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Review
From the reviews: "This is a book I’ve really mixed feelings about – it does what it sets out to do very well. And it does what it says on the tin. It’s a plain English introduction to rocket science. … I would highly recommend it if you want to absorb all the basic facts about rocketry and space travel." (Brian Clegg, PopularScience, June, 2008) "Lucy Rogers’ book It’s Only Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English tries to demystify what is a notoriously complicated subject. … I have a feeling that students and young aerospace professionals will find this book useful. When they don’t quite understand what their lecturers are trying to tell them, Rogers will be there to help them out." (Piers Bizony, BBC Sky at Night, September, 2008) "The term ‘rocket science’ implies that one needs a very sophisticated level of technological and scientific knowledge to understand the principles of this field. However, Rogers (Isle of Wight, UK) attempts to explain these seemingly complex phenomena in relatively simple terms, i.e., without reference to mathematics. … Rogers does a good job in explaining … topics in accessible language. The chapters include line drawings and half-tone and color photographs; technical appendixes and a glossary augment the text. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers." (J. Z. Kiss, CHOICE, Vol. 46 (01), September, 2008)
Product Description
Most amateur astronomers – and many of those with similar interests but who are not currently practising observers – have only a sketchy understanding of space flight. This book provides an introduction to its mechanics. The beauty of this book, written by an engineer who is also an accomplished science writer, is that it covers the subject comprehensively, and yet is almost entirely descriptive and non-mathematical. It deals with all aspects of space flight, from how to leave the Earth (including the design of the rocket, mission planning, navigation and communication), to life in space and the effects of weightlessness. The book also includes sections describing how an amateur can track satellites and understand their orbital parameters.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fascinating book written in a style that an interested layman can understand. Despite having lived through, and been interested in, all the space exploration since Sputnik, I hadn't appreciated all that is involved.
Dr Rogers is to be congratulated for covering a complex topic in a straightforward way without recourse to too much and hard-to-understand science. Indeed I occasionally found the book prompted further questions in my mind which I then enjoyed researching.
The author also covered relevant astronomy topics which I found very useful. One day perhaps, humans will set foot on another planet in the solar system and some of the problems that such a mission would have to face are covered well.
Clearly the author has a passion for space and astronomy, as well as the ability to put things over in an essentially simply way.
All in all I'd can thoroughly recommend the book.
Dr Rogers is to be congratulated for covering a complex topic in a straightforward way without recourse to too much and hard-to-understand science. Indeed I occasionally found the book prompted further questions in my mind which I then enjoyed researching.
The author also covered relevant astronomy topics which I found very useful. One day perhaps, humans will set foot on another planet in the solar system and some of the problems that such a mission would have to face are covered well.
Clearly the author has a passion for space and astronomy, as well as the ability to put things over in an essentially simply way.
All in all I'd can thoroughly recommend the book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
It IS only rocket science!
15 May 2008
Format:Paperback
A great, easy read that is full of information but broken down so the casual reader can truly understand what goes into launches, orbits, and rocket design. A bonus chapter on new ideas for the future of space. A great, helpful read and certainly a wonderful reference tool!
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Good information, poorly presented/formatted
25 Aug 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dr. Rogers clearly knows her stuff, but you'll have a hard time learning it from her because the book is presented in prose format rather than employing any instructional design techniques -- no bullets, no bolding of key terms, and the graphics are very pixellated. So you essentially have, save for an occasional table or graphic, a sea of text without much visual relief. There is a glossary in the back as well as an index; I will give her credit for that. Plus, she is from the UK, so American readers will get distracted a bit by the British spellings and phrasing/usage. I am a technical writer who wants to learn more about the aerospace field, but I've had this book about a year now, am not quite halfway through it, and have no motivation to pick it up to finish it. There is good information here, but I just don't have the energy to force myself through that much highlighting...
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Very easy read
3 Feb 2009
Format:Paperback
Great book! I purchased this for my son last week and he has yet to put it down. So far it seems easy to follow and very detailed. Enjoy!
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