The Cosmic Perspective [Paperback]

Jeffrey Bennett (Author), Nicholas Schneider (Author), Mark Voit (Author), Megan Donahue (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 020187878X | ISBN-13: 978-0201878783 | Publication Date: December 15, 1998 | Edition: 1st

In this accessible, student-friendly text, astronomy is treated as a fundamental human endeavor rather than an enterprise reserved for professionals. The authors engage students' curiosity through cutting-edge material that focuses on the themes of human achievement, physics in the universe, continuity of matter, the dynamic systems that sustain life, and astronomy and physics as foundations for our world view.Throughout, the emphasis is on important ideas, with relevant details, techniques, and formulas presented after concepts. A Time Out to Think feature, which encourages students to check their understanding as they read, is just one of many pedagogical aids that reinforce learning. Text discussions are complemented by a distinctive art program, with figures not seen before in astronomy texts. A rich Web site includes student and instructor resources and coverage of current events.

Product Details

• Paperback: 708 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 1st edition (December 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020187878X
• ISBN-13: 978-0201878783
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by an astronomy student, January 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cosmic Perspective (Paperback)

As an astronomy student at the University of Colorado, I have used "The Cosmic Perspective" as a text book for two of my classes (one on stars and galaxies, and one on the solar system). This book is perfect for both: the text is clear and full of insight; the illustrations and photographs are abundant and extremely professional, and they complement the text superbly; the sections called "Mathematical Insight" give the reader a clear understanding of the science involved, and the sections called "Common Misconceptions" are as fun to read as they are informative.

I have read this book cover-to-cover, and although it is intended as a text book, it reads like many of the very popular science books I have read. If you enjoyed reading Sagan's "Cosmos", Gribbin's "In Search of the Big Bang", Feynman's "The Character of Physical Law", Lederman's "The God Particle" or Hawking's "A Brief History of Time", you will enjoy this very well-conceived and well-written book.

"The Cosmic Perspective" is very comprehensive. Besides covering the fundamental concepts of astronomy (such as light as the cosmic messenger; universal motion; celestial timekeeping; and telescopes), this book details how stars are born, evolve and die; the fundamentals of relativity; how the galaxies were formed, as well as how our solar system was formed; how vast space really is; how we know the distances to various objects in our universe; and how we know what happened at the early moments of the Big Bang. Since this book is new (published in 1999), it contains the latest facts and the latest thinking of modern astronomy. This book captured my interest and my enthusiasm the moment I began reading it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most comprehensive astronomy book with clearest explanations, April 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cosmic Perspective (Paperback)

For beginner or intermediate astronomy students, this book not only has all topics covered, but touches on many other branches of science that are essential to the understanding of astronomy. Clear, concise explanations with very careful attention to units in sample problems make many basic science concepts understandable. The depth of current knowledge covered on a wide variety of astronomical topics is remarkable for inclusiion in just one book. The graphic diagrams, drawings, charts, illustrations, and photographs are also outstanding in what they add to one's ability to visualize the material presented. Overall, this is by far the best astronomy book I've seen.