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Cosmos
 
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Cosmos (Hardcover)

by Giles Sparrow (Author), Dava Sobel (Introduction)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
RRP: £25.00
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Cosmos + Universe: A Journey from Earth to the Edge of the Cosmos + The Planets: A Journey Through the Solar System
Price For All Three: £32.49

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc; 2nd Revised edition edition (20 Sep 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1847241255
  • ISBN-13: 978-1847241252
  • Product Dimensions: 44.6 x 36.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 35,384 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Children's Books > Hobbies & Interests > Science > Astronomy
    #18 in  Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Cosmology
    #58 in  Books > Science & Nature > Popular Science > Kids
  • See Complete Table of Contents

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Product Description

Review
images of staggering beauty with jaw dropping photographs - Sunday Express

Product Description
The magnificent vault of stars emblazoning Earth's night skies are but an infinitesimal fraction of the hundreds of billions that inhabit our galaxy - and there are at least as many galaxies in the universe as there are stars in the Milky Way. Cosmos makes sense of this dizzying celestial panorama by exploring it one step at a time, illustrating the planets, moons, stars, nebulae, white dwarfs, black holes and other exotica that populate the heavens with some of science's most spectacular photographs. The book opens with an orbital survey of planet Earth, before venturing into the solar system heading for interstellar space and the heart of our galaxy. As the journey unfolds, the rhythms of stellar life emerge: we pass through dark clouds of dust and gas ablaze with newly smelted stars and we witness dying stars bloom and fade as planetary nebulae, or tear themselves apart as supernovae. Having crossed the Milky Way, we enter intergalactic space. Out here we watch the hidden lives of galaxies: we see them flock and cluster, forming massive conglomerations that span millions of light years, visibly warping space with their tremendous gravity. After covering an almost unimaginable 13.4 billion light years, we approach the edge of space and the dawn of time where our voyage must end, but not before we consider how the universe was born, and how it might die.

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning visuals, 1 Dec 2006
By Charles Wiederhold (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Cosmos: A Field Guide (Hardcover)
I have more "coffee table" books on Astronomy than I do surface area on my coffee tables. This book makes it so I could get rid of all the rest as it is not only more complete but more beautiful than the rest combined.

There are some errors in it that make absolutely no sense why they were made (spelling and the Venusian orbit issue listed above). However... the science is solid and more importantly for a book like this, the images are unmatched in print.

Just like any book of this type, fingerprints on the pages are inevitable and annoying against a black background, but I wouldn't trade for white backgrounds because these images need the black to really show their visual range.

The information is also very current. Pluto is not considered a planet, the idea of neutrinos contributing to Dark Matter, and a host of other relatively recent developments are included. The progression is also very clean and straight forward starting at earth and progressing out to the large scale of the universe, which is something most of these books don't spend enough time on despite it being one of the most fascinating developments in cosmology recently.

If you want to learn the science, this isn't quite the book you're looking for. It's awkward to hold for long reading sessions due to the size, and not exceptionally in depth. However, the images can't be beat (not until Hubble's replacement goes live in a few years) and the science is comprehensive enough to let you know what you are looking at.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A simply stunning book, 6 Dec 2006
By SpaceBoy (Hertfordshire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cosmos: A Field Guide (Hardcover)
This is a seriously beautiful book - probably the largest astronomy book I've ever seen, and the reproduction on the images is simply brilliant - I'm amazed at the level of detail in some of them (especially double-page stunners such as the Orion and Helix nebulae. The design is stylish without being overfussy, and as the previous reviewer said, it benefits immensely from being printed on black.

The text also seems well-written and informative (okay there's a handful of typos that I've noticed, but it all seems factually accurate and up to date, which is ultimately more important). And the diagrams look beautiful, for the most part - I must say that I looked straight through the Venus orbit error at first glance and had to go back and check when I saw it pointed out here. Bit of a "D'oh!" moment, definitely, and I'm sure those responsible are kicking themselves, but it's such an obvious howler that it can't possibly have been intentional. It would be good if they get that sorted out for a reprint, but you only get to rate these things once, and I'm not going to let it ruin my enjoyment of an otherwise beautiful book!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The most spectacular astronomy photo book currently available , 12 Oct 2007
By Mark Walters (Wales, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Cosmos: A Field Guide (Hardcover)
I have the Dorling Kindersley book "Universe" and thought that was pretty stunning and difficult to beat, but then I read a review of this book on one of the astronomy forums and had a look on Amazon. Having read the reviews below I was assured this would be worth the purchase. The reviews did not lie!! This is quite simply the best photographic astronomy book out there at the moment. If you just want one book to inspire people and make them gawp at the awesomeness of what lies beyond our atmosphere this is surely it. The only problem I have now is finding shelf space for it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply stunning book!
I have many astronomy books but this is the best by far. It is a cornucopia of stunning pictures. The only minus point is its size. Buy this book you will not be dissapointed.
Published 11 days ago by I. Spencer

5.0 out of 5 stars The wonder of the heavens
A must have for the wonderful photography alone!
I first saw it on someone's office coffee table and had to get it, to show to others, as well as enjoy the large and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by G. WALLACE

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
I must have a re-print of this book because the venus orbit error is not present in my copy. However, there are still a few numerical errors here and there. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Richard While

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome...and big!!!!
This book is HUGE...but, hey, it's a HUGE subject! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, clear, concise text and amazing pictures. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Garry Paton

4.0 out of 5 stars Cosmos
This is a very good book. But there should only be one book called "Cosmos" and that is the one written by Carl Sagan!
Published 18 months ago by T. Byatt

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunning Photography
This book is an excellent introduction to the basics of astronomy and cosmology in that text is minimal - the beautiful images tell all and just drag you in. Read more
Published 20 months ago by jcmacc

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-blowing...
This is a gorgeous book. If you are looking for a gift for someone who's into astronomy this the perfect book- it was a Christmas present given to me and I absolutely love it. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ms. C. A. Lever

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding book.
The photographs are superb, and with a little contemplation, inevitably mind-blowing. I also found the structure of the book very helpful to understand the context of all the... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Neil

4.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Book
Yes, it has it's inaccuracies and typos, but this is an absolutely stunning book. It's meant to be a book to enable us to sit back and amire the fraction of the Universe we know... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2007 by Mrs. C. A. Tryfona

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Mind the Slips - Look at the Sights
There may be no end of typing slips in this book - as an earlier reviewer says. I don't know - I haven't looked. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2006 by R. C. Ross

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