Customer Reviews

Where Did Pluto Go?: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the "New" Solar System Foreword by Neil DeGrasse Tyson Director of the Hayden Planetarium

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent introduction to man's view of the solar system throughout history. There is enough information given in an engaging writing style to interest both adults and children. Fantastic illustrations throughout. The planisphere which makes up the front cover is a very handy pull-out, a usable piece of equipment, as after reading about the constellations, enquiring minds will want to find them for themselves in the clear night skies. The book gives a balanced view of what man has thought about the solar system since man has been looking up at the stars and gives glimpses of what is just upon the horizon of our discovery.

It is a great book to purchase and read with a special child in your life - the gift of wonder.

Whatever you do, take no notice of Imbach's dismissal of this book on the basis of his misinformed attack on a single paragraph: that is quite the most extraordinary 'review' I have read for many a year. Sutherland's book is a well-written and trustworthy introduction to the solar system.

a good, brief introductory book of contemporary astronomy for the layperson and students from middle-school through high-school ages. the basic planisphere built into the front cover is a worthwhile feature. many sidebar boxes/pages for drawing attention to topics and concepts. copious and excellent illustrations.

Don't trust any of the "science facts" in this new introductory astronomy book. In 2006, Pluto was officially no longer designated a true planet in our solar system. This book was undoubtedly released to illustrate that fact. Unfortunately, the book is contaminated with serious scientific dishonesty.

On page 37, there's a text box with the heading "climate of fear". This is a term often used by deniers of climate science, and the three sentences in the text box proved that's the case. The greenhouse effect is described without mentioning the primary culprit in its variation, carbon dioxide. There is an implication that climate scientists are just "fear" mongering. Most egregiously, it suggests that solar activity variations produced the ice ages, a theory that has been discredited for decades. Milankovic cycles make up the leading theory for ice ages. But neither solar activity nor Milankovic cycles can have much impact on comparatively quick decadal climate change. The most reasonable cause of our current global warming is the effect of greenhouse gases.

There seems to be no good reason for this bogus climate change section to be stuck in a short astronomy book. Could the publisher have insisted on it? Neil deGrasse Tyson should be embarrassed to have contributed his cursory foreword. Probably he wrote it without knowing what the exact contents of the book would be.

The book is pretty, but the anti-science attitude throws its entire contents in doubt.

Rating: 1 star.