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The Planets Hardcover – October 11, 2005

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Dava Sobel (Author)
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Dava Sobel (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars 95 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Viking; First Edition edition (October 11, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0670034460
  • ISBN-13: 978-0670034468
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful mix of history, science and sheer enthusiasm
By Sage Ross on October 11, 2005
Format: Hardcover
Dava Sobel's newest offering deviates from the historical path of her previous work, but the stellar prose that remains in The Planets will inevitably pull in any who wander too close. This book touches on the social, religious and intellectual aspects of the solar system from antiquity to January 2005, but cannot properly be called history; Sobel simply stuffs the most interesting stories and facts about each celestial body into a slim 231 pages (plus a glossary and a brief appendix of factual details). Of course, interesting stories and facts about the planets could easily fill a book many, many times as long. The beauty of The Planets is that Sobel (who has clearly culled from an enormous pool of potential content) selected only most fascinating and unusual to include. Few but historians of planetary astronomy and the most dedicated trivia buffs are likely to be bored by too much they already know, even though nearly everything comes from published sources. And even if the contents are old news, Sobel's packaging is a joy.

The Planets is organized into thematic chapters that, for the most part, read like separate essays. The introduction and conclusion give the context for Sobel's longtime and continuing passion for the Planets; the former is not particularly riveting, but does not detract. The chapters-there are ten including the Sun and the Moon, with Uranus and Neptune sharing one-bear titles indicating the overarching theme of each, though each theme is stretched far enough to allow a feeling of continuity as the book proceeds outward from the Sun to the edge of the solar system.

Beginning appropriately with "Genesis," Sobel's Sun chapter is perhaps the least novel (as well as the shortest).Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsA Grand Tour
By Bruce Crocker on October 11, 2005
Format: Hardcover
Why, I asked myself, would Dava Sobel pick a subject as done to death as the planets of our solar system after mining such rich veins of prose ore as the race to measure longitude accurately and Galileo from his daughter's point of view? The answer - this fantastic author can take the overdone and give it new life! In The Planets, Dava Sobel takes the reader on a tour of planetary astronomy and the 9 objects currently classified as major planets plus the Sun and the Moon with 12 very different chapters and no feeling of having read a few chapters in an astronomy textbook. Chapters 7 [SCI-FI (Mars)] and 10 [NIGHT AIR (Uranus and Neptune)] have the most interesting points of view. Chapter 7 is narrated by ALH84001, the famous Martian meteorite that contains possible signs of life, and Chapter 10 is written as a long letter from aging astronomer Caroline Herschel (sister of the discoverer of Uranus) to American astronomer Maria Mitchell. This is the kind of book I'd recommend to an avid reader who usually avoids books on science. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend to anyone with an interest in astronomy and history. I'm getting my copy of The Planets into my high school library as quickly as possible.
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3.0 out of 5 starsNot my cup of tea
By J. Holst on January 19, 2006
Format: Hardcover
I read this book looking to find insight into the most up-to-date info on the solar system, hoping to learn more beyond my layperson knowledge. Instead of a generalized grand tour or a data-rich analysis, I made my way through a highly stylized, poetic ode to the celestial bodies, with a smattering of mythology, popular culture, and some scientific history.

I have to admit that the book was well-done, extremely well-written, and it's obvious that Sobel knows her stuff. But I just wasn't that interested. I enjoyed some of the facts she did provide, but I waited in vain for more. I wanted to spend more time with each world, and to read a summary of all the best opinions about the planets.

All in all, I would recommend this book if you want a literary take on the subject. On the other hand, if you're more like me, I would avoid it.
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4.0 out of 5 starsIdiosyncratic Tour of the Solar System
By Timothy Haugh on November 17, 2005
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Both of Ms. Sobel's previous books, Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, are works of impressive scholarship and readability--two qualities that don't always go together. In fact, it can be argued that the publication of Longitude revived the genre of popular science writing; in particular, what might be called the sub-genre of "making the obscure exciting." Ms. Sobel has an ability to take a comparatively unknown person in scientific history, make him or her interesting and place him or her in the scope of the larger sweep of scientific history that is unequaled, despite her even most successful imitators. Therefore, it is no surprise that her new book, The Planets, had considerable buzz before its release. Unfortunately, this book is somewhat of a letdown.

Ms. Sobel has chosen an interesting subject: the solar system. It is surprising how little the average person knows about this conglomeration of an average star (the sun) and nine (or is it eight now?) planets of which our own earth is but a part. Certainly, the reading public is in need of a book to popularize the solar system, so to speak.

It is also true that Ms. Sobel has written an account that is interesting in many ways and definitely up-to-date. The most recent findings of our most traveled probes and deepest-seeing telescopes are recounted here, though it's amazing how quickly even the findings of a few months ago are superseded. Just last week, the discovery of two new moons of Pluto were announced. Already, it is tempting to wonder how this would have changed Ms. Sobel's approach to Pluto and Charon. The sad fact is that this book will soon be out-of-date. Still, it's hard to quibble about something like this, beyond the author's control.

What is not hard to quibble about is Ms.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA must read

Excellent book, very well written and an interesting and easy read. It is obvious that the author did some very good research and had good editors, but her command of the English... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Photoguy
5.0 out of 5 starsA Must Read for Astronomy enthusiasts.

I met Dava Sobel at an astronomy conference. What a wonderful woman! I have her other two books, Galileo's Daughter and Longitude. Longitude is a MUST READ. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Astroguy
4.0 out of 5 starsScience according to Sobel

Dava Sobel is the top science writer of our time. Love all of her books.

Published 14 months ago by Robert Earl Woodson
2.0 out of 5 starsTwo Stars

Lacked depth. Alight read not up to her usual detailed prose.

Published 14 months ago by Glenn
5.0 out of 5 starsYes!

Fascinating for anyone interested in the planets. Interesting and unusual information. Good research behind this book.

Published 14 months ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Excellent book at a great price with fast ship.

Published 21 months ago by John M. Wasilnak
4.0 out of 5 stars... books on the planets buy this book is a wonderful read because it...

There must be a zillion books on the planets buy this book is a wonderful read because it has a storyline and provides a wealth of info not normally found in other books. Read more

Published on December 25, 2014 by Leo D.
5.0 out of 5 starsVery Inspirational!

I picked up this book in the airport some time in 2006, and managed to read the entire thing from cover to cover during my flight. Read more

Published on December 14, 2014 by Keith A. Richie
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

Loved the Longitude book, but here the science gets lost in astrology, fiction and even religion.

Published on December 13, 2014 by M. Buisman
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Ideal to prepare a conference on the geocentric vs heliocentric system.

Published on October 15, 2014 by Bruno Autin

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