12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent manual of detail that's easy to understand., April 6, 2001
This review is from: Stars (Scientific American Library Paperback) (Paperback)
In the Belmont Society, we think it's a shame that most of us don't understand how a star works. We glance up at them every night, and look at them through binoculars and telescopes, but for the most part we have no real knowledge of what makes them tick. James B. Kaler has created a significant work of importance in that regard. This book is a manual of detail that describes the workings of stars that is thrilling to read and easy to understand.
To those absorbed in amateur astronomy, Carl Sagan's eloquent phrase, "We are all made of star-stuff", was arguably the most quintessential statement of the late 20th century. Over three decades later, James B. Kaler paraphrases the statement with equal facility by asserting that stars are "...the principal means for the conversion of matter into energy, and are the sources and sustainers of life itself." The book represents an exploration of the supreme stellar mystery - the origin of luminosity. Why do the sun and stars shine so brightly?
Kaler begins (quite logically) by taking us on a tour of the Sun. He presents in vivid detail, the complete solar assembly. We're shown everything from core to corona, discovering astonishing particulars, like the characteristics of granules and supergranules, and the tumultuous conditions at different stratta.
We are given understandable explanations of the chromosphere, photosphere, corona, solar flares, mass ejection, sunspots, prominence, etc. And we're "clued-in" to some as yet unsolved mysteries, such as the strange period from 1645 to 1715 known as the Maunder Minimum, when sunspot activity was virtually non-existent, nudging the Earth into a minor ice age. "To know the Earth and stars we must know the sun".
Kaler describes "How to Build a Sun", and describes the incredible conditions necessary for hydrogen fusion to take place, giving us a generous understanding of stellar dynamics, and their correlation to luminosity. We learn about the birth of stars, their life cycles, and their violent endings. And we come to realize that a star's mass is the controlling discipline that determines how long a star lives and how it will die. In addition, there are explanations of how a Cepheid Variable works, and what goes on inside RR Lyrae and Mira stars.
There are illustrations and graphs to augment the text. There are also some formulas. If you're a whiz at calculus and chemistry you'll be happily familiar with them. But that kind of background isn't required. Trust me - you'll still "get it". That's the merit of "Stars". Although not quite down to that level, Kaler has basically written us a manual for dummies.
The Belmont Society has selected Stars as the latest addition to its "Required Reading" list for the amateur astronomer. We feel it is written in a style that is easy to digest by all levels of interest. If you have any curiosity at all about the sun and the stars and how they work, this book will greatly ease your comprehension. Highly recommended.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another good reason to look up and say WOW!, January 19, 2001
This review is from: Stars (Scientific American Library Paperback) (Paperback)
If you are not comfortable reading about atomic spectra, nuclear fusion or magnetic flux, you probably should find a star book that is more basic than this one. But if you've got a strong high school background in physics and chemistry, then you will enjoy an amazing journey when reading this book. Rich in diagrams and photos, "Stars" won't lose you between any of its pages. Although I thought the section on celestial orientation (azimuth, etc.) was unnecessary and a little weak, the material on stellar structure and evolution is the best I've seen.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very informative and lavishly illustrated, June 25, 2000
This review is from: Stars (Scientific American Library Paperback) (Paperback)
Without stars, the universe will be dark and dull. Most importantly, only stars can create elements (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous) indispensable to all forms of life. That is, we owe our very existence to the stars.
This book presents the above key messages and many other interesting topics systematically. It starts by introducing the ancient views on the night sky, followed by describing the tools people have been using in discovering the wonder of the stars, and then their properties (how stars are grouped and why they behave differently). Finally, the magnificent birth and dramatic death of stars, viewed as if they are organic matters, are depicted.
An outstanding feature about the book is its abundance in figures and photographs. I found one on almost every page and more than that on many.
Kaler's writing is lucid and the book is generously spaced. If you are a beginner in astronomy, this book is ideal to start with because it's not going to discourage you with jargons and pages after pages of texts. If you want to obtain an overall view and to update your knowledge on stars, this revised edition is a good choice.
Overall, I highly recommend "stars" and I wish I had read it earlier.
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