Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, Revised Edition [Paperback]

John S. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0124467423 | ISBN-13: 978-0124467422 | Publication Date: October 14, 1997 | Edition: Revised

Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, Revised Edition is a comprehensive survey of the planetary physics and physical chemistry of the part of the universe that is best understood--our own solar system. Although many fundamental questions remain unanswered, or even unasked, research in these areas has advanced quickly, and the planetary sciences have benefited from both earth-based and spacecraft-based experimentation. These experiments form the basis of thisencyclopedic reference, which skillfully fuses synthesis and explanation. Detailed chapters review each of the major planetary bodies as well as asteroids, comets, and other small orbitals. With this reference, astronomers, physicists, and planetary scientists will have a state-of-the-art book whose uses include both teaching and research. This new version, featuring approximately 10% new material, will also prove an invaluable addition to any library in astronomy, planetary physics, and astrophysics.


* Contains updated material since the first edition
* Aimed at a higher level with a broader scope than previous texts
* Examines the astronomical content of the solar system and the planetary content of earth
* Amply illustrated throughout
* Reviews each of the major planetary bodies as well as asteroids, comets, and other small orbitals

Editorial Reviews

Review

"....The most welcome change, however, is the addition of an average of about 40 exercises at the end of almost every chapter. The exercises have the mark of an insightful researcher and experienced teacher, and should stimulate students and even researchers to think more deeply about the material. The review of the original edition (CH, Nov '95) said that it 'should become an instant classic,' and that it is 'strongly recommended for libraries supporting science students at the upper-division undergraduate level through faculty'; these comments are even more true of this new edition."
- CHOICE, January 1999

"I like John Lewis' writing style. It is fairly clear, with touches of informality, yet authoritative and quantitative. A particularly pleasing feature of the book is the large number of well-chosen half-tone photographs, which are reproduced at an unusually large size....I liked the book very much and very much appreciated the enormous effort it represents. It will certainly be an asset to me and my students, and I am sure that every serious university library will be required to obtain a copy."
- METEORITES AND PLANETARY SCIENCE

"This book should become an instant classic....It is both a stimulating theoretical introduction to the field and an indispensable resource for practicing scientists....The writing is clear and often witty, and the first and last chapters in particular are rich in humor and insight into the nature of planetary science and science in general--insight that could come only from an active researcher. Strongly recommended for libraries supporting science students at the upper-division undergraduate level through faculty."
- T. Barker, Wheaton College, Massachusetts in CHOICE

"Indeed, Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System is the best study of the subject I have ever read. The culture of John Lewis is stupefying--it is difficult to imagine that one man can know so many things about the solar system. The book is not only complete, but well written, with a style that is both lively and elegant.
- Daniel Gaultier, Observatoire de Paris, France in PHYSICS WORLD

"This book is a very comprehensive summary of the results of research in this field. There are many diagrams and photographs used for illustration that make it easy to understand."
- REVIEWS OF ASTRONOMICAL TOOLS

"John Lewis has pulled together an incredible compendium of knowledge of the planetary sciences serving the needs of both students and practicing scientists in our field...One of the important contributions of this book to the teaching of planetary sciences is its presentation including a mathematically based, analytical treatment of problems and topics...all readers will find themselves chuckling now and then, an event which is unfortunately rare during a textbook read. I enjoy taking up this text when I need to verify some basic knowledge of the Solar System. It is an asset to the documentation of the field of planetary science that Lewis persevered in the completion of the text; it was well worth the wait."
- Lucy McFadden, University of Maryland in ICARUS

"This work is an excellent basic textbook focusing on our solar system, providing information that is understandable to students and also to advanced amateurs."
- Jan Blecki, Space Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw

Book Description

New edition synthesizes and explaines the latest findings regarding our solar system --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 591 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; Revised edition (October 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0124467423
• ISBN-13: 978-0124467422
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,290,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book loaded with practical information., July 28, 1998

By 

Louis Strous ([e-mail]) (Palo Alto, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Chapters: I. Introduction; II. Astronomical Perspective; III. General Description of the Solar System; IV. The Sun and the Solar Nebula; V. The Major Planets; VI. Pluto and the Icy Satellites of the Outer Planets; VII. Comets and Meteors; VIII. Meteorites and Asteroids; IX. The Airless Rocky Bodies: Io, Phobos, Deimos, the Moon, and Mercury; X. The Terrestrial Planets: Mars, Venus, and Earth; XI. Planets and Life about Other Stars; XII. Future Prospects; Appendices; Suggested Reading; Index

This book discusses the physics and chemistry of the Solar System in great detail. It assumes that the reader has completed one year of mathematics, physics, and chemistry at the university level. Appropriate physics and chemistry formulas and equations are sprinkled throughout the book. The focus is on practicality, not on rigorous derivation: Formulas are often introduced with a phrase like "It can be shown that...", though some key concepts are discussed in more math! ematical detail in the appendices. For the reader who wants more, the "Suggested Reading" section lists many more publications dealing with aspects of the subject matter of this book, ranging in intended readership between non-mathematical and professional scientific.

The text is informative and to the point. Inclusion of many results from recent space missions to various planets, asteroids, and comets is evident. The author includes many pictures (mostly in black and white) of (parts of) the planets and other discussed celestial bodies. Also included are a great number of plots and diagrams that illustrate points made in the text. Many provide specific information on characteristics of the materials being discussed. I particularly like these diagrams: A general discussion of, for instance, the different kinds of water ice is interesting in its own right, but the inclusion of a diagram where you can look up your own favorite combination of temperature and press! ure to find which kind of water ice exists under those cond! itions allows you to consider also many situations that are not explicitly treated in the text.

The book starts with a discussion that puts the Solar System in a wider astronomical context (involving galaxies and the universe at large), and ends (after extensive discussion of the members of the Solar System) with a discussion of the physics and chemistry of life and planets around other stars, and of the future prospects for answering remaining questions about our celestial neighbors. Some exercises are included at the end of each chapter.

The only negative point I found about this book is that it does not discuss the one topic I was looking for when I bought it: the physics of the shape of celestial bodies. For instance, why can Mars support much taller mountains that the Earth? How irregular can the shape be of a moon or asteroid, depending on its size? This certainly falls within the scope of the title. Nevertheless, the great wealth and practicality of the other i! nformation contained in this volume ensure that I do not at all regret buying it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Little Bit Of Everything, August 28, 2005

By 

Richard Ulrich (Fayetteville, AR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, Volume 87, Second Edition (International Geophysics) (Paperback)

I teach a class in Planetary Atmospheres at the local state university (Arkansas). There is no dedicated text on planetary atmospheres for the non-expert, but you can take parts of this book and do pretty well. And that's the general theme of this book: it has at least a little bit of coverage on almost every aspect of the solar system. I think you could easily do the same thing for a class in planetary geology or solar system evolution or orbital dynamics or even a little biology. Nothing is explored in tremendous detail, but almost every sub-topic of the solar system receives good coverage. Geology is probablly the most-addressed topic.

The book is a great read to just learn about the solar system and how it got here, but you'll need a strong background in chemistry and physics to really understand it. It was one of my favorite books even before I was selected to teach this course.

Lewis' writing is folksy at time, and that's a good thing. Sometimes he's even funny. He gives some thorough overviews of the history of figuring out the various aspects of our solar system, such as the long history of figuring out the composition of the atmospheres of Venus and Mars. It's definitely not a dry book.

The one downside is probably not the author's fault: the photographs are very poorly reproduced. This is probably a publisher thing, but pictures that I know to be beautiful are reduced to grainy, low-res grayscale. Also, be careful which one you order: there is a first edition, a revised first edition and a second edition. You want the latter, although they are not vastly different from one another. The second edition has some color plates grouped together, and this helps.

I recommend this book enthusiastically for anyone with a technical background that wants to learn more about any aspect of the solar system.