Heaven and Earth: Unseen by the Naked Eye (Paperback)

~ David Malin (Author), Katherine Roucoux (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Through the lens of a microscope or the shaft of a telescope exists a universe of boundless life and beauty, that is entirely invisible to the naked eye. Atoms, ice crystals, grains of pollen, snowflakes, butterfly wings, cloud formations, searing comets, and showers of stars are born, live and die. The unprecedented scope of "Heaven & Earth" offers an awe-inspiring voyage of discovery through this infinite world that is science - from the smallest particles on the earth's surface to tiny dots in galaxies that are billions of light years away. Revealing the extensive range of matter contained in the cosmos, this book navigates a fascinating trajectory through an unexplored world, to celebrate the immeasurable beauty and countless mysteries of planet earth and the universe. It charts - chapter by chapter - intricate landscapes of increasing scale and distance, captured by microscope, x-ray, satellite and telescope. Each magnificent photograph is accompanied by an extended caption that explains it in detail, offering a dose of scientific information that enables us to associate with it on a human scale. This volume presents a unique and richly illustrated insight into the momentous relation between aesthetics and nature, in the light of nature's magnitude and its complexity of life. The result is the ultimate fusion of art and science, through a sequence of images that are as subtle as they are stupendous.

About the Author

David Malin was formerly Photographic Scientist at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, New South Wales and currently Adjunct Professor of Scientific Photography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Winner of the prestigious Lennart Nilsson prize, his pioneering photographs of space have revolutionized our knowledge and understanding of the universe. Katherine Roucoux is a freelance science writer and a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (March 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714847607
• ISBN-13: 978-0714847603
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #184,910 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A feast for the eyes, November 16, 2003

By	Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Heaven & Earth: Unseen By The Naked Eye (Photography) (Hardcover)

Every year when the holiday shopping season rolls around, there is a glut of beautifully illustrated coffee table books on the market. But I have yet to see one this season that compares to the mind-boggling beauty of "Heaven & Earth". The photos in this magnificent collection run the gamut from the microscopic to the macrocosmic, presented in order of size. Like explorers of uncharted seas, we are able to discover the incredible detail hidden in the extremely small and to map the grand pattern in the extremely vast. We are also able to observe, as exemplified by the illustration on the cover, that there is often an eerie pattern of similarity revealed when viewing side-by-side things of vastly different scale. Not only is this book a feast for the eyes, but fuel for the intellect as well.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book, Buy the hardcover, May 14, 2005

By	C. DiStefano "office_books" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Heaven and Earth: Unseen by the Naked Eye (Photography) (Paperback)

I bought this book for my wife, and the pictures are amazing. You really can't go wrong with something this fantastic. The biggest problem is the binding is garbage - hence the 4 stars - on the paperback. After looking through it ONCE, it is already falling apart. Worth the extra couple of bucks for the hardcover.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out Of This World, December 27, 2004

By	K. McGuire (Diamond Bar, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Heaven and Earth: Unseen by the Naked Eye (Photography) (Paperback)

Received this book for Christmas, and the pictures are spectacular! This book is definitely a keeper. However, the paperback version has a problem with it's binding. My copy, the pages are already falling out ... but because this book is so great, I will be replacing it with the hard cover version.