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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even if you don't plan to go to Mars..., August 18, 2003
This review is from: A Traveler's Guide to Mars (Paperback)
As an astronomy junkie and a web surfer, I've often marveled at the amazingly sharp photos obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has both wide-angle and telephoto capabilities and has revolutionized knowledge of Mars since it went into orbit in 1997. As I've browsed those photos, and even visited Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) website to surf the archive, I've idly wished that someone would put together a book of those photos, along with explanations by planetary scientists. Quite by accident, I stumbled upon Hartmann's Traveler's Guide to Mars recently, a 2003 publication by one of the scientists who's been involved with Mars since Mariner 4 in 1965. At 468 pages in length, with nearly every page containing photographs, this book is a gem. I regard it as the best book on Mars over the last few years (which is saying a lot if you read my reviews last month). Hartmann gives us forty short chapters, each devoted to a single feature or geographic region. Each chapter is between 2 and 10 or so pages in length. Lavish use of photos is the standard, usually a Viking mosaic for context and then a series of MOS or Odyssey Themis photos illustrating unusual geology, the search for water, etc. There are also many examples of the Global Surveyor's other primary instrument, the laser altimeter, which beautifully illustrates relative elevations of the features, and has added immeasurably to our understanding of the landforms studied. Hartmann also makes frequent use of Earth landscape photos that are close analogs to the Martian features he's showcasing. Hartmann's explanations of the features are clear and easy to understand. The writing is at a level that will be easy for novices to comprehend, but will not leave seasoned Marsophiles feeling talked-down-to. Interspersed throughout are 15 sidebars, "My Martian Chronicles," in which Hartmann recounts some of his personal experiences as a member of the scientific teams which slowly untangled many of the mysteries he confronts in the text. These serve to make an already superb book even more enjoyable by bringing a very personal touch to the narrative. Hartmann is always careful to specify when he is touting his own pet theories, and when he is speaking of the consensus of the scientific community. He does a great job of illustrating how the scientific process actually works by telling the stories of the many geologists and planetary scientists who have contributed to our understanding of Mars over the years. He also hints where he thinks NASA's priorities ought to be with respect to human exploration of Mars: there are simply some questions which will remain open until there is a geologist with a rock hammer on the scene. This is an excellent book in every way imaginable. First of all, it satisfied a longing I had had for several years. Second, it is written by a top flight scientist who also happens to be a gifted writer and communicator. Third, it is edited and presented in such a well-thought-out manner that it is simply a pleasure to read (and re-read and re-read). The only possible improvement I could suggest would be a second edition (updated of course with new findings) that uses the coffee-table format. When I think of the MOS and MOLA photos used in this book reproduced in large format 11x17 inches, with the accompanying text, I positively salivate with anticipation.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book and a wonderful resource, April 4, 2005
This review is from: A Traveler's Guide to Mars (Paperback)
This fascinating book is the work of scientist, author and artist, William K. Hartmann. What this item is, really, is a travelogue about the planet Mars! Going interesting location by interesting location, the book takes the reader across the face of Mars, and through Martian history. Along the way, the reader is treated to *many* colorful pictures and maps.
This is a great book, probably the best one that I have seen on the planet Mars! I loved the way that the book is organized; somehow the author succeeds in taking his narrative location by location, and yet having it form a coherent and very informative explanation of what Mars is like now, and how it came to be that way. Also, the fact that it was published in 2003 means that it is entirely up-to-date, with information gathered by the Viking probes, the Hubble space telescope, and the Mars Global Surveyor.
Overall, I found this to be a great book and a wonderful resource. If you are interested in the planet Mars, then you really must get this book! I give it my highest recommendations.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE book on Mars, January 7, 2004
This review is from: A Traveler's Guide to Mars (Paperback)
This book may very well be the best popular science book I've ever read. The story of what we know about Mars and how it was discovered unfolds in an exciting progression that leaves one convinced that not only has there been a lot of water on Mars in the past, but there is almost certainly still a lot of it underground all over the planet. The story is lavishly illustrated with many amazing high-resolution images from the Mars Global Surveyor and other orbiter missions, along with a dozen or so of the author's own paintings. The book answered all of the nagging quesitons I had about whether or not there's really evidence of water on Mars, and several times a question that formed in my mind (like "ok, maybe it was some fluid other than water like liquid CO2") was explicitly answered on the next page. This book is a real gem, and if you want quick fun way to pick up the appropriate background for enjoying and understanding the results from the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions then this is it. Sadly The Brittish Beagle 2 lander seems to have followed the Simplified Planetary Local Approach Trajectory that was favored by many previous attempts to land on Mars, but with the success (so far) of Spirit and high hopes for Opportunity landing soon, there will be plenty of exciting new information about Mars available soon, and I can only hope that the author of this book sees fit to give us a second edition in a year or so that summarizes all the new knowlege. But for now, this it *the* book to get up to speed on Mars. G.
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