Space: Our Final Frontier (Hardcover)

Those who buy Space for its account of the Cosmos, however, are in for the biggest treat. The author, John Gribbin, is a scientist of some reputation, having helped calculate the best current estimate of the age of the universe. But it is in the rarely celebrated role of popular educator that Gribbin excels. He is a most prolific science writer (not least thanks to his wife Mary, a science writer in her own right and John's frequent and adept collaborator).

In Space, Gribbin's task is to cover everything cosmological. In the first few pages, we learn that the Sun is a star. By the end, we're slipping comfortably and entertainingly through mini essays on quantum fluctuations, the negativity of gravity and how to create your own universe. And this in a book of only 230 pages, many filled by pictures.

This book would inspire a budding astronomer--if only her dad wouldn't keep nicking it. The design is lively and not too fussy. "Topic guides" in the margins relate articles together in themed reading plans; they look naff, but are genuinely useful. The bibliography is a bit short--but who wouldn't be left wanting more after such an exhilarating introduction? --Simon Ings

Synopsis
The story of the exploration of deep space that has largely taken place in the final decades of the 20th century. Space probes have now visited all of the major planets of our Solar System. However, beyond the Solar System, across the final frontier of space, astronomers are now able to explore the Universe by proxy, using evidence form light, radio waves, X-rays and other information gathered by telescopes and satellites. "Space" provides an insight into the way that astronomers work, explaining how they make the discoveries that make headlines, as well as the stories behind those headlines. John Gribbin puts deep space into perspective with the aid of specially commissioned illustrations and photographs from astronomical telescopes.