Sobel: The Planets
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Current revision as of 01:31, 15 April 2009
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If you think a book about the planets would be dull, boring reading, with lists of facts, then you haven't read anything written by Dava Sobel, or you aren't a science geek like me. Her books Longitude and Galileo's Daughter were both easy to read, with facts mixed in, but it's more about the story and the writing. I thoroughly enjoyed both her books and her writing style. In addition, the beautiful cover is your first hint that this is not just a book about the facts.
This book was written before Pluto's demotion from planet to minor planet status, but that development was in the works for quite a while and is hinted at here. (The demotion is one of the more interesting developments in science in recent years, in my opinion. I love how it demonstrates the scientific process and that science isn't just a bunch of facts, but a fluid changing discipline.) Each planet, as well as the sun and our moon, get their own chapter, and each chapter has a different focus. The geological and discovery history is here for each planet, but it is hidden in the story of their chapter. Mythology (Mercury), Beauty (Venus), Lunacy (The Moon), Astrology (Jupiter) and Geography (Earth) are some of the titles and give you a hint as to the themes.
All the astronomers are here: Galileo, Kepler, Herschel, Huygens. The different space expeditions that explored the various planets, the mythology behind some of the planets. This book will have a prominent place in my high school physics class and it is short enough to keep the attention of anyone interested in learning a bit more about the planets and our place in the solar system without feeling like a textbook.
-- Notes by RG3
