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Title: Stars (Scientific American Library, N0 39) by James B. Kaler ISBN: 0-7167-6031-2 Publisher: W.H. Freeman & Company Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A solid introduction to stellar theory
Comment: Stars is an enthusiastically written guide to modern stellar theory, pared down to the basics for the educated layman. It was written in the early 1990s so it's quite up to date. Advances have been made since then (lots of extrasolar planets detected, age of universe determined, etc), but the theories regarding the internal workings of stars have not been significantly modified. Although few of these theories have actually been proven, the empirical foundation supporting them is voluminous and highly convincing.
The first couple chapters of Stars serve as a refresher course in basic astronomical theory and history. I think it would have been better to jump right into the stars themselves, as there are plenty of other books that do the general astronomy better and presumably the reader would have already learned the basics anyway before getting this book. Kaler spends a lot of worthwhile time on the HR diagram and on stellar spectra. It's simply amazing how much has been deduced from points of light that to the naked eye essentially vary only in color and luminosity. Other major topics include detailed discussions of the births and deaths of stars. Curiously, he chooses to discuss star birth *after* star death. But it helps get his point across that star birth is often triggered by pressure waves produced by dying stars.
The paperback version is in a somewhat unwieldy large format due to the huge margins, which are used for many of the illustrations. The quality of the illustrations is generally very good, especially the charts. Many of the photographs however don't come across too well, because a lot of resolution was lost when the editors shot them down to fit them into the margins.
Overall, recommended to all readers wanting to know how stars work!
Rating: 5
Summary: An excellent manual of detail that's easy to understand.
Comment: In the Belmont Society, we think it's a shame that most of us don't understand how a star works. We glance up at them every night, and look at them through binoculars and telescopes, but for the most part we have no real knowledge of what makes them tick. James B. Kaler has created a significant work of importance in that regard. This book is a manual of detail that describes the workings of stars that is thrilling to read and easy to understand.
To those absorbed in amateur astronomy, Carl Sagan's eloquent phrase, "We are all made of star-stuff", was arguably the most quintessential statement of the late 20th century. Over three decades later, James B. Kaler paraphrases the statement with equal facility by asserting that stars are "...the principal means for the conversion of matter into energy, and are the sources and sustainers of life itself." The book represents an exploration of the supreme stellar mystery - the origin of luminosity. Why do the sun and stars shine so brightly?
Kaler begins (quite logically) by taking us on a tour of the Sun. He presents in vivid detail, the complete solar assembly. We're shown everything from core to corona, discovering astonishing particulars, like the characteristics of granules and supergranules, and the tumultuous conditions at different stratta.
We are given understandable explanations of the chromosphere, photosphere, corona, solar flares, mass ejection, sunspots, prominence, etc. And we're "clued-in" to some as yet unsolved mysteries, such as the strange period from 1645 to 1715 known as the Maunder Minimum, when sunspot activity was virtually non-existent, nudging the Earth into a minor ice age. "To know the Earth and stars we must know the sun".
Kaler describes "How to Build a Sun", and describes the incredible conditions necessary for hydrogen fusion to take place, giving us a generous understanding of stellar dynamics, and their correlation to luminosity. We learn about the birth of stars, their life cycles, and their violent endings. And we come to realize that a star's mass is the controlling discipline that determines how long a star lives and how it will die. In addition, there are explanations of how a Cepheid Variable works, and what goes on inside RR Lyrae and Mira stars.
There are illustrations and graphs to augment the text. There are also some formulas. If you're a whiz at calculus and chemistry you'll be happily familiar with them. But that kind of background isn't required. Trust me - you'll still "get it". That's the merit of "Stars". Although not quite down to that level, Kaler has basically written us a manual for dummies.
The Belmont Society has selected Stars as the latest addition to its "Required Reading" list for the amateur astronomer. We feel it is written in a style that is easy to digest by all levels of interest. If you have any curiosity at all about the sun and the stars and how they work, this book will greatly ease your comprehension. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Another good reason to look up and say WOW!
Comment: If you are not comfortable reading about atomic spectra, nuclear fusion or magnetic flux, you probably should find a star book that is more basic than this one. But if you've got a strong high school background in physics and chemistry, then you will enjoy an amazing journey when reading this book. Rich in diagrams and photos, "Stars" won't lose you between any of its pages. Although I thought the section on celestial orientation (azimuth, etc.) was unnecessary and a little weak, the material on stellar structure and evolution is the best I've seen.
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Title: Molecules by P.W. Atkins ISBN: 0716760045 Publisher: W.H. Freeman & Company Pub. Date: 01 October, 1991 List Price(USD): $33.25 |
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Title: Atoms, Electrons, and Change: A Scientific American Library Book by P.W. Atkins ISBN: 0716750287 Publisher: Scientific American Library Pub. Date: 01 July, 1991 List Price(USD): $32.95 |
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Title: Viruses (Scientific American Library, No. 37) by Arnold J. Levine ISBN: 0716750317 Publisher: Scientific American Library Pub. Date: 01 October, 1991 List Price(USD): $32.95 |
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Title: The Animal Mind (Scientific American Library, Vol 51) by James L. Gould, Carol Grant Gould ISBN: 0716750465 Publisher: Scientific American Library Pub. Date: 01 April, 1994 List Price(USD): $32.95 |
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Title: Investigating Disease Patterns: The Science of Epidemiology (Scientific American Library, No 57) by Paul D. Stolley, Tamar Lasky ISBN: 0716750589 Publisher: W.H. Freeman & Company Pub. Date: 01 June, 1995 List Price(USD): $32.95 |
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