Book Review : Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space by Isaac Asimov (Rating *****)

How do we know that stars are millions of miles away? How was the moon formed? Is there life on planets that circle other stars? What is a nova? What are black holes?

You will find the answers in this book, and not in long, mind-numbing technicalities. Isaac Asimov’s unique skill and authority have never been better deployed than in this fantastic grand tour of the cosmos. Over the course of this brilliant expedition, the reader will experience close encounters with giant planets, unusual views of pulsating stars, and rendezvous with distant galaxies, as well as the unfolding history of astronomical discovery, beginning with Eratosthenes (who calculated the size of the Earth in 240 B.C.) and ending with the stunning scientific achievements of the present day. In no other book can the intelligent layman get so keen and thorough a summary of the riddles of Earth and space. Asimov deftly reveals the secrets of the universe with explanations that anyone from novice to scholar can understand and enjoy.

Puzzles by pulsars? Terrified by black holes? Bewildered by the big bang? Here are succinct, crystal-clear answers to more than one hundred of the most significant questions about planets, stars, galaxies, and the essential nature of the universe that have occupied astronomers since the beginning of history. For anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what it all means, Isaac Asimov’s Guide to Earth and Space is indispensible.

This is a series of 111 short, one- or two-page essays answering simple questions starting with the shape of the Earth and ending with the fate of the Universe. In this it rather resembles the earlier Please Explain. Here, however, since the book was written as a piece and not as a collection, the questions interact and each is related to the questions on either side, so there is a sense of gradually being drawn along. It’s a nice enough book—not world-shaking, but nice.

One of science's most prolific writers produced this question-and-answer book about this planet and astronomy. Although the book is heavy on historical treatment, the science facts are generally up to date. For the novice, the book is best approached in a linear fashion, going through the questions in order, since some answers depend upon previous ones. Other readers may prefer to locate items of interest through the table of contents or the index. The illustrations are disappointing, serving only to accent the page layout. Recommended for general readers at an introductory level; of less value to an academic library.