Book Description
A superb reference for writers, researchers, students and teachers, this dictionary-style book illuminates everyday life in the 1800s, decade by decade. Readers will find hundreds of otherwise obscure facts about:
* Popular slang--from the range to the underworld
* How to furnish a farmhouse or outfit a barn
* How much it cost for a shot of whiskey or to mail a letter
* Styles of the fashionable--and not so fashionable
* Courtship and marriage rituals
* Popular food and drink--including brand names
* And much, much more!
Customer Reviews:
One book you will need as a writer........2007-08-23
This book has all the stuff you will need to make your novel seem real. I promise you will enjoy this book even if you are not a writer. I found the answers to all the questions I had been asking. I thank Marc McCutcheon for all his hard work. It has helped me.
Great information at your finger tips.......2007-01-29
This is a great reference guide. I am currently writing a romance novel set in the mid 1800's. The chapters are easy to find what you're looking for and the examples show how the word or phrase was used. If your looking for a great reference guide that is straight to the point I would highly recommend "Everyday Life in the 1880's"
Mediocre, missing essential information, poorly constructed.......2006-06-12
This book lacks any information about education. Such an essential subject - affecting children and adults alike - should certainly be included.
Nor does it include information about art (visual/performing) or literature pertinent to the people at the time.
It also has no index, so that searching for anything is ridiculously slow.
Visuals are lacking - textual descriptions of hair or various equipment are poor substitutes for an image.
Essentially it is a poorly organized dictionary, and stating that it is "a guide for writers, students and historians" is an overstatement to say the least!
Simply a dictionary .......2006-03-09
When I read the description of the book I thought that this book would actually provide information about everyday life in the 1800's; instead, it is merely a dictionary. There are no passages that describe fashion, etiquette, industry, clothing, or anything else useful to a historian. Instead, the book merely provides one sentence descriptions of objects you probabaly can already identify. This book may be useful if you come across the name of an item in a primary text and you are not sure what it is. However, it provides very little useful general information
Holy disorganization, Batman...........2005-12-28
It's been a few months since I read this, but I thought I might give a review.
I found this book horrid. It was not organized in a way that would be simple and easy for a reader. As a writer of historical fiction I was interested in finding out about daily life during the Civil War. But I would find references from all years thrown together so I had to fish out the important details.It was not broken down by years or decades which I think would have been much easier. I gave up on this book because I couldn't find the information I needed.
If you are a writer and are thinking about this book I suggest getting it from the library, and if you believe it will be of use to you buy it then.
Book Description
B> Brief, yet comprehensive, this user-friendly reference/text provides history students with practical advice about how to improve their writing and study skills while learning about history. It presents the discipline of history as a very relevant social science, demystifies the writing process, lessens students' anxiety over library research, and reviews the rudimentary skills necessary for “surviving” a college history course. It offers guides to preparing different types of history papers and features fun and interesting creative writing exercises that invite readers into the world of writing history in unique ways that are more enjoyable than traditional approaches.
Customer Reviews:
Borderline Useless.......2005-09-23
While this volume contains some useful info on how to write history papers, it has many shortcomings which ultimately make it not worth the money.
As an example, the section on internet sources is outdated to the point of humor.
Futhermore, there are more than just a few spelling errors in this book. While this may not affect one's ability to understand the text, it certainly undermines the authority of the author as an expert on writing.
For $30, there are many better sources for this sort of information.
A useful tool.......2005-09-08
I teach history at the university level, and was dismayed when excellent students did not have some very basic skills. An earlier reviewer said something like 'boring textbook' - well, yes. But as a tool, rather than a quick read, this book is very very good. Well organized and clearly presented, this text by Hellstern manages to pack quite a bit into a short text. I now require it for all history majors, simply to guide them as they hone their skills.
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Student Companion to Edith Wharton (Student Companions to Classic Writers)
Melissa McFarland Pennell
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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ASIN: 0313317151 |
Book Description
One of the most accomplished American writers of the early 20th century, Edith Wharton achieved both critical recognition and popular acclaim. This Student Companion provides an introduction to Wharton's fiction. Beginning with her life and career, the volume places Wharton in the context of her times, focusing on how she was shaped by the culture of wealth and privilege into which she was born. Her struggle to resist the demands of her social world paralleled her characters' lives and contributed to the power of her writing. Included are an in-depth discussion of her writing, along with analyses of thematic concerns, character development, historical context, and plot. A close critical reading covers each of her major works, with a full chapter devoted to each: The House of Mirth (1905), Ethan Frome (1911), Summer (1917), The Age of Innocence (1920), and her two novellas, Madame de Treymes (1907) and The Old Maid (1924). Another chapter addresses Wharton's short stories and considers some of her most famous and anthologized tales, such as "The Other Two" and "Roman Fever." This companion is ideal for students who are reading Wharton for the first time, or for general readers who are seeking a greater understanding of her writing. A select bibliography offers suggestions for further reading about Wharton and includes criticism and contemporary reviews of her work.
Book Description
Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the most controversial yet prominent figures associated with the Harlem Renaissance. This introductory study examines Hurston's contributions to that literary movement, as well as her role as mediator between the black and white worlds in which she lived. Readers will appeciate the clear presentation of the biographical facts of her life, as well as an overview of the issues and varying perceptions surrounding her literary achievements. A full chapter is devoted to analysing each of Hurston's major works of fiction: Jonah's Gourd Vine (1934), Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), Moses, Man of the Mountain (1939), Seraph on the Suwanee (1948) as well as her short fiction and her fictionalized autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road (1942). For each of the works, plot, character development, themes, setting and symbols are identified and discussed in clear accessible language. An alternate critical perspective enhances the understanding of each of Hurston's full length works. Contemporary reviews are cited in a bibliography which also helps students find further biographical and critical information on Zora Neale Hurston.
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Student Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: (Student Companions to Classic Writers)
Tony Magistrale
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe (Historical Guides to American Authors)
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The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe (Cambridge Companions to Literature)
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Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography
ASIN: 0313309922 |
Book Description
The contributions of Edgar Allan Poe have withstood the test of time; his best poems and fiction are more popular and carry greater significance now than they did during his own era. This highly readable introduction to the life, times, and major works of Poe offers fresh interpretations of timeless masterpieces like "The Raven" and "The Purloined Letter." Carefully considering important thematic elements as well as genre, this book organizes the works of Poe into four significant groupings: the poetry, Vampiric love stories, tales of psychological terror, and the detective stories. Close readings are given for a selection of the most important works that represent Poe's canon of writings, including the chilling "Tell Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat." This introductory study to Edgar Allan Poe begins with a concise biographical chapter that explores Poe's troubled experiences. The Literary Heritage chapter chronicles Poe's influence on other writers, artists, and filmmakers who followed. This work examines the major poems from Poe's canon, with special attention to those works that are most often taught and anthologized. Poe's most famous tales of terror and revenge are juxtaposed because they all revolve around murders and the elements of terror associated with the act of killing. Likewise, his "love stories" are brought together in a chapter that deals with vampirisim and gender. The final chapter, The Origins of the Detective Tale, examines Poe's tales of ratiocination, and traces the evolution of many popular culture super sleuths to Poe's Dupin. A selective bibliography of biographical and critical works on Poe, including contemporary reviews, completes this thorough volume. Students, general readers, and fans of all things Gothic will enjoy the fascinating insights this volume offers.
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Student Companion to Charlotte and Emily Bronte (Student Companions to Classic Writers)
Barbara Z. Thaden
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 031331053X |
Book Description
Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre have remained continuously popular ever since their 1847 publication. Though their lives were tragically short, Charlotte and Emily Bronte made significant contributions to the history of the novel as a respected literary form. This Student Companion offers an absorbing biographical account of the Bronte sisters' upbringing, tracing the familial and personal influences that shaped their intellectual lives. A literary heritage chapter also helps students grasp the importance of the sisters' literary accomplishments. A thorough, clear critical analysis is provided for each novel, including sections on plot, character development, thematic issues, literary devices and craft, and the historical/social-cultural context of each work. In addition to Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, original analysis is also given for Shirley (1849), Villette (1853),and The Professor (1857), Charlotte's first written but posthumously published novel. Five different contemporary literary theories--Marxist, Freudian, Jungian, Postcolonial, and Feminist--are included in the analysis and are discussed and applied to the novels. Difficult concepts are clearly explained, in non-academic prose. In-depth historical information not usually found in books about the Brontes is included, such as Belgian history, which is important in understanding Villette and The Professor. Clear writing and additional background information make this book a good choice for non-specialists, including students and general readers. An up-to-date bibliography includes the most recently published books and articles in Bronte studies.
Book Description
Prepared for students by renowned professors and noted experts, here are the most extensive and proven study aids available, covering all the major areas of study in college curriculums. Each guide features: up-to-date scholarship; an easy-to-follow narrative outline form; specially designed and formatted pages; and much more.
Book Description
Prepared for students by renowned professors and noted experts, here are the most extensive and proven study aids available, covering all the major areas of study in college curriculums. Each guide features: up-to-date scholarship; an easy-to-follow narrative outline form; specially designed and formatted pages; and much more.
Book Description
Astronomer Joseph Silk explores the Universe from its beginnings to its ultimate fate. He demonstrates how cosmologists study cosmic fossils and relics from the distant past to construct theories of the birth, evolution and future of the Universe. Stars, galaxies, dark matter and dark energy are described, as successive chapters detail the evolution of the Universe from a fraction of a microsecond after the Big Bang. Silk describes how physicists apply theories of subatomic particles to recreate the first moments of the Big Bang, and how astronomers chart the vast depths of space to glimpse how the most distant galaxies formed. He gives an account of the search for dark matter and the dark energy that will determine the ultimate fate of the Universe. Joseph Silk is the Savilian Professor of Astronomy and Head of the Astrophysics Department at the University of Oxford. He was previously Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds a BA in Mathematics from Clare College, Cambridge, and a PhD in Astronomy from Harvard University. Silk is the author, or co-author, of many books, including The Left Hand of Creation (Basic Books, 1994) and A Short History of the Universe (WH Freeman, 1997). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Customer Reviews:
Short History Leaves Universe Unknown.......2006-01-06
Oxford astronomer Joseph Silk bravely attempts to explicate modern cosmology in only 241 pages. He enlightens us with not only with the fundamental conclusions and uncertainties but also with the cleaver experiments and calculation that inform them. From cosmic microwave background and the expanding universe to dark matter and galaxy formation, Silk does not ask the reader to take his word for it; he presents the experimental data, interpretations, and conjectures pertaining to all the critical aspects of our universe's history.
After an introduction, Silk plunges into astronomical nitty-gritty, describing more than ten methodologically similar techniques for determining cosmic distances. The distances of stars and galaxies coupled with their velocities implies an expanding universe of approximately known age. This approximation precariously dated the universe as younger than some solar system rocks. However, the universe aged with increasingly accurate measurements. The alternative theory of steady state cosmology was no longer needed and was finally debunked by the discovery of cosmic microwave radiation, the Big Bang theory's unmistakable fingerprint.
This microwave radiation, independent of direction and originating from deep space, is the relic of the exceedingly hot first few hundred thousand years following the big bang. The radiation has cooled to -270? C over the past 15 billion years but remains detectable. With the big bang theory firmly supported, the challenge of explaining the first moment of universe looms large as the theories of physics collapse during the first 10-43 s of the universe.
In his prologue, Silk sets out to make a modern description of the Big Bang theory truly accessible to the lay cosmologist, enabling an appreciation (but not a justification) of theological interpretations of cosmology. Not to disappoint, Silk finally throws a bone to the religiously inclined reader in the fourth chapter:
"The Big Bang was an act of creation. Was it a singular, unique event, or is creation of matter a natural occurrence? And what existed before this event? Was the universe created out of nothing? To better understand how to answer these questions, it is necessary to consider what is meant by, or more precisely a vacuum."
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle predicts continuously appearing and vanishing particles even in a perfect vacuum. The quantum appearance of paired matter in the strong electric field of the early universe created fluctuations in energy density and is thereby responsible for the macro structure of the universe and perhaps even the creation of the universe itself. The difficulty in describing the first moments of our universe lies in the failure of modern physics at extreme conditions. While electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear forces coalesce according to quantum theory at such small distances and high energy, our theory of gravity fails. To address this issue Silk moves quickly from mini-black holes to superstring theory to inflationary expansion finally arriving at the anthropic principle, a G-d send for the readers who are looking for Him. Even the best theories allow for so many possible scenarios that the only way to arrive at the universe we observe is to require the possibility of human existence. But by the next chapter we are back where we began:
"Creation is the essence of the Big Bang theory. We can delegate creation of space and time to the pundits of metaphysics, theology. And even quantum gravity. In this field it is difficult to separate fact from fiction, and faith from fantasy, since any conclusions are far removed from the domain of experimental, testable, or even fully self-consistent physics."
At present, cosmology is but a tease.
After further proofs of the Big Bang theory, the reader encounters technical and detailed explanations of dark matter, the still-mysterious dark energy, black holes and finally the formation of galaxies. However, the book fails to make cosmology "truly accessible." Although not even a lay cosmologist, I majored in chemistry, studied quantum mechanics, and dabbled in string theory. Yet only after rereading convoluted sentences and arduous paragraphs did I have a faint idea of what is flying in space. I gave up on sentences such as:
"More precisely, space is accelerating, albeit at a very slow rate that corresponds to a cosmological constant which is equivalent to a mass density for the vacuum energy that amounts to about two-thirds of the critical value for recollapsing the universe."
Perhaps precise, but not exactly bedtime reading. Cutesy poetics sprinkled haphazardly among tortuous sentences highlight the arduous style rather than aid comprehension.
Silk vacillates between assuming scientific knowledge like photons unifying electricity and magnetism into a single force and explaining well-known concepts like the Doppler effect at length. He introduces complex ideas with their obscure names, leaving me in a vacuum of understanding, only to describe them in a subsequent sentence, paragraph, or even chapter. Even the somewhat helpful diagrams are not fully explained. Certain usages may be awkward or unintelligible for non-British readers; who knew unity plus unity equals two?
The ambitious task of explaining modern cosmology in some detail for the layman fails despite its admirable ambition. In such a short book, focusing of the details of discovery leaves little room for fully describing the ramifications. Perhaps if I read slower and repeatedly some of the concepts would have sunk in, but I have the distinct impression that these ideas could have been expressed lucidly. Those already familiar with the concepts may benefit from a succinct and organized overview of modern cosmology, but the novice should look elsewhere.
Average customer rating:
- Great introduction to cosmology
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A Short History of the Universe (Scientific American Library Paperback, No. 53.)
Joseph Silk
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0716760207 |
Amazon.com
Most cosmology books are woefully lacking in illustrations, which is odd considering how our information about the universe is visual. Not so A Short History of the Universe, which continues Scientific American Library's policy of providing clear, authoritative, beautifully illustrated surveys of important topics. Joseph Silk is one of the most influential cosmologists, and he leads us on a tour of the universe with enough pictures, graphs, and equations that we can actually get an idea of what astrophysicists think is going on. Nature calls this book "the best introduction to cosmology for the general public."
Book Description
How has the universe evolved? Astronomer and physicist Joseph Silk explores this and other questions of cosmology in this updated, paperback edition of his acclaimed A Short History of the Universe. Silk shows how cosmologists study cosmic relics and construct theories of the universe's inception, its evolution, and its plausible future. He describes how physicists apply their theories of subatomic particles to re-create the first moments of the big bang and how astronomers map huge reaches of the universe to understand the later creation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. He also reports on one of science's most dramatic detective stories: the search for the missing matter that will determine the ultimate fate of the universe.
Customer Reviews:
Great introduction to cosmology.......2000-10-03
The science of cosmology gives a quantitative foundation to our views about the universe. A Short History of the Universe explains in layman's terms and with excellent pictures how our theories of the structure of the universe have evolved, thus feeding the areas of philosophy and religion. What do we mean if we say that the universe has limits, but is also infinite? Why is it that the sun is considered to be halfway through its lifetime? How can the universe be expanding in every direction that we look when the earth is not at the center of the universe? These sorts of questions are answered--and answered well. If you have curiosity about how the heavens are studied, this book is definitely worth your time.
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A Short History of God, Me and the Universe
Russell Stannard
Manufacturer: Random House, Inc.
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Uncle Albert and the Quantum Quest
ASIN: 034539741X
Release Date: 1995-08-29 |
Book Description
Illustrated in full color. "First of all, there was God. That's all there was--just God. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light. God made the universe!" Children can follow the story of God's creation as they flip through the bright, colorful pages of this unique flap book. From the creation of light and stars to the creation of the earth, planets, animals, and, finally, humans, here's a playful and informative look at the beginning of the world and how we came to be a part of it.
Average customer rating:
- Great book - but only for the hardcore
- A provoking look at Lovecraft
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Lovecraft: Disturbing the Universe
Donald R. Burleson
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
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Lovecraft: A Study in the Fantastic
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Primal Sources: Essays on H. P. Lovecraft
ASIN: 0813117283 |
Customer Reviews:
Great book - but only for the hardcore.......2003-11-17
A fascinating analysis of some of Lovecraft's central works through the tool of literary deconstruction. I enjoyed this book and found it an easy enough read, despite any formal study in literary criticism. (The author provides a helpful introduction to deconstruction.) Like the heading says, get it if you're a hardcore Lovecraftian, or if the idea of seeing the themes of a story analysed appeals to you; or preferably both.
A provoking look at Lovecraft.......2001-11-05
This is a book that you will either toss aside with a shrug, or that will keep you enthralled for a couple of reading evenings. There's no real middle way. Still, for Lovecraftians it is a must-have must-read.
Burleson applies deconstruction to the texts in a marvellous way, and yet at the same time it sometimes also becomes rather repetitive. But this is so because deconstruction is (in my opinion) also a methodology. At any rate, this book is an eye-opener to the province of the text and how it will never allow itself to be pigeon-holed, or to be fully understood, or to reach a definite interpretation. As Burleson points out texts are always self-subversive, and arrive at aporetic standstills, though simultaneously also lifting the tip on infinity within the text. And where could one do that better than 'in' Lovecraft?
From the opening introduction on deconstructianism, which is very lucid and should be understandable by readers that have not encountered it before, to the final concluding chapter, this book is like spit and mud in your eyes that should be washed in a stream after finishing it, and then to read the book again. You will not only regard Lovecraft 'texts' differently, but also every other text you encounter or re-read will never be the same again.
The stories selected for the deconstructive criticism ("The Call of Cthulhu", "The Shadow over Innsmouth", "The Cats of Ulthar", "The Nameless City", and more short ones) are representative for Lovecraft's recurring themes and motifs, and handled in clear understandable speech and intellectuality. My only complaint with this book is that it is a bit too short - I would have liked to see more attention to the stories, but this is a dilemma for which Burleson doubtlessly stood himself: it is a decision between fewer stories thoroughly (as far as that can be done with deconstructionism) explored, and more stories explored with provocative motivations for further personal investigation on the reader's part. Well, the enthousiasm Burleson leaves one with is more than enough for that.
If you like Lovecraft and literature, your library shouldn't be without this.
Average customer rating:
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Fiction in the Quantum Universe
Susan Strehle
Manufacturer: Univ of North Carolina Pr
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ASIN: 0807820245 |
Amazon.com
Journalist Richard Panek begins his historical essay on the telescope with the Hubble Deep Field. This extended exposure by space telescope is a picture that looks out of our galaxy--farther, immeasurably farther, than the human eye has seen before. It exemplifies the purpose of all telescopes: "To address our place in the universe, literally. To size up all of space and figure out where we are in it." How and why did this particular technology have such profound effects?
Panek first considers Galileo, who "raised his new instrument toward the night sky and understood at once that there was more to see--and more to seeing--than meets the eye.... Unlike spectacles or magnifying lenses, the optic tube offered not just a distortion of what was already there, but more. It revealed evidence that was different from what the naked eye could see, evidence that wasn't otherwise there." Panek goes on to look at the, ahem, luminaries of observational astronomy--William Herschel, George Ellery Hale, Edwin Hubble--showing how faith in the telescope grew and our mental image of the universe expanded until "all the assumptions safely based on observation are gone." Panek's prose is vivid and beautiful, sustaining this (curiously) unillustrated book as it traces the astronomer's quest for light and dark, sight and belief. --Mary Ellen Curtin
Book Description
In 1609, Galileo fit two lenses inside a cylindrical tube, aimed it at the sky, and forever changed the world. With pith and charm, Seeing and Believing tells the story--era by era, visionary by visionary, technology by technology, and discovery by discovery--of how the telescope has changed the way we look at ourselves. In the tradition of Dava Sobel's bestselling Longitude, it focuses on the often larger-than-life figures behind our cosmological odyssey--from Galileo and William Herschel (the musician-turned-astronomer who discovered Uranus) to the crazy brilliance of George Ellery Hale and the minds behind the mighty Hubble space telescope. Seamlessly fusing elements of philosophy, politics, literature, and religion, this fascinating narrative chronicles the humbling journey into a universe infinitely more vast than we ever imagined. Star- gazers, space enthusiasts, and curious minds of every sort will love this holiday and year-round gift.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating story, nicely packaged.......2006-03-10
If you've read "Longitude," by Dava Sobel, and liked it, you'll like Panek's book as well. "Longitude" is the story of the invention of a chronometer sufficiently accurate to allow navigation to a desired longitude. It was instrumental in the mapping and exploration of earth. Similarly, "Seeing and Believing" is the story of another important invention, the telescope, which allowed us to map the cosmos and, as the subtitle says, find our place in the universe.
The story of the telescope begins with glass. More than 100 years before the invention of the telescope people fashioned glass into lenses that corrected poor eyesight, and found practical applications in such things as reading spectacles. It seems odd, I think, that it took so long for someone conceive of using two lenses in a tube to magnify the appearance of distant objects. [Then again, most things seem trivial in hindsight. Original thought is often underrated, and what we mistake as intelligence is often nothing more than the common man's ability to learn tricks taught by genius.]
Most of us have heard of Galileo. He is famous for his use of the telescope, and for his confrontations with the Catholic Church. But Galileo wasn't the inventor of the telescope (though he made significant contributions to the telescope's design). Galileo's genius was in the way he used the telescope to study the heavens, the conclusions he drew from those observations, and how those observations began a scientific and philosophical revolution that emphasized experimentation as the foundation of science.
Before the invention of the telescope the idea hadn't yet been hatched that an instrument could bring distant, essentially invisible, objects into clear view. There were initial suspicions that the telescope was just an elaborate hoax; an optical illusion. This suspicion was aided by design flaws in early telescopes that resulted in large optical aberrations, especially near the edges of the lenses. Placing myself in this historical context I find a certain amount of empathy for the skeptics. But it was overdone. Even when the telescope proved its validity through unambiguous verification, by demonstrating the ability to discern distant terrestrial objects, there was still a suspicion that it might view celestial objects with less accuracy. Old ideas die hard.
It wasn't just healthy skepticism that resulted in initial criticism of celestial observations with the telescope. These observations were diametrically opposed to the philosophical constructs of the day. What these observations showed us was the picture of a universe that was utterly inconsistent with those favored by the religious and philosophical leaders of the day. Eventually, though, even religion couldn't stop the march of progress. The telescope's utility and its power to challenge belief by seeing (as the old saying goes, seeing is believing) led to a revolution not only in our understanding of the cosmos, but the observational bedrock of modern science itself.
A good part of the book takes us up through the story of Galileo, but it doesn't end there. Other astronomers used the telescope to continue to expand our view of the universe. The story has been a rapid one. It wasn't that long ago (within the last century) that scientists weren't sure if the galactic nebula were clouds or groups of stars. Our local galaxy, the Milky Way, was no different. Within the last 100 years the telescope has been at the forefront of a revolution that has expanded the size of the known universe billions of light years and brought into view strange new phenomena like dark matter, black holes, neutron stars, and super novae.
Today's modern telescopes are very different, yet much the same, as the one Galileo first peered through. They are monumental instruments of incredible complexity. Optical telescopes are huge behemoths that use compound mirrors with active focusing to compensate for thermal currents in the earth's atmosphere. Other telescopes, like Hubble, look outside the obscuring atmosphere for an uncluttered look at the universe. Still others explore the universe at very long (infrared) wavelengths, microwave wavelengths, and even radio wavelengths. While they do, a new generation of telescopes, like the European Space Agency's (ESA) XMM-Newton X-ray satellite, explores the universe at wavelengths indicative of the most violent activity in the universe.
Though different in almost all their mechanical respects, modern telescopes do one thing essentially the same as Galileo's instrument; they open up the universe to our view and explode many of our pre-existing concepts about the universe. And, perhaps most importantly, they guide our quest to understand our place in the universe.
This is a small book with a surprising amount of information within its pages. It can be read easily in a week, and it's small enough to carry to the park or library. The book is easy to read, very well written, entertaining and informative. I thoroughly loved it.
How the Telescope Opened our Eyes and Minds to the Heavens.......2002-02-22
The key word in the subtitle is "Minds" as one soon learns. In the first half of the book, Panek describes how the telescope opened our eyes to the heavens and as the second half begins, he opens our eyes to how the progression began in earnest to the opening of our minds to the heavens. Certainly Galileo opened many minds to possibilities in the heavens that they had not considered: mountains on the Moon, moons orbiting Jupiter, phases of Venus, and so forth. What the eyes could see through the Galileo's perspicillum belied what our minds at the time could see, and the stretching of people's minds is treacherous endeavor, as he soon found out. But with stretching, people's minds do open, and the mind-opening exercises of Galileo prepared future centuries of star-gazers for quasars, pulsars, black holes, and a universe far greater than any of Galileo's contemporaries could have ever imagined.
[page 1] "On January 15, 1996, the universe grew by forty billion galaxies."
On the next page, Panek amends his statement to say, "What actually grew that morning, of course, wasn't the size of the universe, but our understanding of it." What happened that morning was a photo made of a single spot of the universe, as small as a grain of sand at arm's length, by the Hubble Space Telescope that was focused on that spot for ten entire days. They found almost 2,000 galaxies in that grain of sand speck of our night sky, which multiplied by the size of the rest of the sky approximates fifty billion galaxies. And this was only looking at visible light. What scientists found was more light than they ever expected and also more dark. Dark spaces for the first time appeared between galaxies, indicating that perhaps we had reached the end of universe with our instruments. Many questions arose.
[page 3] ". . . sometimes the best answer a scientist could want is more questions."
There weren't very many unanswered questions about the structure of the universe when Galileo made his first "tube of long seeing" by modifying a spyglass of a Dutch craftsman and turned it to familiar night sky. Planets and stars were pinpoints of light, everybody knew that; no questions were asked so nobody looked. But when Galileo looked at the night sky through his telescope he saw for the first time in the history of the Earth that planets had size and shapes and colors whereas stars remained pinpoints of light. He saw three pinpoints of light near Jupiter and as he observed on successive nights, sometimes he'd see two of them to the left of Jupiter and sometimes two to the right. How could Jupiter be moving so as to cause theses stars to dart about the planet so? Faced with this unanswerable question, he dared think the previously unthinkable: Perhaps the dots of light were moons orbiting Jupiter! What his eyes saw was incomprehensible until he opened his mind to new possibilities. Each generation since our minds have stretched farther and farther open as our instruments record previously incomprehensible data from the heavens.
This review truncated. To read the rest, a quick search of google will take you there with the following search argument: Seeing and Believing by Richard Panek
Superb little book!.......1999-06-15
This is a very enjoyable book! As a professional astronomer, I can only recommend this book to all people interested on the impact that the telescope had in the history of mankind. Although there is no deep technical description of telescopes here, this is not the point. The telescope has changed and is still changing the way we see the Universe and Panek does a very good job at describing the major contributions of this wonderful invention.
My only complaint is that the last chapter might be a bit too rushed compared to the previous ones since it basically reviews all modern astronomy in about 20 pages. But, otherwise, strongly recommended!
A Gem!.......1998-11-30
Even if you know nothing about astronomy --even if you don't care about astronomy -- you will love this book. It is written so gracefully, so unpretentiously (no 'we are starstuff' bombast) and the story it tells is so intriguing, that even science-shy readers can enjoy -- and learn. (I know because I am one.) The book is very pretty ,too -- small and slender, and with a lovely cover. A perfect present.
Elegant, terrific, informative.......1998-10-19
Richard Panek has outdone even his fine Waterloo Diamonds book. In Seeing and Believing, he unites science, history, and philosophy in a very accessible and dramatic way. I would think anyone concerned with contemporary technology issues will want to devour this book, and that it would make a stellar holiday gift for any thinking person.
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Kawarthas Nature
Peterborough Field Naturalists
Manufacturer: Boston Mills Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Nature & Ecology
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Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
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General
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| Outdoors & Nature
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Reference
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ASIN: 1550460587 |
Book Description
Let the experts be your guide to spectacular wildflowers and wildlife, to the drumlins, caves and petroglyphs, to the parks, trails and lakes of the Kawarthas. Complete with maps and wonderful color photos.
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Nature's Year in the Kawarthas
Drew Monkman
Manufacturer: Natural Heritage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Zoology
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ASIN: 1896219802
Release Date: 2002-12-31 |
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