Customer Reviews

The Solar System (2nd Edition)

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Apart from a few glaring errors (ie. p. 30, "H. J. Melnsh" should be "H. J. Melosh," and p. 59, where a normal fault is mislabeled as a reverse fault), THE SOLAR SYSTEM presents fair intermediate-to-advanced coverage of our home planetary system. There is a bit of higher mathematics here and there, but definitely not so much as to become intimidating. I would recommended this work (with errors corrected) as introductory reading to college undergraduates interested in entering the field of planetary science.

I appreciated the conciseness of this book. In less than 200 pages (plus a preface, glossary, index, etc.) the author manages to cover all major aspects of our Solar System including its origin and even -- very briefly -- how it compares to other, newly discovered, planetary systems. The book is organized by physical processes rather than the traditional sequence that starts with Mercury and moves outward. I think the author's approach works much better. Despite its engaging style, the book was not a quick read for me, but after finishing it I felt I'd gained a thorough (re)initiation to the subject.