Sun, Moon and Earth (Wooden Books) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The first systematic observations of the Sun and Moon are shrouded in the mists of prehistory..." (more)
Key Phrases: lunation cycle, eclipse year, sidereal month

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Every organism on Earth responds to four major cycles: the solar and lunar day, the synodic month and the year. We all dance to these primary rhythms. This book reveals the poetic cosmology that lies within the cycles of the Sun and Moon as seen from the Earth.

Experience the uniquely connected universe that Robin Heath presents; solstices, eclipses and equinoxes all concisely described and illustrated. The timeless beauty of our universe has never been more apparent or intriguingly simple.

Small Books, Big Ideas Historically, in all known cultures on Earth, wise men and women studied the four great unchanging liberal arts -numbers, music, geometry and cosmology-and used them to inform the practical and decorative arts like medicine, pottery, agriculture and building. At one time, the metaphysical fields of the liberal arts were considered utterly universal, even placed above physics and religion. Today no one knows them.

Walker & Company is proud to launch Wooden Books, a collectable series of concise books offering simple introductions to timeless sciences and vanishing arts.

Attractively simple in their appearance yet extremely informative in content, these unusual books are the perfect gift solution for all ages and occasions. The expanding title range is highly collectable and ensures continuing interest. In addition, the books are non-gloss and non-color, appealing to a greener book-buying public. Wooden Books are ideally suited to non-book outlets.

Wooden Books are designed as timeless. Much of the information contained in them will be as true in five hundred years time as it was five hundred years ago. These books are designed as gifts, lovely to own. They are beautifully made, case-bound, printed using ultra-fine plates on the highest quality recycled laid paper, finished with thick recycled endpapers and sewn in sections. There are fine, hand drawn illustrations on every page.

The fast-moving world of Wooden Books brings you a selection of fascinating titles. All hardcover, 64 pages, 100% recycled paper at $10.00 each.

About the Author

Author and illustrator Robin Heath is a mathematician and engineer. Wooden Books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802713815
• ISBN-13: 978-0802713810
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,227 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I needed!, September 6, 2003

By	merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I was looking for something that wouldn't be too technical to give an overview (but not too superficial) about the movement of the sun, moon and earth. This was it! It talks about solstices and equinoxes, eclipses, lunar rhythms, cycles (long cycles and shorter ones), time/tide, the dance of the moon, wobbles, etc. It was just enough to provide a foundation of understanding and appreciation for what is going on around us.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Part Astronomy, Part Cosmology with a dash of Stonehenge, August 2, 2004

By	Jack Fitzgerald "JFD" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Sun, Moon and Earth by Robin Heath is a short introduction to understanding the relation between the three celestial bodies in the title. The astronomy and geometry are written for a layman's level, without being too dry or technical, but not childish either. Heath details how the earth moves about the sun, with seasons and the calendar, as well as two types of lunar cycles, equinoxes, solstices, eclipses, etc. The book details how our calendar works and offers some interesting alternatives. There's even a short chapter about Stonehenge, which can be further explored in another volume by the same publisher.
I found it fascinating how much megalithic astronomers knew about the sun and moon cycles, especially the geometry, but then again, they didn't have much else to do and light pollution was almost non-existent then. Imagine what the sky looked like in 3000 BC! The book is full of cool illustrations and tables and overall is well put together.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent little book, August 21, 2001

By	Chris Knight "knightresearch" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Beautifully done. This book explains the strange coincidence of the sun and the moon seen from earth. It should be read by everyone who takes the sky for granted so that they can appreciate just how special our location is.