great photos and diagrams. It does not contain technical terms adfinitum that would only help a professional astronomer.

The better book is entitled "A Simple Guide to Telescopes, Spotting Scopes, and Binoculars" and you can purchase on Amazon for $10. This book is helpful for not only telescope selecting for the novice, but also for set up, etc for after you get the telescope.

Emphasis on the word simple!

Thank goodness I decided to check it out at my local Borders, as I was about to buy it sight unseen on Amazon due to the great reviews above. It would have been a waste of money!

ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS (Exploring the Ancient World)

Average customer rating:

A Great Place To Start!

ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS (Exploring the Ancient World)
AVENI A
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Empires of Time: Calendars, Clocks, and Cultures
Stairways to the Stars: Skywatching in Three Great Ancient Cultures
The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy
Skywatchers : A Revised and Updated Version of Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico
Living the Sky: The Cosmos of the American Indian

ASIN: 0895990377

Customer Reviews:

A Great Place To Start!.......2001-04-23

Anthony Aveni is well known in scholastic circles for his many excellent and ground-breaking publications in the field of archaeoastronomy. This particular volume is geared toward interested laymen and uninitiated scholars who are not yet well grounded in the history of astronomy or ideas of cosmology from an anthropological perspective. The book is graced with numerous and apt illustrations, while the text reads easily with Aveni's smooth and informative style. Chapters were clearly organized thoughtfully, as information builds upon previous explanations and new concepts or ideas are charted out for the neophytes as needed. "Ancient Astronomy" provides an ideal introduction to archaeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, and cosmology for students in anthropology and the history of astronomy. Veteran researchers familiar with Aveni's other publications will not find anything particularly new here, but his presentation in this work nevertheless provides a concise and attractive synthesis of ideas he has published elsewhere. Highy recommended!

Star Clusters and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)

Average customer rating:

A Rare Breed!
Fascinating and Informative Book
A great observing guide!
An enjoyable and inspiring read
Star Clusters: The Missed Opportunity

Star Clusters and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)
Mark Allison
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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Rocks & Minerals | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

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The Herschel Objects and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)

Accessories:

CCD Astrophotography: High-Quality Imaging from the Suburbs (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)
Russian Planetary Exploration: History, Development, Legacy and Prospects (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)
Animals in Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttle (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

ASIN: 1846281903

Book Description

ASTRONOMERS’ OBSERVING GUIDES provide up-to-date information for amateur astronomers who want to know all about what it is they are observing. This is the basis of the first part of the book. The second part details observing techniques for practical astronomers, working with a range of different instruments. Star Clusters and How to Observe Them is a mine of information for all levels of amateur observers, from beginners to experienced observers. It begins with a detailed yet easily assimilated description of star clusters, how they were formed as our Milky Way galaxy evolved, and how they are classified. The latest research has revealed a vast amount of fascinating information about the clusters, along with some spectacular photographs. Modern commercially-made telescopes enable amateur astronomers to see a surprising amount of detail, and to record – using CCD cameras, video, webcams or even film – some remarkably beautiful and detailed images. There is detailed information on using refractors, reflectors, SCT’s (like Meade and Celestron) and computer-controlled telescopes The book includes an Observing List cataloguing star clusters to be observed or imaged using a variety of different instruments, all of them available commercially to amateur astronomers.

Customer Reviews:

A Rare Breed!.......2006-07-18

Books specifically about Star Clusters are a rare breed (there are 2, Archinal & Hayes book AND this one!) So I ordered this book with bated breath.
I am glad to report that it did not dissapoint. The scientific data is fresh, non-technical and bang up-to-date and covers all types of clusters including remnants, extragalactic clusters and asterisms. The observing guide and object list is thorough and accessible, and unlike most general deep sky books, the content is geared specifically towards star clusters. Would I recommend this book to cluster enthusiasts and beginners? You bet!

Fascinating and Informative Book.......2006-07-04

I am an amateur living in suburban conditions, so star clusters are ideal targets for my small scope. I found this book invaluable. It gives not only up-to-date information on all aspects of clusters - but in an easy to read format, and no maths in sight. I also found the observing guide and 'hit list' very useful. In my humble opinion, this book is worth every cent.

A great observing guide!.......2006-05-24

This book is easy to read yet goes quite deep into star cluster science and physics - but with a down to earth approach. As a newcomer to astronomy, I found the observing guide very helpful. Even the sections on equipment and techniques were useful as they are geared to star cluster observation. The list of objects is thorough and well thought out - but It could have been larger!
The author states he is an amateur astronomer himself - and his passion for the subject certainly shows. Highly recommended!

An enjoyable and inspiring read.......2006-05-23

I found this book both interesting and factual. It does not contain any history of observing, or mythology but the author mentions that this was intentional. The book covers the science of star clusters very well and most of the latest discoveries are documented.

I did find a few small errors in the text but they don't distract the from the content too much, and I must admit that Springer books in general appear to have more typos than usual.
The sections on observing will appeal to beginners - though advanced amateurs may find these sections too simplistic - I guess the author is trying to appeal to all types of observer?
The list of objects is comprehensive and covers the range from very easy, to pretty hard - some are a little obscure - but at least this presents a challenge. The star charts are very clear - but some of the CCD images are a little ropey - but they are produced by amateur astronomers.

Archinal & Hynes book 'Star Clusters' is a much larger book and covers the history of star clusters and many pages are dedicated to its star cluster catalogues. But if you require a smaller book that concentrates on star cluster science and observing, then Allison's book will suit you better.

I would recommend this book to any star cluster enthusiast.

Star Clusters: The Missed Opportunity.......2006-05-22

I’m an optimist: I believe Man will wake up to Global Warming before we turn our planet into Venus, that there are some honest politicians, and that proofreading will return to the forefront of book publishing.

Alas, today is not that day. Allison’s book so badly needed a proofreader that a fifth-grade teacher, armed with a red pen, would have run out of ink before getting out of the first couple chapters. I think good writing should not only be engaging, but should be free from obvious grammar and spelling errors—it makes it easier to read for the inexperienced reader, and considerably less distracting for the experienced reader.
Allison’s book has so many errors in grammar, including punctuation and tense, that the book is quite distracting to read.

I admire the intent, though, and I would have grudgingly given a nod to the book were it not for the Fatal Flaw that seems to inhabit so many astronomy-oriented books these days: the inclusion of basic information unnecessary to the text or content of the book.

On point: does a book about the structure, history, and observing of star clusters really need basic information about finders, telescope types, Barlows, diagonals, and filters? If you think it does, because the book might be read by a novice stargazer who is not so familiar with the basics of observing, then why include information on cluster classification systems, stellar spectra, and hard-to-observe faint clusters that are test objects for large dobs? Does the reader who understands the science of stars and their classifications, or to whom the difficult clusters would be interesting challenges, really need a primer on finders and Barlows?

I think not. Perhaps the author didn’t either, but was asked to include this information by the publisher. Whichever is the case, it’s there, but it surely didn’t need to be.

Lastly, there is the “meat” of the book; its catalogue of 109 star clusters, replete with finder charts, photographs, basic data, and observation reports. This is the part of the book that might have, despite the other problems aforementioned, redeemed the book in the eyes of this 43 year veteran of star cluster observing.

It was not to be. I could not believe some of the sky’s most spectacular clusters, such as NGC 7789 in Cassiopeia, were left out, while truly difficult (and somewhat mundane) clusters, such as G1 in the Andromeda Galaxy, were included. If the intent is to inspire people to look at star clusters of all types and sizes, with all levels of difficulty, then a more comprehensive approach is necessary. If you compare this to “Star Clusters” by Archinal and Hynes (pub.Willmann-Bell), or “The Night-Sky Observer’s Guide” by Kepple and Sanner (pub.Willmann-Bell), or “Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects” by Luginbuhl and Skiff (pub.Cambridge Univ.Press), the truly poor nature of this book’s contents becomes glaringly apparent.

I do not recommend this book without a major rewriting and the inclusion of a lot more star clusters. Save your money and get one of the books mentioned—your interest will be far better served.

Don Pensack, Los Angeles, May, 2006.

Galileo Galilei: Inventor, Astronomer, and Rebel (Giants of Science)

Average customer rating:

A True Giant of Science!
Inventor, Astronomer, and Rebel
Invenor, Astronomer, and Rebel

Galileo Galilei: Inventor, Astronomer, and Rebel (Giants of Science)
Michael White
Manufacturer: Blackbirch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1567113257

Book Description

Galileo Galilei was one of the world's greatest scientific pioneers. His work ranged through mechanics and motion, to sound, speech and light, astronomy, and the system of the universe. Despite his outstanding contributions to science, he was labeled a heretic by the Catholic Church and was imprisioned for life.

Customer Reviews:

A True Giant of Science!.......2005-11-16

"The mathematician and physicist Galileo Galilei is one of the most famous scientists of all times. The story of his life and times, of his epoch-making experiments and discoveries, of his stubbornness and pride, of his patrons in the house of Medici, of his enemies and friends in their struggle for truth - all is brought vividly to life in this book. Atle Nss has written a gripping account of one of the great figures in European history.He was awarded the Brage Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in Norway." (review from First Science Online Newsletter)

Inventor, Astronomer, and Rebel.......2005-03-16

Galileo Galilei was one of the world's greatest scientist. He developed the telescope. With it, he discovered Jupiter's moon and hundreds of stars. He declared that Earth was not in the centre of the universe with the sun revolving around it. Galileo proved that the Earth was acctually revolving around the sun. The Church found out and home arrested him. Galileo's methods was the birth of modern science.

Invenor, Astronomer, and Rebel.......2005-03-16

Galileo Galilei was one of the world's greatest scientist. He develope the telescope. With it, he discovered Jupiter's moons and hundreds of stars. He declared that Earth was not in the centre of the universe with the sun revolving around it. Galileo proved that the Earth was acctually revolving around the sun. The Church found out and home arrested Galileo. Galileo's methods was the birth of modern science.

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