What are some of the connections that bind us to the stars? How have these connections been established? And how have people all around the world and throughout time reacted to the night sky, the sun and moon, in their poetry, mythology, rituals, and temples? This book explores the influence of the sky on both ancient and modern civilization, by providing a clear overview of the many ways in which humans have used the stars as an ordering principle in their cultures, and which today still inspire us intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. The book explores constellation lore from around the world, celestial alignments of monuments and temples, both from ancient and modern civilizations, and the role the sky has played in the cultures of the Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, Native American, Chinese, Mayan, Aztec, and Inca. Models of the universe from each of these cultures are described clearly, and each culture’s explanation of the stars, planets, and other celestial objects are described. The roots of astronomy and astrology are presented with original imagery and reproductions of ancient manuscripts that portray the structure of the physical universe as conceived by a diverse array of human cultures over the centuries. Our own scientific Big Bang cosmology and the origin of stars and elements are discussed in a philosophical context, to explore how we as modern people learn about the Universe, and incorporate the findings of science into our world views. A concluding chapter provides a summary of modern science's effort to unlock the celestial secrets from the sky and from past civilizations, and what these answers mean for us today.
The Power of Stars
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| |||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £16.58
Trade in The Power of Stars: How Celestial Observations Have Shaped Civilization for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £16.58, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Learn more
|
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
From the reviews: “It’s rarely been my pleasure to read a book of such expansive, eloquent erudition. … illustrate the plethora of ways humans throughout history ‘responded to the sky’ – sometimes ‘with fear, sometimes with great artistry and other times with great rationality’. Indeed, some ancient responses seem remarkably prescient. … will fascinate everyone from the most hardened scientific materialist to astrologers to ancient astronaut advocates. … The Power of Stars is a fascinating testament to that endearing fascination. Very highly recommended.” (Mark Greener, Fortean Times, 2011) “Well worth a read for any astronomer – amateur or professional … . This is a really handsome book … . Colourful, educational, insightful and entertaining, it’s a veritable treasure chest of knowledge. Whether your interest is in looking at star charts and atlases from the comfort of your armchair, or standing in a dew-soaked field at dawn watching planets glowing above the eastern horizon before dawn, this is a book that really, really does need to be on your bookshelf as soon as possible.” (Cumbrian Sky, May, 2011) “The majority of topics are well arranged to survey how many different cultures over a wide stretch of world history have experienced the sky. … the text is clear and the numerous high-quality illustrations are appropriate. … excellent general reference to astronomy and its uses in ancient Babylon, China, Egypt, Greece, and the Australian bush, and by Native Americans and others. An excellent bibliography and index of figures are an added value. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates and general readers.” (M. K. Hemenway, Choice, Vol. 48 (9), May, 2011) “Bryan Penprase, the Frank P. Brackett Professor of Physics and Astronomy, gives a course on ‘Archaeoastronomy and world cosmology’. His lecture notes have been polished up to produce this textbook. … I greatly enjoyed reading Penprase’s book. It was a thought-provoking, incisive, world-encompassing, beautifully illustrated, and reasonably sceptical.” (David W. Hughes, The Observatory, Vol. 131 (1222), June, 2011)
From the Back Cover
What are some of the connections that bind us to the stars? How have these connections been established? And how have people all around the world and throughout time reacted to the night sky, the sun and moon, in their poetry, mythology, rituals, and temples? This book explores the influence of the sky on both ancient and modern civilization, by providing a clear overview of the many ways in which humans have used the stars as an ordering principle in their cultures, and which today still inspire us intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. The book explores constellation lore from around the world, celestial alignments of monuments and temples, both from ancient and modern civilizations, and the role the sky has played in the cultures of the Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, Native American, Chinese, Mayan, Aztec, and Inca. Models of the universe from each of these cultures are described clearly, and each culture’s explanation of the stars, planets, and other celestial objects are described. The roots of astronomy and astrology are presented with original imagery and reproductions of ancient manuscripts that portray the structure of the physical universe as conceived by a diverse array of human cultures over the centuries. Our own scientific Big Bang cosmology and the origin of stars and elements are discussed in a philosophical context, to explore how we as modern people learn about the Universe, and incorporate the findings of science into our world views. A concluding chapter provides a summary of modern science's effort to unlock the celestial secrets from the sky and from past civilizations, and what these answers mean for us today.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.co.uk.
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent! And Beautifully Illustrated
3 Jan 2011
By Jeff Knowlton
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The author's passion for astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology is evident throughout. And it is a beautiful book: illustrations and photographs decorate almost every page.
The book begins with what people can see in the sky unaided by telescopes. Penprase describes the movements of the moon, sun, planets and stars, and provides some excellent suggestions for home observations. This serves as the foundation for a survey of cosmology from around the world. Penprase weaves astronomy with anthropology to provide an entertaining overview of Indian, Chinese, Mayan, Incan, native American, Persian and European cosmologies.
From ancient cosmology, Penprase jumps to modern, scientific cosmology, starting with the history of time-keeping devices and observational instruments like telescopes. He provides brief biographies of the key figures who built modern astronomy and astrophysics, including Edwin Hubble and George Ellery Hale.
Finally, Penprase provides a census of the modern universe: stars, star clusters, normal galaxies, irregular galaxies and galaxy clusters. It leads into a discussion of dark matter and dark energy, and a brief history of the universe.
Penprase has written a very entertaining book without compromising or diluting technical details. Highly recommended!
Jeff Knowlton
The book begins with what people can see in the sky unaided by telescopes. Penprase describes the movements of the moon, sun, planets and stars, and provides some excellent suggestions for home observations. This serves as the foundation for a survey of cosmology from around the world. Penprase weaves astronomy with anthropology to provide an entertaining overview of Indian, Chinese, Mayan, Incan, native American, Persian and European cosmologies.
From ancient cosmology, Penprase jumps to modern, scientific cosmology, starting with the history of time-keeping devices and observational instruments like telescopes. He provides brief biographies of the key figures who built modern astronomy and astrophysics, including Edwin Hubble and George Ellery Hale.
Finally, Penprase provides a census of the modern universe: stars, star clusters, normal galaxies, irregular galaxies and galaxy clusters. It leads into a discussion of dark matter and dark energy, and a brief history of the universe.
Penprase has written a very entertaining book without compromising or diluting technical details. Highly recommended!
Jeff Knowlton
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating History and Science
9 Feb 2011
By K. Sullivan
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Penprase has written a book that can truly appeal to the interested amateur as well as the budding scientist. He provides an introduction to the similarities and differences in how people, from many cultures and eras, viewed and explained the sun, moon, planets and stars. He surveys the ways people tracked the movement of these celestial bodies either with man-made or natural strucures. He explains why knowledge of these events is important to people living today. Above all, he makes science accessible and fun. I highly recommend this book. The only weakness in the book is the lack of a comprehensive index- a lack that I hope will be rectified in the next edition.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Archaeology
- Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > History of Science
- Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy
- Books > Science & Nature > Engineering & Technology > Aeronautics & Aerospace
- Books > Science & Nature > Mathematics > Popular Maths
- Books > Science & Nature > Physics > Applied Physics > Astrophysics
- Books > Scientific, Technical & Medical > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Anthropology
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
