Tag Archives: Astronomy

Of stars and saints (again)

Posted on August 24, 2020 by smellincoffee

(“Again” because last year I had a similar post called ‘Of stars and saints‘.) Recently I’ve finished two books which were aimed at more youthful audiences (middle/high school, not sure), so I’m presenting them together. The first is Hands of … Continue reading →

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Tornadoes, the stars, and eternity

Posted on March 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

I aim to minimize the amount of un-commented-on books in 2020, so here follows some housekeeping! Back in February,  I read Braving the Elements: The Stormy History of American Weather.  It opened with the importance of climate to the various … Continue reading →

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The Planets

Posted on February 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Planets: The Definitive Visual Guide to Our Solar System © 2014 various authors (Smithsonian Institute) 256 pages I knew the moment I laid eyes on this book that we had to have it in the library.  I was given … Continue reading →

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The Pluto Files

Posted on February 11, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet © 2009 Neil deGrasse Tyson 224 pages   Ordinary  citizens don’t take an interest in the fine details of scientific debate, any more than they would the fine details … Continue reading →

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Of stars and saints

Posted on December 14, 2019 by smellincoffee

Two also-reads in recent weeks have been Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Solar System and Kevin Vost’s 12 Life Lessons from St. Augustine. I’m familiar with Cox from his many appearances in Symphony of Science videos (a YouTube series in  … Continue reading →

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Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Posted on May 7, 2017 by smellincoffee

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry© 2017 Neil deGrasse Tyson200 pages Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is exactly what it says on the tin, a brief cosmological primer that presents the basics of cosmology, explains the ways we are … Continue reading →

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The Planets

Posted on May 17, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Planets© 2003 Dava Sobel288 pages Like Lives of the Planets, Sobel’s The Planets is a flyby through the solar system. The inclusion of the Sun and Moon give this a classical feel, since those bodies were considered by the … Continue reading →

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How I Killed Pluto (And Why It Had it Coming)

Posted on January 1, 2016 by smellincoffee

How I Killed Pluto (and Why It Had it Coming)© 2010 Mike Brown288 pages Is that not the greatest title ever? How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had it Coming is the tale of Pluto’s rise and fall as a … Continue reading →

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Lives of the Planets

Posted on January 13, 2015 by smellincoffee

Lives of the Planets© 2007 Richard Corfield304 pages             Ever wanted to take a tour of the solar system, but were deterred by that little problem of explosively decompressing once in the vacuum of space? Lives of the Planets takes … Continue reading →

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The Sky is Not the Limit

Posted on September 21, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Sky is not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist © 2004 Neil deGrasse Tyson203 pages           How does a young black kid from the Bronx become a world-famous astrophysicist, Director of the Hayden Planetarium and the … Continue reading →

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