Customer Reviews

Blind Watchers of the Sky: The People and Ideas That Shaped Our View of the Universe (Helix Books)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike the other reviewers here, I *had* to read this book. Why is that? Because I took Natural Sciences 101 at the University of Chicago, and it happened to be taught by the very same Rocky Kolb. I must say, I was a little leery about reading a book written by the prof, I mean, how self serving is that? But let me tell you, this book captivated me more than any other that quarter. It's clear and concise, but most importantly, its humor keeps you wanting to read more. He writes just like he teaches. That's his voice speaking from the pages, and he's speaking something he knows a lot about. If you want to get the basics of the history of cosmology and get in on the ground floor of a few of the more complicated cosmologiacl principals, all in an entertaining read, this book is for you.

When I first picked up this book at my local library, little did I know it would become my obsession and my friend for the next week or so. The more I read, the more enchanted I became with its well-wrought out stories, its amusing, sometimes touching, anecdotical commentaries; and, the sheer joy it evinces throughout on relating this particular epic of the scientific quest for knowledge and discovery.

I specially enjoyed the insights into the tribulations and serendipitous breakthroughs every great astronomer, every great blind watcher of the sky included in Kolb's book, had to confront and interpret for our greater understanding of the universe. Unlike other books that dismiss mathematical details altogether for fear of alienating prospective readers, Kolb does the next best thing: it includes it all at the end!

After I read the library's copy through and through, I went out and bought my own copy--which I am annotating this time. It is a book I am sure I will be referring to in the years to come. I look forward to reading Rocky Kolb's next book. (I hope he is writing one!) We can all benefit from this type of clear and inspirational scientific popularization.

Many students of astronomy/cosmology/astrophysics are rarely shown the interesting, chaotic blind luck experiments that have come before them. This book is an incredibly well-written, humorous recounting of the great minds that have shaped, essentially, our universe, through hard work and experimental luck. From the loquacious "astronomer-king" Brahe, to such equally profound minds as Einstein and Edwin Hubble, the stories of experiments and old-fashioned, "mind work" provide all an opportunity to look at these great men in an entirely different ( and sometimes, unflattering) light. And for those already experienced in the heavy physics and mathematics used to derive cosmological equations, this book provides the humanistic side to the "bland scientist" critique leveled at these founding fathers.

All told, this is a wonderful book that will delight readers at all levels of astr/physics proficiency

After reading Blind Watchers of the Sky all I have to is, "wow!" I never thought I would learn more about (or care about, for that matter) astronomy. The basis of my celestial knowledge before reading this book was elementary to say the least. My comprehension of astronomy now is not that of a rocket scientist or anything but it is a secure foundation on which further studying will be easier understood because of the basic concept learned from this book. These concepts are not exactly abecedarian, they are not easy to grasp in a classroom or textbook. For some reason Kolb's intricate stories explain these concepts in a flowing manner that doesn't stress the mind. All of a sudden you are reading and you pause to say aloud to yourself, "Oh, I get it." I would recommend this book to anyone. You need no past knowledge to enjoy the book or any great passion to learn about astronomy because it is entertaining aside from the fun facts you learn. I am not an astronomy scholar so I am unaware what there take on this book would be. But this is also an excellent source for high school astronomy students having a difficult time grasping our celestial ideas. -JoAnna Newburn

I have to say that this book is one in a very long list of books I have read in the past, is the most informative yet intriguing. I had to read this book mainly for a class for school. I was very skeptical at first when I received thinking that I was never going to finish it and frankly how it looked boring. I was clearly wrong. The more I dove in to the reading the more I fully enjoyed the read. I was surprised at how enticing the words and how Rocky Kolb, the author of the book, made it serious yet comical. I have learned a great deal from this one book. I will most definitely recommend this book to anyone, even if they do not like astronomy and math based books. It's a good book that everyone should read through out there lifetime. If you do enjoy those subjects them most definitely pick it up, get cozy and take off in to the world of the universe. I have a totally new perspective of how our universe really is. I also enjoyed being introduced to some of the most gifted scientists the world has ever seen. I learned new material that will go with me till I get old. I have enjoyed it, and I hope that you will too.

This is a very interesting book, you learn about astronomy and its main actors in a pleasant and funny way! Rocky Kolb is amazing at his descriptions of the great astronomers of the past, their virtues and their big defects!

As like many others, I read this book for a class. I was given the choice between this book, and two other books, so I read the reviews for the three books, and this one sounded the best. All the positive reviews for this book were correct. The author puts his sense of humor into his tale of the history of cosmology. He tries to avoid all technical aspects of this field, and puts it in an appendix for those more curious than I. This book also went very smoothly. The first section goes by like a breeze! Only the last section on the current views of cosmology boggs down, and just by a little. I liked the book so much, that I gave it to my parents to read, and they're both in the art field, and they enjoyed it!

An excellent read!

I don't remember the last time I read a book that was as packed with fascinating facts about astronomy as this one. Better still, Mr. Kolb's dry wit makes the book a very quick read.

If you're interested in the history of astronomy and want a book that takes you past the basics, read this book. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Excellent history of astronomy that explores the process of discovery and the possibilities of future dicoveries.

If you have ever wonder how new stars were found, and how scientist came up with the alignment of the planets. Then read Blind Watchers of the Sky:The People that Shaped our Views of The Universe. Discover how the scientist came up with their theories, and the basic history of cosmology. The book flows very well and is interesting. Learn more about the thought of the scientist that have spent most of their lives studying the sky.