Asteroid: Earth Destroyer Or New Frontier? [Paperback]

Patricia Barnes-Svarney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2003

A look at the creation and composition of asteroids and the frightening eventuality of a collision with the earth.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It would take an asteroid the size of Vermont crashing into the Earth to wipe out all life on our planet. We can probably go to sleep tonight without worrying about this happening. Yet a significantly smaller asteroid -- say, one that spans 10 football fields -- could wreak enormous damage on life as we know it. Even if it struck in the middle of an ocean, violent flooding could drown millions of people. Asteroids this size pass between the Earth and the moon with disturbing frequency, writes Patricia Barnes-Svarney. This book nicely combines history, science and engaging speculation. It's a must-read for doomsday aficionados. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Patricia Barnes-Svarney is the editor/writer of the award-winning New York Public Library Science Desk Reference. She has published more than 350 articles in such magazines as Popular Science, Astronomy, Omni, and Air & Space.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (July 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073820885X
• ISBN-13: 978-0738208855
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,547,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, if you are interested in the subject, October 30, 1997

By 

Emc2 (Tropical Ecotopia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Asteroid (Hardcover)

The first chapters are a little bit too technical. However, you will learn a lot about the scientific background on asteroids and impacts. The chapters on how Earth has been hit in the past, the summary of the theory about the dinosaur extinction, and how the Chicxulub crater was found, are really good. The book also has a good coverage on subjects such as near-Earth objects, actual near-misses, what if?, and the Spaceguard survey.

If you became interested on these subjects after the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact on Jupiter, or because you are a Sc-Fi fan who like the "hard stuff" and read Clark's "The Hammer of God", Benford's "Shiva Descending", or Niven's "Lucifr's Hammer", this book is for you. You can deepen your scientific knowledge and learn why these fiction novels seem so real, specially those written before the Alvarez paradigm.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Facts About Asteroids, April 6, 2011

By 

Donald W. May "bearded wonder" (Pittsburgh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Asteroid: Earth Destroyer Or New Frontier? (Paperback)

This book has excellent material on the science of asteroids. Much has been learned, though, since was written in 2003. It could use an update with this new information