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Customer Reviews (3)

Another Mine of Info
Like many of the books in this series, this book packs a lot of info in a little format. Well illustrated and a good reference or intro to ancient calendars.

Concise, Interesting, & Mayan Astrological Signs
I was looking for a concise history of the Mayans and calendars and found it and more within the pages of this book. Finding a section in the back of the book that allows the reader to find the Mayan astrological birth signs was a nice surprise.
This is a good source for students seeking research materials and anyone who finds the Mayans and calendars interesting.

Wonderful little book!
This small but wonder filled book will delight any enthusiast of Mayan studies, as well as those interested in ancient calendars far and wide.

The cover is exquisite.It is beautifully rendered and will grace any book shelf.This is a book to keep handy for friends and guests will enjoy this truly charming addition to the library. ... Read more

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Although it is now almost unanimously accepted that the cosmos started withthe Big Bang, we still have no plausible theory for the forces that set thiscreative cataclysm into motion. Some of the most profound questions sciencearise out of the difficulties scientists have explaining how our Universewas born. What happened, and indeed what was, before the Big Bang? Duringthe past few years cosmologists and physicists have begun to develop newideas, sometimes fantastic, that are beginning to shed light on suchquestions. In OUT OF THIS WORLD, Stephen Webb examines these amazing recent theories.After introducing general relativity and quantum mechanics-the twinfoundations of twentieth century physics-he explains how they arefundamentally incompatible. Then, in a series of increasingly astonishingchapters, he introduces us to the seemingly outlandish and bizarreproposals-from almost unbelievably small particles to huge membranes thatmay envelope our Universe-that physicists have devised to account for thisincompatibility, ultimately leading to us to wholly new realms ofunderstanding. Webb makes these strange and wonderful goings-on accessible, engaging, andenjoyable, conveying not just what theorists have begun to believe about thecosmos, but the awe and excitement felt by scientists as this new picture ofthe Universe slowly emerges. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Too Technical
I agree with the previous reviewer.This book is much too technical for the general reader.The author repeatedly uses jargon without any explaination of what it means.I have a background in biological science and like to keep up to date onphysical science.I have previously read extensively on string theory, yet I found myself repeatedly adrift in this book wondering what on earth the author was talking about.

About as exciting as the user's guide for my new fridge
Before I begin what may be construed as a rant, I'd like to say that I did complete this book and that I enjoy books of this genre on a regular basis.

"Colliding Universes, branes, strings and other wild ideas of modern physics" screams the cover.The cartoonish cover art further reinforces the idea that the reader is in for a fun ride.Sadly this book suffers from being entirely too technical for its own good.I've read every single stephen hawking book so I do not consider myself ignorant in this area.Yet I found myself lost amidst the jargon that is littered too liberally throughout this book.Somewhere between learning about SU(2)s and the SU(5)s I found myself thinking that I'd rather be driving a SUV.I think after reading this I care about as much for the X or Y boson as I do for their namesake chromosomes.

To be fair I did find the last third of the book to be interesting and not quiet as dense.And the book does cover a wide range of theories, from particle physics to strings and branes.But I still could not help feeling cheated in the end.

If you're a casual reader who just likes to to read up on concepts without getting too deep in the technical aspects of it, this book is not for you.

If you're a total newbie looking for your first book on the wild side of physics, I suggest anything by Stephen Hawkings.This book may turn you off the genre entirely.

If you're looking for something a bit more technical, but not quiet going into equations you might enjoy this book.

Personally I'd just recommend Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawkings.A superior book, by a far superior author.

Great Work Webb!
Out of this World - Colliding Universes, Branes and other Wild Ideas of Modern Physics by Stephen Webb is a humble exercise in reminding one not to judge a book by its cover.
I was surprised by the difference between my initial judgment (by its title & cartoonish cover) and my evolving sense of appreciation for the depth & thoroughness this author brings to a general lay-audience. Stephen Webb provides a clear & accessible introduction to the most important subjects in fundamental physics while bridging the gulf between "gee wiz" popular science books (e.g. "Fabric of the Cosmos") and the deeper, more technical treatments that top out at the Undergraduate and Graduate level. Keep in mind this book is, strictly speaking, categorically qualitative (i.e. non-mathematical). The 11 chapters are subdivided into succinct & digestible sections with generous figures, tables and photographs (145 total) illustrating concepts of physical processes and the key physicists involved. A 14 page Glossary, 2 page Bibliography, and a fairly thorough 6 page index close out the book.
The scope of this book is grand in its broad range of subjects is covered in a concise no-nonsense, no-holds barred language. Group Theory & Gauge Symmetries, Special & General Relativity, Quantum Theory, the Standard Model of particle physics, Quantum Field Theories (Electroweak (QED) & Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), Big Bang cosmology, and a fairly comprehensive coverage of Grand Unified Theories (GUTS), Supersymmetry (SUSY), Superstrings and M-Theory. All these subjects are put into proper historical context placing appropriate credit to the key physicists.
After an introductory chapter, Webb leads us through a profundity of symmetry principles in chapter 1: continuous & discrete symmetries, spatial & temporal translations, Noether's Theorem (symmetry & conservation laws: time-energy, rotation-angular momentum), mirror & parity symmetry, Lorentz transformations/invariance principles. The chapter concludes with a rather nice qualitative treatment on mathematical groups - introducing the reader to Special Orthogonal/Unitary (SO(N), U(1) & SU(N)) and exceptional Lie groups and their importance to symmetries in fundamental physics.
In chapter 2, the author crafts a beautiful real-world example of a practical application of both physics on a large scale (General & Special Relativity) and small scale (Quantum Mechanics: Planck scales, the Uncertainty principle and virtual interactions) by discussing how these "Twin Pillars of Physics" make the Global Positioning System possible.
Chapters 3 & 4 are my favorites. They quickly bring you through the way high energy physics produces and classifies the constituents of our Standard Model. The key concepts of units of energy, rest mass, Electric charge and spin; Fermions & Bosons, leptons, and the Quark model of Hadrons are fleshed out for our edification. Also, a fascinating aside reminds us that the World-Wide Web was created at the CERN accelerator facility in Europe and foretells of the next generation "Grid" global network system. Local Gauge Symmetry, Dirac field, QED, Feynman diagrams, perturbation & renormalization programs; the Strong interactions of SU(3)c Quark-Gluon, & color and the SU(2) X U(1) Electroweak plus Higgs unification close out chapter 4 with a nice ring. Chapter 5 is a quick but inclusive read where the fruits & faults of SU(5) GUTS and N=8 SUSY are aired out.
The early history of extra dimensions (1919 Kaluza-1926 Klein) and Edward Witten's 1981 eleven dimensional compact manifold paper are introduced in chapter 6. Chapter 7 brings us through the meat of Superstring Theories proper where Veneziano, Nambu, Susskind; Schwarz & Scherk; Calabi-Yau, Green, Witten, and Gross, Harvey, Martinec & Rohm ("Princeton String Quartet") are given due credit in the development of the Theory. Loop Quantum Gravity shows up in a one-page aside. The five types of consistent Superstring Theories are spelled out towards the end of the chapter.
Chapter 8 is titled "The Story of M". Here, Webb covers electromagnetic duality, monopoles & superconductors (`t Hooft, et. al), QCD again, heterotic SO(32), s and t duality and finally M-Theory itself. As with the rest of the book (and In the spirit of true scientific practice), the author includes both good arguments for and general criticisms against these theories. These pros & cons are given fair "air-time". D-BRANES and Black Holes are added to the mix in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 is a brisk cruise through the "Holographic Universe" principle via anti-de Sitter spacetime (AdS), Conformal field (CFT) and large-N theories.
The closing chapter (11) is a great synthesis & synopsis of some earlier travels through the lands of Quantum Fields, the Standard model of particle physics, symmetries & symmetry breaking; gravity waves & missing matter; extra dimensions, Strings, "Brane worlds", the Anthropic Principle, and "coming attractions" in high energy physics (HEP)...
All in all, this book is a substantial complement to my extensive library of physics multimedia. "Out of this World" undeniably meets my expectation for a great author to bridge the yawning gap we autodidacts crave to step across between purely pop-science to academic textbooks in the subject. I have to recommend this book to all seriously interested physics laymen who want a bigger & better picture of the way we humans strive to understand how the Universe ultimately works...
I'll read it several times and eventually pass my copy around when all this knowledge gestates & gels in my mind. Great work Webb!

Another enjoyable and informative read by Webb
The first book I ever read by Webb concerned the Fermi Paradox and was written in an enjoyable and easy style. He takes the same approach in this new one "Out of This World". The subject, on the surface anyhow, seems in some ways less-friendly - super string theory and the building blocks of the universe - but he handles it in the same easy style that a non-mathematician or scientist (such as myself) can understand.

I had recently read "Elegant Universe" and found Webbs examples more approachable. It also goes further in some areas (though on the whole I think the two compliment each other). I consider myself technically minded but not too knowledgeable of physics other than what I covered at school. His level of explanation gave me a deeper insight and the coverage of black-holes and gripping. Normally I could not imagine using the words "page-turner" in describing a book like this, but there where points where I wished my commute was longer. Whoever thought I'd understand zero to eleven dimensions!

In short I would recommend this book. It is one of the few books that has changed and shaped the way I look at the world around me. There were a few points here and there which I could not understand but that wasn't a failing on the authors part rather mine (I mean in the end, it is deep physics!). ... Read more

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This volume of important papers by one the world's leadingastrophysicists provides a sweeping survey of the incisive andexciting applications of nuclear and particle physics to a wide rangeof problems in astrophysics and cosmology.

The prime focus of the book is on Big Bang cosmology and the role ofprimordial nucleosynthesis in establishing the modern consensus on theBig Bang. This leads into the connection of cosmology to particlephysics and the constraints put on various elementary particles byastrophysical arguments. Big Bang Nucleosynthesis has also led to theargument for nonbaryonic dark matter and is thus related to the majorproblem in physical cosmology today, namely, structure formation. Thenuclear-particle interface with astrophysics also extends to the othertopics of major interest such as the age of the universe, cosmic rays,supernovae, and solar neutrinos, each of which will be discussed insome detail. Each section contains historical papers, current papers,and frequently a popular article on the subject which provides anoverview of the topic.

This volume is testimony to the success of the integration of nuclearand particle physics with astrophysics and cosmology, and to theingenuity of the work in this area which has earned the authornumerous prestigious awards. The book, which is accessible tobeginning graduate students, should be of particular interest toresearchers and students in astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology andgravitation, and also in high energy and nuclear physics. ... Read more

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The most exciting new discovery in modern astronomy mustsurely be the detection of planets orbiting distant stars; but whatkinds of worlds these new planets are is yet to be determined withcertainty. In this imaginatively written yet solidly scientific work,planetary scientist John S. Lewis explains how planets form, what theyare made of, and how scientists know about both the planets in oursolar system and those orbiting distant suns.Amazon.com Review
Now we know: other stars have planets, too! What are theylike? Do they house beings looking up at us? In Worlds WithoutEnd, John S. Lewis answers the first question as best he can andwisely defers the second with a thorough discussion of itspossibilities. He knows what he's talking about--as codirector of theSpace Engineering Research Center at the University of Arizona, he'son top of the ever-increasing flow of information about our ownplanet, our neighbors from Mercury to Pluto, and the invisible (butwell-established) satellites of distant suns. His prose, at turnsstudious and droll, captures his enthusiasm for planetary science andinfuses the reader with the desire to know more. Whether you want tolearn about life or the planets that support it, Worlds WithoutEnd should be the starting point for your cosmic voyage. --RobLightner ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A fine book about planets, written for the interested non-specialist
I like this book about planets, which is written by an expert.

John Lewis makes the point that Earth's history was modified rather dramatically by an impact with a huge (maybe Mars-sized) bolide.That impact influenced the Earth's spin, axial tilt, and internal composition.And it produced the Moon (which was initially far closer to the Earth than it now is).He asks what the Earth would be like had this impact not occurred, but he also explains that this is a very hard question to answer.

The author then discusses what the Earth might be like were it a little larger or a little smaller.He shows why a Mars-sized Earth could have taller mountains, due to the lower gravity.And such a planet would be far less likely to have subduction zones, because its lithosphere would be thicker, colder, and more rigid.Meanwhile, an "Earth" with twice the radius would probably be completely covered by water.

Next, Lewis tells about giant planets, including ones orbiting other stars.And brown dwarfs.And then he talks about planet-sized moons of giant planets.There's even a nice discussion of spin-orbit resonances.

Of course, the conditions on a planet depend enormously on the nature of the star it orbits.For a star to be able to stay on the Main Sequence for a billion years or more, it must be smaller than the O-stars, B-stars, andmany of the A-stars: it must be an A7 or smaller.That means F-stars, G-stars (such as the sun), K-stars, and M-stars.Even the small, long-lived, and numerous M-stars (down to M7) could be hosts of planets with Earthlike temperatures.Lewis does ask the question, "how common are planets that are inhabitable by life that is similar to Earth life?"And he indicates that there may be quite a few such planets.

I recommend this book, and I enjoyed the style in which it is written.

Fantastic voyage...
John Lewis is a professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona.Astronomy is the broad field under which this falls, but there is a specialisation within the field.I must confess I have always been one who is more interested in large-scale structures (galactic astronomy), origins and endings (cosmology and the like) as well as `how things work', the theoretical physics aspect.Planetary science didn't really enthrall me as much, even with the increasing availability of stunning photographs and records coming back from the other planets in our solar system.Don't get me wrong - I was fascinating and interested, but it did take a backseat to the other study.

This changed somewhat such that planetary sciences became near to an equal footing when instrumentation and measurement became sufficiently precise to begin detecting planets around other stars.Suddenly there was a new universe opening up around each and every star, at least it seemed so for a time.We've reached the point now where announcement of new planets around other stars not only no longer makes headlines, but may no longer warrant a mention in the press beyond the professional journals.

Lewis' book, `Worlds Without End: The Exploration of Planets Known and Unknown' helped to fill a gap in my knowledge about the direction and breadth of the new planetary studies.Published back in 1998, it is already somewhat out of date given the speed with which discoveries are occurring in this field, but it still serves as a great, accessible and interesting primer to the study of planets both `at home' and `abroad'.

Lewis explores the different kinds of planets, from rocky types like Mercury to the big gaseous giants like Jupiter and Saturn.This survey includes the study of satellites, or planets around planets, as Lewis terms them.There are more moons around Jupiter and Saturn than planets around the Sun (if one does not include asteroids).These make for fascinating trips, too.

It is no surprise that these types of giant planets were the first to be discovered around other planets.He talks about the different kinds environments for stars, and in so doing gives a short course on other aspects of general astronomy such as overall galactic motion, the different types of stars and their life cycles, and the different kinds of groupings of stars.For example, a planet around a star in a globular cluster, clumps of stars that exist surrounding some galaxies but to a certain extent separate from those galaxies (rather like gated communities might be to larger urban settings), would have spectacularly starry nights, even if the stars in the cluster were relatively small, and the close fly-bys of other stars would be a million times more frequent, such that the environment of the planet would constantly be shifting dramatically as the orbit would constantly change - stars may even `steal' planets away from one another!

Lewis in his final chapter sets the stage for ongoing planetary science, theoretical and observational.He sees that in the not too distant future we may even be able to directly detect terrestrial-type planets (much `detection' today is done indirectly, measuring shifts in movement, light patterns, etc.).He gives a nod to the SETI project here (without mentioning it by name) in talking about the remote possibility of increasingly sensitive radio telescopes to detect artificial broadcast transmissions.

The one drawback of this text is the lack of graphic images.There are eight pages of plates, but none in colour - given the dramatic photography available of planets in our solar system from exploratory ships, and the stunning photography available of objects beyond the solar system from major observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope, one wonders why these weren't incorporated.Also, a few charts and graphs might have been helpful at certain points in the discussion to give a quick idea of figures or comparative values.

Very good book but needs more.
The book is a though run down of what we know of planets. The writer gives an brilliant account of what we know about planets at present particularly how they might be able to hold life.

What it lacks is some sort of summary at the end! I was quite surprised that nothing like it was supplied. A total of how many sun could hold life. I hope that the writer rewrites it with such a chapter.

Great book
This is a really good book. Lewis explores the physics and chemistry of the worlds in our solar system, and then using the principles of physics and chemistry learned there to explore the possibilities of other worlds, and life on them.

He presents several mind-bending -- yet scientifically feasible -- worlds for our consideration. "Earthissimo," for example, made me put the book down, lean back in my chair, and SAVOR the elegance of the science for several minutes. Wonderful!

BUT, like Lewis's otherwise excellent _Mining the Sky_, he doesn't include any graphs, table or illustrations. (He has a few artistic rendering in the middle, which are different.)

A few graphs or tables would have clarified his arguments and saved pages of dense, descriptive text.

Good book, mind-twisting science, poor presentation: 4 stars.

A fine primer on modern planetary science
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Besides being a fine primer on modern planetary science, Worlds withoutEnd strikes me as an exceptional resource for science-fiction worldbuilders-- and readers. I've read a couple of world-building books and they werepretty dry. This is the real thing -- a respected planetary scientist(Codirector of the Space Engineering Research Center at the University ofArizona) reporting on recent discoveries of extrasolar planets, andspeculating on the range of possible planets that might host life.Lewisdoes a nice run-through of possible planetary surface chemistries for"life as we don't know it", and reluctantly concludes thatextraterrestrial life will most likely be carbon-based and use water as asolvent, because both are the best available by far. Which isn't to saythat we won't find some very odd critters out there...

And I don't meanto imply that general readers won't enjoy Worlds without End -- I recommendit to anyone who's curious about how solar-systems form.

This is abetter-written book than his Mining the Sky (1996), though Lewis still getsannoyingly cutesy at times. Anyway, it's almost always a pleasure to read apop-sci book written by a working scientist. I'm looking forward to Lewis'snext.

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Consulting Geologist, Tucson & Santa Fe (USA) ... Read more

Product Description
Merely a decade ago there were no known planets orbiting sunlike stars outside our own solar system. In the past ten years, however, fast-paced developments in astronomy have revealed over 140 extrasolar planets--with more discoveries surely on the way. Though it will be years before we have direct images of these far-flung worlds, this lavishly illustrated book gives us an idea of what they might look like. A fascinating exploration of the cosmos written for a wide audience, Infinite Worlds brings together Lynette Cook's internationally renowned astronomical artwork, the latest and most dramatic images from the world's top observatories, and up-to-the-minute scientific findings on subjects ranging from the big bang and stellar evolution to a possible universe filled with countless planets and life forms.
The newly discovered planets are boggling astronomers' minds with their bizarre characteristics, including an unimagined diversity of sizes and orbits. In Lynette Cook's scientifically based illustrations--many newly created for this book--we glimpse the landscapes and atmospheres that might adorn these planets. Ray Villard's text elegantly describes the state of astronomy today, imagines where it will take us in the coming years, ponders the chances of success for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and explores the survivability of life in an evolving and accelerating universe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

It's more than what the title says
I bought this book thinking it was just a collection of space art illustrations that could inspire me to create some space artwork of my own.I couldn't really tell what the pictures were about until I started reading the book.I was not expecting to learn how the universe was created and how planets, stars, and galaxies are so different from each other and where we humans fit in before it all comes to an end.

The book opens up a whole new way of thinking about the universe and what it's about and the pictures make sense to me now.Now I can create space art that is based on something tangible and less on fantasy.

Awe-Inspiring
I have come to know of Lynette's work over the last 10 years, and had long awaited a book that would showcase her artwork.After much patience, she did not disappoint.Her visions of extraterrestrial scenes in the book boggled my mind.She pays such great attention to detail in the scenes that she has created.When you allow yourself to get lost in her scenes, you feel like you are actually there.I have been a fan of space art for many years, and I can say that without a doubt, she is the premier space artist of our times.It is also worth noting that the supporting text of the book is well done, but let us not kid ourselves, this book is all about the awe-inspiring artwork.

Mind Expanding
The text and artwork in this volume are first class.The art is exceptionally beautiful and is only enhanced by the story.Together, they bring together what we know with what is likely and expands that to a universe of pure possibility. There's nothing dry about this marvelous work. Infinite Worlds is noteworthy accomplishment.

reminds me of Bonestall's paintings
The images are everything in this book. Not that the text is badly written. Far from it. But the text is clearly subordinate to letting you see the imagination of many talented artists, as they depict worlds in other planetary systems. Speculative, but based on solid science. And astronomers now have detected over 200 worlds. The book explains how from sometimes single pixels, information is teased out about a world. Impressive. We now have detected enough worlds that we can start talking of classifications and statistics across worlds.

What the book clearly leads up to is a desire for more, better images. Well, you will have to wait at least 10 years, as new telescopes are being constructed.

Science fiction readers might compare these paintings to those made decades ago by Chesley Bonestall. His were necessarily more imaginative. But both types can be very evocative.

Different book than the title might suggest.
The title of this book is "Infinite Worlds: An Illustrated Voyage to Planets beyond our Sun". However, only a fraction of the book actually deals with extrasolar planets. I purchased this book based on the assumption that it would be about extrasolar planets. Instead most of the book is based on theories of galaxy formations, birth and death of stars and planets, and theoretical extraterrestrial life. It also describes our Solar System in detail. The artwork is very good although other space artists I have seen on the internet have superior artistic ability than Cook. Overall, though, this is still an interesting book. But potential readers should know that this is not a book about extrasolar planets. ... Read more

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The military is moving slowly but surely toward a world in which weapons will be stationed in outer space, and officials argue that these developments are essential to the maintenance of U.S. national security in the post-Cold War world. Handberg explores these recent proposals for change and assesses the policy implications that might well result in a challenge to proponents for the militarization of space. Taking the reader through the first Sputnik launch and then the Gulf War, the "first space war," Handberg introduces his audience to a broad overview of space as an arena for the conduct of military activity. He argues that the new policies are likely to result in a world that is less, not more, secure. ... Read more

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The beauty of the canyons and mesas of the Colorado Plateau and the lives of the resourceful people that once occupied these now nearly empty places are the subject of the eighty-five black-and-white photographs and accompanying essays in Canyon Spirits. John Ninnemann's photographs of Chaco, Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, and the San Juan River provide the visual context for Stephen Lekson's descriptions of the early Puebloan cultures of the Southwest and J. McKim Malville's consideration of the power of celestial events in the lives of these people. Together they provide a non-traditional, provocative, and visually exciting approach to Southwest archaeology. ... Read more

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Did you know you can tell how hot a star is by looking at its colour? This volume is crammed full of quirky facts and figures, close-up views and feature boxes on all kinds of space oddities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

According to this book, there are "lowly mosses" living on Mars
I like this book for it's beautiful illustrations and the simplicity of explanations. It also has some interesting inaccuracies which would make it perhaps add to it's collectibility. THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN PRIOR TO MAN LANDING ON THE MOON. Pages 22-23 have an illustration of men in space suits holding long ice picks and leaping on some mountains on the moon. In the background is a red rocket ship which has landed on the moon. The caption states, "The first explorers will find the moon a vst desert, with lofty mountains and big craters dotting the dusty plains. The Moon's weak gravity will allow the explorers to move in great leaps."

The chapter on MARS: PLANET OF MYSTERY, is interesting as well:
Page 27 explains, "Mars has no rivers, no oceans, or lakes. But it has a tilt like Earth's and therefore has seasons. When it is winter in one hemisphere, ice or snw covers the area around the pole. This polar cap is probably less than a foot deep,but it contains nearly all the water on the planet! In spring, the ice cap begins to melt. Through the telescopes, we see the dark greenish patches appear along the edges of the cap. These are perhaps areas covered by green moses--the only life believed to exist on the planet...As autum comes, the greenish areas turn brown. As winter sets in, winds carry the water back to the pole, and there it freezes again."

The next chapter covers "MEN OF MARS" It discusses how people thought the canals seen on mars must be irrigation ditches to lead water from the melting snow caps to the farmers fields..."But few astronomers take these ideas seriously...In 1956 Mars came closer to earth than it had come in many years. Astronomers all over the world watched it through telesopes, photographed it, and studied its light with spectroscopes. STILL THEY FOUND NO SURE SIGN THAT THERE IS ANY LIFE ON MARS EXCEPT FOR LOWLY MOSSES...But even if there are no people on Mars, we can look forward to the day when Earth men may explore it."

I think this book is a great collectors piece to contrast our view of the solar system in the 1950's vs now, and how far we have come. It is also lovely for its beautiful illustrations.

What a great fun-to-read book!!! ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time in history, humans are actively searching for alien life - specifically, another Earth-like planet in the universe. As you read this, scientists are using high-tech space gear and telescopes to look and listen for an Alien Earth in deep space. Robotic spacecraft are searching for life on moons and other planets in our solar system. Out of This World gives young readers a window seat on this fascinating quest. They'll learn how extreme life forms here on earth may help us understand possible alien life, how our planetary next-door neighbors are getting investigated, about the billions of "exoplanets" that lie far outside our solar system and much more.Crammed with the latest space agency photography, artists' renderings and cosmic illustrations featuring a lovable alien named Ambrosia from the planet Xenon, this book appeals to space lovers and science keeners alike. It's also packed with activities, Astrofacts, profiles of astrobiologists, space artists and other alien hunters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is a fascinating book with a unique perspective
This is a fascinating book with a unique perspective. Through the eyes of an alien we see what scientists on earth are doing right now in the search for life in outer space. Eye-catching photos and artistic renderings combined with facts, stories and activities make this an engaging read. Follow Ambrosia, a being from Xenon, from page to page and from planet to exoplanet and discover what's new and happening in your own galaxy and just where other life might exist! ... Read more

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This is the story of humanities fascination with the possibility of life on other worlds.' ... Read more

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Proceedings of the Symposium is analyzed and discussed from many viewpoints in engineering, science, policy, law, business, finance and management. This information is invaluable to all people in industry, business, and government who are using space in innovative ways. ... Read more

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The Question of whether we are alone in the universe isone that has fascinated humankind since early times.But, as CarlSagan once said, "The search for extraterrestrial life must begin withthe question of what we mean by life."Astrobiologists today focus onthe origins of the earliest and simplest life forms, bacteria andother single-celled organisms.Using Earth as a prototypicalenvironment, they and other scientists tackle the question of life inthe universe.

Beginning with the Big Bang and formation of the universe, this richlyillustrated book discusses the emergence of life on Earth and beyond.Monica Grady discusses the factors necessary for the development ofmicroorganisms on Earth, including chemical building blocks likecarbon and water as well as an atmosphere that protects fromultraviolet radiation.She considers the possibility of life on otherplanets in the solar system, describing the conditions and diversehabitats that make Mars as well as some of Jupiter's and Saturn'smoons ideal candidates for research.In a final chapter she looksbeyond the solar system, searching for Earth-like planets or dustydisks of preplanetary material surrounding stars.

Beginning to answer the question "Are we alone" Astrobiologysummarizes what is known and can be extrapolated from our studies ofEarth, the solar system, and the galaxy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A most intruiging discussion
I'm sure had I read the book I'd think it was stellar.

Safe & Satisfying
This is one of eight books on Astrobiology which were rushed out after the publication of Joseph's revolutionary and ground breaking text, in May of 2000. Like the other seven competing volumes, this text differs from Joseph's, in that it strictly holds to the "party" line, as approved by the United States government, and repeats, without any critical analysis, mainstream scientific dogma. It you are interested in a very short book, with admittedly, amazing pictures, that provides a "safe" and "politically correct" and very brief overview of standard mainstream scientific dogma,then this is the book for you.

A Brief But Wonderful Little Book
Monica Grady is a world renowned expert and is probably best known for her edited volumes,Catalogue of Meteorites, which have generated rave reviews.Dr. Grady's text, Astrobiology, is a wonderful little book, which provides an excellent overview of the field and which contains numerous photos.It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and is this book is well worth reading and would be of interest to anyone desiring a brief but thorough introductory overview of the field of astrobiology. -Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D. author of: Astrobiology, the Origin of Life, and the Death of Darwinism

A very nice introduction
This may be only a small book but the text is accurate and the illustrations well chosen. Indeed, it's an ideal introduction to the subject for a young person interested in science or for a layperson wanting to know the basics of our quest to find life in the universe. I think the earlier reviewer was being unkind and a little mischievous in questioning the author's credentials. Monica Grady is actually head of petrology and meteoritics at the Natural History Museum in London and has carried out extensive research on the Martian meteorites and interstellar grains - topics of central importance to our understanding of what life might be like elsewhere. The truth is that astrobiology is a multidisciplinary science and its experts are drawn from fields as diverse as oceanography, planetary astronomy, origin of life research - and meteoritics. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first in-depth study in English of the international debate that developed between 1750 and 1900 concerning the question of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent life. Taking a history of ideas approach, the author describes the controversies that-arose over this question and reveals the great extent to which this issue influenced astronomical, philosophical, and religious thought. Professor Crowe shows that the majority of the leading astronomers of the last two centuries participated in this debate and he analyzes how their views interacted with new developments such as Newtonian mechanics, stellar astronomy, Darwinian theory, and astrophysics. This fascinating and critical history shows that the longstanding and widespread belief in extraterrestrial life has for centuries acted to alter major areas of our intellectual life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fascinating
Contrary to what you might think, the idea of extraterrestrial life, and even intelligence is not new. In this book, Professor Crowe tracks the debate over extraterrestrial life throughout history, concentrating on the era of 1750 to 1900. Hoping from writer to writer, Crowe deeply covers each persons writing, and its implications in the debate.

This book makes an excellent companion to "Plurality of Worlds" by Steven Dick, which mainly covers up to 1750. Among the fascinating stories I read in this book were those of the "Moon hoax" of R.A. Locke, and Martian canal controversy of the 1880s and `90s. I took away one star because the book is slow and wordy at times, and I wish the author had focused more upon what our ancestors thought extraterrestrials would look like. But, overall this is a great book, and I highly recommend it.

MAN'S HIGHEST HOPE AND FEAR AND LESSON
Michael J. Crowe's "The Extraterrestrial Life Debate, 1750-1900" is one of the most intellectually magnificent and philosophically enthralling books I have ever read, a supreme work of scholarship.It perfects the sensitive art of quotation and distillation, and the chronological arrangement of theencyclopedic material turns all of history into a common dialogue upon one of the very greatest ideas and problems there is to perplex and fascinate the mind and surround us with the mystery of natural possibilities that are both crazy and sublime.The book itself is like a universe of stellar minds contemplating the inverse puzzle of why there is life on Earth or any life at all.Despite its magnitude, I came to its last page with a melancholy regret that there was not more and more and more of it, but at least this was true of the jeweled depths it probed and illuminated, and which it etched in my memory. ... Read more

Product Description
Journey from the center of the Earth to the edge of the cosmos in this book of amazing, little known facts about the universe. It's not science fiction, it's the planet Earth. This book will give you a world of information about the planets, volcanoes, glaciers, water, and more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fun book
The book itself is great.Nice small compact, full of fun facts, great for variety of readers.Good for adults to read with young readers with short attention spans.Little facts are easy to share and understand.Independent readers can also enjoy on their own, read all or little bits at a time.

Wasn't happy with mailing process. Was buying several as gifts for a contest.12 were available and they were split up and came from different places.All arrived the same day just barely in time. ... Read more

Product Description
Revision of Burke's highly successful original of 1985. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Excellent <Mr. Burns Voice>
I have been watching the TV shows for over 20 years and finally read the book. It just fills in the gaps in the TV series and makes everything come alive. I loved the DTUC when I was in High School, I love it now that I teach High School.

Beautiful review of how the development of science and technology changed everything!
Watch the TV series as well.Burke's ability to connect the people, the times and driving motivations behind the ascendancy of Western science and how it then changed all areas of human life is beautifully presented.The one major flaw in the Kindle edition (not applicable to other higher rez devices like the iPod) is that all of the wonderful illustrations and photos are almost unviewable on the Kindle- zooming makes them even worse.

Worst abridgement ever
I listened to the 3-disk audio CD of this work and was irritated from beginning to end. Burke dashes from one discovery to another at breakneck speed with hardly an interesting detail to pepper the narrative. In the chapter on electricity, we leap from Faraday to Coulombe to Watt to Ampere with hardly a breath in between. Unlike in Connections, in which one discovery lead almost inevitably to the next, Universe, Burke leaps from one advance o the next on the lightest gossamer thread of a connection. Even Burke's wonderful narrative voice can't rescue this mess. The order of cuts on the last disk is scrambled, as another reviewer noted. But worse, Burke's last chapter, on understanding the way our thinking bumps against prevailing paradigms, was near gibberish.

Not having read the full version, I can't recommend it. But by all means stay away from this butchery!

Good service
This book was mailed directly to a friend as a gift. He reports that it arrived safely and was in good condition.

AP World History Review: An Excellent Read For The Persistent Reader
In The Day The Universe Changed's introduction, James Burke states that "Ever since Bacon and Descartes, we live with the expectation that knowledge will continue to change and with it the beliefs and values by which we live.This book examines eight moments in history when that happened in order to show that when the moment of change came, new institutions and modes of thought were generated and would persist to become part of our modern view (Burke 9)."This quote sets the expectations for the book and Burke subsequently delivers on all of them in the course of 352 pages.James Burke's clear and often ironic writing style raises deep philosophical questions that leave the reader thinking of all the `knowledge' that has changed and will change as time goes on.A little over two hundred years ago, the biblical version of creation was accepted as fact - the earth was, of course, made in six days.The earth was also, according to the Bible, about six thousand years old.Although some people still believe this now, most accept that the earth is billions of years old, and ascribe to one of the many secular theories regarding the creation of the world.In just a few centuries, our scientific `knowledge' has changed so much.What will people know two hundred years from now?What will they believe?This book raises questions such as these, and more.

Although some reviewers have said that the author overloads the reader with irrelevant details, this criticism misses the point.Although Burke does tend to be wordy and writes about seemingly unrelated details, he uses these details to illustrate his overriding theme- change as the only constant in history.Burke avoids the dry tone of the typical history text by drawing the reader into the minds of those living during a specific time period.The reader can seemingly witness the changes in history unfolding before him or her.This book is a good purchase for those interested in general history over a long period of time.I would honestly recommend this book to anyone wanting an interesting, humorous, and thought-provoking read.James Burke is clearly a master of history.
... Read more

Product Description
Wernher von Braun is known to many as a brilliant pioneer of rocketry who left Germany in 1945 to become a key advisor in America's space program. Until now, few realize the bloody legacy he left behind. The Nazi Rocketeers tells the story of how von Braun and his fellow scientists abandoned their initial dreams of space exploration in favor of creating the devastating V-2 ballistic missile. This weapon enabled the Nazis to precipitate mass destruction and loss of life. Contrary to previous accounts, this history proves that von Braun and his colleagues were not forced under duress to turn their rockets into weapons of war. They were, in fact, highly ambitious members of the Nazi movement who willingly put their creation to lethal use. In return, honors were bestowed on them from the Third Reich and Hitler himself. Perhaps the most shocking revelation is the collaboration between the scientists and the SS in the exploitation of concentration camp slave labor for the building of the V-2 missiles. In addition to addressing an overlooked portion of World War II study, this book is a sobering testament to the consequences of corrupted genius. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A 20th century Faustean pact.
Operation Paperclip allowed top Nazi scientist and engineers who were clearly involved in death camp "use of labor" and members of the Nazi party to immigrate to the US. At the time the US State Department opposed and strongly disapproved of the policy but eventually these "spaceflight scientists and Engineers" where relocated and made US Citizens by the assistance of Operation Paperclip and the US military-industrial complex (on the pretext of the Cold War). These Scientists and Engineers conveniently expounded the propaganda that they where members of the Nazi party strictly to facilitate their spaceflight dream. A Faustian pact if you ever saw one. One of the most prominent members of this group if not the most prominent member was Werner Von Braun. Von Braun co-operated with the SS in the infamous Dora cave complex. Von Braun immigrated to the US with offers of full US Citizenship by the US military-industrial complex. These so-called V-2 scientist and engineers exploited death camp inmates with the full knowledge that these inmates will possibly die in the Dora V-2 cave complex. What, to advance the course of spaceflight, rubbish! Most inmates did die horrible deaths at the hands of the SS camp guards.If anyone douts this I challenge you to research post-war Paperclip documents and Nuremberg war crimes documents.If we are to uphold our Democracy and maintain a Democratic society with morality and human decency, I think it is important that we look at books like "The Nazi Racketeers: Dreams of Space and Crimes of War" and start making questions.To maintain a true Democracy requires very hard constant work and vigilance.

The Nazi Rocketeers
I thought the book covers a lot on the effort of the Nazi's to build a new weapon to win the war, but obviously it cannot cover every little fact in the story about the team that build the V-2's. It was very interestingly how the SS finely took charge of the V-2 program in the end. The book is worth the time to read. I thought it was very interesting reading.

Wernher von Braun
I got this book since the Dora Concentration Camp was liberated by the 3d Armored Division during WWII and my father was in the 3d Armored Division at that time.Even though I learned a lot from the book that I did not know, to me the author was very biased against Wernher von Braun due to his participation in developing the V-1 and V-2 rockets that did so much damage to London.

The way I look at it, Wernher von Braun joined the SS just to keep his dream alive of building rockets to go into space.He was successful in that attempt when he joined NASA where the Saturn rocket was built that took man to the moon.There is nothing in the book that I could find that definitely states that von Braun even went to the concentration camps though he did go to the factory in the mountain where the rockets were built and could see first-hand the conditions under which the prisoners worked.

The one thing about this book is that the whole chronology of the Nazi rocket program is laid out from beginning to end so you are not looking backwards to find something that happened at one space in time.That makes it a lot easier to find out how the Nazi rocket program developed over time up to the end of WWII.What is not played out is the further development of the rocket program after the scientists came to the United States where they proceeded to be the forefathers of the United States journey into space.

What is not brought out in detail is the way the United States used the Nazi rocket scientists to further develop the rockets that put man on the moon, satellites in orbit that we now depend on for everything from television, communications, weather forecasting, etc.And, let us not forget the satellites that have gone to the various planets in our solar system and beyond to learn more about this rock in space we live on.I would like to see abook devoted to the Nazi rockets scientists who more then likely were the developers of this technology.

And,I wold like to see a more unbiased biography of Wernher von Braun come out that pertains to the contribution he made to the United States rocket program.

My "Fair and Balanced" View of The Nazi Rocketeers
I learned quite a bit about recorded history that I previously knew nothing about prior to reading this book.I think it is a necessary read for both critics and admirers of von Braun and gave the book 3 stars to help balance the statistics.

I count myself as a life long admirer of Werner von Braun and went into engineering because of his inspiring work as well as the many public appearances he made on TV in the 50's when discussing the space program before there was one.

The notes written by the author demonstrate his passion and feelings about the many poor souls who suffered injury or death from the V-2 assembly effort at the terrible work camps and the ultimate delivery of these weapons in England and particularly London.His feelings are clear and the perspective from which he drafted his thoughts on von Braun are very understandable.

From my read of this book the record does give one pause and cause to think about what was done in order to advance early rocket work by von Braun.I believe that the scientists and engineers who worked on the Manhattan Project were against the use of the atomic bomb, but fully supported and applied their talents to make the bomb to help end a war.I also believe that they had some faith in their basic form of government which according to what I have read, General Dornberger and von Braun did not.

For what my opinion is worth it does appear that von Braun certainly compromised his values to help make his rocket dream a reality. I think the book provides both sides of the story by accurately documenting history, at least as it was recorded.We will never know exactly what happened or what von Braun's thoughts were.

The record shows that von Braun was a brilliant engineer, manager, and spokesmen for all forms of rocket research in both Germany and the United States and was a loyal citizen of his adopted country until his death. While a member of the Nazi party he was jailed for his interest in developing space flight and then released through the efforts of General Dornberger. The record is mixed.The book was still a very valuable read and I would recommend it.

Very biased historical revision of Von Braun
Piszkiewicz does a good job with getting the historical documentation down but fails miserably when he outs his obvious anti-Von braun spin to them.He constantly speculates without facts about Von Braun's thoughts, beliefsand motives, always casting them in a negative manner.He goes into detailabout Himmler's attempts to eliminate Von Braun and the danger that posedand still castigates Von Braun for not acting to help the Dora workers.Hededicates the book to the V2 and Dora victims which seems to be why hewrote this revisionist tale.It is his way to find someone to blame andVon Braun seems to be as good as target as any for the author to attack. He admits the V2 was not an effective weapon yet he ignores the huge drainon resources that it had on the German war machine.This drain was praisedby Winston Churchill for keeping more planes and guns off the field ofbattle, saving lives.He also twists quotes and facts out of context, asin for a historian.This book is not about history so much as it is anattempt to discredit Von Braun.No documentation or factual evidence isever presented to show Von Braun could have done anything to help the Doraworkers.Von Braun was not a saint but neither was he a war criminal. ... Read more