Astronomy

  (out of 5 stars)

Planetary scientist David Grinspoon presents a robust presentation centered on alien life in the universe. An interesting and popular subject, this book was somewhat underwhelming overall, though it had some interesting and enjoyable passages.

While the book presumes to be a "natural philosophy" of the subject, the actual philosophy in the book is largely contained in a few sections of a few chapters. Most of the book describes historical or scientific fundamentals necessary for understanding the alien discussion, including histories of planetary science, alien philosophy, and biology. Except for the history of alien philosophy, which was the best part of the book for me, the history and science sections were good but not great. And while it is necessary to understand these basics, Grinspoon takes several hundred pages to get to his "philosophy". By that time, the decent narrative felt overly-drawn out.

Still, the book is a decent read for anyone with an interest in this sort of subject matter. But don't expect too much if you are an experienced reader, Grinspoon doesn't cover a great deal of original ground here, and except for the history of alien theories, I've read much better treatments of the history and science matters. Additionally, SETI dominates much of the discussion in a way which I found a bit off-putting, though I honestly can't say why. I like Grinspoon and love his enthusiasm, but I came away from Lonely Planets with a sense that it needed to be condensed and reorganized significantly. Three stars.

  (out of 5 stars)

Tim Ferris has a gift for writing history of science books, and many consider Coming of Age in the Milky Way his best. I have to agree. The history of astronomy and physics presented here is fantastic and engaging. Ferris has a great pace and narrative, and offers the reader a well-developed and engrossing look at what other authors have turned into a dry dissertation.

The book takes the reader through a timeline of discovery as humans came to understand various bis about their place in the universe. Early ideas, such as those of Aristole and Ptolemy are explored. The discussion of how scientists such as Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Gallileo, and Newton (among others) came to notice and explore phenomena left unexplained by existing theories. As humans expanded their understanding of the depths and reach of space, the progress from the Ancient Greeks to the notion of an expanding universe takes on a fascinating and is woven by Ferris into an epic tapestry of scientific discovery.

The second part of the book looks at the notions of Time as they progressed from various ancient theories to the modern understanding that the universe as we know it is many billions of years old.

Part Three offers a look at theories of creation, from the quantum nature of things to the concepts which developed into the Big Bang and inflationary theory. The weakest parts of the book are found in Chapters 19 and 20, where the science behind a couple of points in Ferris's narrative has become dated and shown inaccurate (the book was published in 1989). Specifically, the concept of an expanding universe which is slowing down its acceleration has been trumped by modern research (recent discoveries point to an acceleration which is increasing). Also, Ferris describes the nature of the pre-Big Bang singularity first posited by Stephen Hawking and others, a concept which Hawking has vehemently backed away from since Coming of Age was published, and Hawking now no longer supports this theory.

Still, Coming of Age is an enjoyable read for anyone who likes astronomy or history of science books. Ferris is an accomplished author whose work is easily approached by novices and delightful for those with experience. Four stars.

  (out of 5 stars)

The story of Nicolaus Copernicus is one of the most interesting tales in all of science history. In Copernicus' Secret, Jack Repcheck takes a look at the man who wrote the book which set the stage for a fundamental revolution in science.

Repcheck's writing is at times tedious. There were moments when his narrative bogged down heavily in details of relationships, dry descriptions of locales, and subjective reporting of possible events (such as things that may have been said or experienced which are largely supposition by the author). There were stretches where I wasn't really enjoying the book.

But then, there were large sections of the book that were outstanding. The details of Copernicus's life, and those who influenced and were influenced by him, are vivid and presented along with a unique account of the religious and social upheaval going on in Reformation-era Poland. The relationship between Copernicus and Rheticus is told very well, despite the inclusion of occasional suppositions.

Overall, despite the weaknesses, this is a fine account of the life of a significant figure in history. The book is fairly brief, with text of less than 200 pages, and while it sometimes bogs in off-topic details, the overall presentation is informative and largely enjoyable. Three and one-half stars.

  (out of 5 stars)

Historian of science Thomas Kuhn served up this foundational and mathematical history of the Copernican Revolution, that amazing period of time which saw man's idea of a geocentric universe replaced with a more accurate heliocentric one. Copernicus himself delivered the foundational work, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri six ("Six Books on the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres"), which forever influenced the course of science's understanding of planetary motion.

Kuhn's history covers the pre-Renaissance groundwork laid down from ancient times, especially in works by Aristole and Ptolemy, and moves the story through the problems associated with these accepted models. Copernicus himself is largely ignored until much later in the book as Kuhn makes sure the reader understands just why Copernicus felt the need to break from tradition and put forth an alternative model.

Once De revolutionibus is published and spreads, Kuhn follows the story on through the later work of Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo, as well as explaining just why this Revolution was such a pronounced one in hindsight.

Kuhn's writing is very exact, and he can be a bit meticulous with some of the geometry. I loved this, but I recognize that some popular history of science readers might find this a bit too technical. Anyway, Kuhn is an excellent historian and presents a well-written and concise account of one of the most important periods in the history of science. Four stars.

  (out of 5 stars)

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has taken up the reins from the late Carl Sagan as the leading advocate for science education and instructional entertainment. Seen on outstanding programs such as PBS's NOVA series (which he now hosts), Tyson has Sagan's gift for expressing enthusiam for science which is infective. Origins, which Dr. Tyson wrote with astronomer Donald Goldsmith, offers the reader straightforward glimpses at some of the most fascinating processes and products in our Universe, from galactic clusters to biological evolution.

The writing in Origins is approachable by any level of science reader. There are only a couple of places where complex terms might fly over the head of a novice, but the authors keep the book focused on educating a reader new to the subjects without a dense recital of the math and theory behind each one.

The opening chapters deal with the early Universe, including the problems and possibilities of dark matter and dark energy, and then move on to galaxies and stars.

The authors spend a short time on planets before moving on to biological origins of life on earth and the possibilities of discovering life or the conditions which make life possible somewhere other than Earth.

While most of this information is well-known to any intermediate science reader (and likely to a great number of novice readers), the presentation is engaging and, in Tyson's unique way, enlightening even on subjects with which the reader is already familiar. The way chemistry is weaved into the discussion of star and planet formation, as well as how life depends on specific chemistries (or possibly not, as is also discussed) was very presented and added an excellent layer of insight into the astrophysical subject matter. Highly recommended for novice readers or for anyone who loves to read popular science that isn't dumbed down but also is not densely packed with high-level science jargon and data. Four stars.

  (out of 5 stars)

This most recent book published in Sagan's name is a compilation his Gifford Lectures presentations, along with many of the followup questions and answers, compiled from transcripts by his last wife Ann Druyan. From the beginning, for any reader who has had the pleasure of hearing Sagan speak, Carl's voice will quickly focus on the issues at hand. This set of lectures offers a unique view into Carl's own search for God and his belief that science and reason present our best tools for exploring and explaining our world.

Each lecture offers a segment of his thoughts, each bringing the reader gently through the discussion. Sagan avoids terribly difficult discussions in order to present his listeners (and now, his readers) a clear insight into his mindset. He asks us to think calmly about the subjects at hand, to probe the details with the scientific method and with reason. Religion, in Sagan's view, is not the right answer, if there is indeed a right answer at all.

I enjoyed this book, which at times felt a bit metaphysical some of the injections of slides and descriptions of the beauty in nature and the cosmos. I loved listening to Sagan talk on most any subject, so this book was a neat view of the man and his mind. Four stars.