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The Planets
Dava Sobel's The Glass Universe will be available from Viking in December 2016
With her bestsellers Longitude and Galileo's Daughter , Dava Sobel introduced readers to her rare gift for weaving complex scientific concepts into a compelling narrative. Now Sobel brings her full talents to bear on what is perhaps her most ambitious topic to date-the planets of our solar system. Sobel explores the origins and oddities of the planets through the lens of popular culture, from astrology, mythology, and science fiction to art, music, poetry, biography, and history. Written in her characteristically graceful prose, The Planets is a stunningly original celebration of our solar system and offers a distinctive view of our place in the universe.
* A New York Times extended bestseller
* A Featured Alternate of the Book-of-the-Month Club, History Book Club, Scientific American Book Club, and Natural Science Book Club
* Includes 11 full-color illustrations by artist Lynette R. Cook
"[ The Planets ] lets us fall in love with the heavens all over again."
- The New York Times Book Review
"Playful . . . lyrical . . . a guided tour so imaginative that we forget we're being educated as we're being entertained."
- Newsweek
" [Sobel] has outdone her extraordinary talent for keeping readers enthralled. . . . Longitude and Galileo's Daughter were exciting enough, but The Planets has a charm of its own . . . . A splendid and enticing book."
- San Francisco Chronicle
"A sublime journey. [Sobel's] writing . . . is as bright as the sun and its thinking as star-studded as the cosmos."
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"An incantatory serenade to the Solar System. Grade A-"
- Entertainment Weekly
"Like Sobel's [ Longitude and Galileo's Daughter ] . . . [ The Planets ] combines masterful storytelling with clear, engaging explanations of the essential scientific facts."
- Physics World
With her bestsellers Longitude and Galileo's Daughter , Dava Sobel introduced readers to her rare gift for weaving complex scientific concepts into a compelling narrative. Now Sobel brings her full talents to bear on what is perhaps her most ambitious topic to date-the planets of our solar system. Sobel explores the origins and oddities of the planets through the lens of popular culture, from astrology, mythology, and science fiction to art, music, poetry, biography, and history. Written in her characteristically graceful prose, The Planets is a stunningly original celebration of our solar system and offers a distinctive view of our place in the universe.
* A New York Times extended bestseller
* A Featured Alternate of the Book-of-the-Month Club, History Book Club, Scientific American Book Club, and Natural Science Book Club
* Includes 11 full-color illustrations by artist Lynette R. Cook
"[ The Planets ] lets us fall in love with the heavens all over again."
- The New York Times Book Review
"Playful . . . lyrical . . . a guided tour so imaginative that we forget we're being educated as we're being entertained."
- Newsweek
" [Sobel] has outdone her extraordinary talent for keeping readers enthralled. . . . Longitude and Galileo's Daughter were exciting enough, but The Planets has a charm of its own . . . . A splendid and enticing book."
- San Francisco Chronicle
"A sublime journey. [Sobel's] writing . . . is as bright as the sun and its thinking as star-studded as the cosmos."
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"An incantatory serenade to the Solar System. Grade A-"
- Entertainment Weekly
"Like Sobel's [ Longitude and Galileo's Daughter ] . . . [ The Planets ] combines masterful storytelling with clear, engaging explanations of the essential scientific facts."
- Physics World
231 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
About the author
Dava Sobel
37 books832 followersDava Sobel is an accomplished writer of popular expositions of scientific topics. A 1964 graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, Ms. Sobel attended Antioch College and the City College of New York before receiving her bachelor of arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1969. She holds honorary doctor of letters degrees from the University of Bath, in England, and Middlebury College, Vermont, both awarded in 2002.
In her four decades as a science journalist she has written for many magazines, including Audubon, Discover, Life and The New Yorker, served as a contributing editor to Harvard Magazine and Omni, and co-authored five books, including Is Anyone Out There? with astronomer Frank Drake. Her most well known work is Longitude.
The asteroid 30935 Davasobel is named for her.
In her four decades as a science journalist she has written for many magazines, including Audubon, Discover, Life and The New Yorker, served as a contributing editor to Harvard Magazine and Omni, and co-authored five books, including Is Anyone Out There? with astronomer Frank Drake. Her most well known work is Longitude.
The asteroid 30935 Davasobel is named for her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 561 reviews
July 4, 2023
What is so unusual and engaging about this book is that it incorporates science, myth, history, story-telling, culture and poetry.
Dava Sobel's credentials for writing Science, and particularly Astronomy, books are exemplary. It is surprising to find that she chooses to include other aspects rather than having a fixed dry approach to the subject. She will be relaying facts and figures from Space probes or the Hubble space telescope - then will veer off into beliefs or poetry of the Ancient Greeks.
I can recognise that this is a ground-breaking book. If you are looking for a primer on the planets however, this is not for you. There IS a chapter devoted to each planet, but this is misleading. After reading it you may not really retain any new "facts and figures". But you may feel about each planet in a different way, and have a different breadth of understanding.
Objectively it probably deserves a better star rating. But sadly I personally found it a bit of a slog.
Dava Sobel's credentials for writing Science, and particularly Astronomy, books are exemplary. It is surprising to find that she chooses to include other aspects rather than having a fixed dry approach to the subject. She will be relaying facts and figures from Space probes or the Hubble space telescope - then will veer off into beliefs or poetry of the Ancient Greeks.
I can recognise that this is a ground-breaking book. If you are looking for a primer on the planets however, this is not for you. There IS a chapter devoted to each planet, but this is misleading. After reading it you may not really retain any new "facts and figures". But you may feel about each planet in a different way, and have a different breadth of understanding.
Objectively it probably deserves a better star rating. But sadly I personally found it a bit of a slog.
January 5, 2020
This is an asinine science book. What it is, actually, is a group of lyrical essays rhapsodizing in poetic, easy to understand, prose mixing science fact and selected bits of science history and lots of subjective ecstasy. In other words, a coffee table book for readers of Vogue Magazine, except that it needs more pictures and its small paperback size fits most purses. Perfect for the literary magazine reader who has difficulty with science subjects, or those readers of a poetic and romantic nature. If you are at all Asperger's, you will be tossing this into the nearest bin.
Some quotes from the book:
"The Book of Genesis tells how the dust of the ground, molded and exalted by the breath of life, became the first man. The ubiquitous dust of the early Solar System-flecks of carbon, specks of silicon, molecules of ammonia, crystals of ice-united bit by bit into "planetesimals," which were the seeds, or first stages, of planets." and so on.
Another excerpt: "Call me "It," or call me "Allan Hills 84001'" my given name-even "Thing from Mars" will suit. Although I am only a rock and cannot answer, allow me this conceit of conscious identity for the space of these few pages, that I may speak for Mars, whence I traveled via chance and the laws of physics."
Or: "The hot soup still counts as "ice" in the parlance of planetary science, however, like the 'hot ice and wondrous strange snow' of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
Or: "All of the above, probably, all rendered the more extraordinary for having traveled to her across 240,000 miles of interplanetary space, in the belly of a rocket ship, and hand-delivered as the love token of a handsome man. Lucky, lucky Carolyn."
Included are entire poems written about the planets.
Self-conscious, an MFA's graduate's dream of successful writing (which I think it is, by the way-A plus), nonetheless I found myself alternately bent over in mirth and disgust. Ths book has too much saccharine for me and not enough sugar.
Some quotes from the book:
"The Book of Genesis tells how the dust of the ground, molded and exalted by the breath of life, became the first man. The ubiquitous dust of the early Solar System-flecks of carbon, specks of silicon, molecules of ammonia, crystals of ice-united bit by bit into "planetesimals," which were the seeds, or first stages, of planets." and so on.
Another excerpt: "Call me "It," or call me "Allan Hills 84001'" my given name-even "Thing from Mars" will suit. Although I am only a rock and cannot answer, allow me this conceit of conscious identity for the space of these few pages, that I may speak for Mars, whence I traveled via chance and the laws of physics."
Or: "The hot soup still counts as "ice" in the parlance of planetary science, however, like the 'hot ice and wondrous strange snow' of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
Or: "All of the above, probably, all rendered the more extraordinary for having traveled to her across 240,000 miles of interplanetary space, in the belly of a rocket ship, and hand-delivered as the love token of a handsome man. Lucky, lucky Carolyn."
Included are entire poems written about the planets.
Self-conscious, an MFA's graduate's dream of successful writing (which I think it is, by the way-A plus), nonetheless I found myself alternately bent over in mirth and disgust. Ths book has too much saccharine for me and not enough sugar.
January 21, 2023
Entertaining and informative
If John Lennon were alive today to read Dava Sobel's THE PLANETS, I've no doubt he would be pleased to call it "a magical mystery tour".
I've always enjoyed reading popular science but, frankly, some of it is turgid, dry-as-dust commentary that is far more soporific than informative. By contrast, Sobel's THE PLANETS, a whirlwind tour of some of the most fascinating features of our very own solar system, waxes lyrical, indeed, almost poetic at times with the compelling beauty of its prose.
Each chapter, written from a unique imaginative perspective, takes what might otherwise be difficult scientific concepts and weaves them into a narrative that will draw in even the most science-phobic reader with an irresistible urgency and fascination. Sci-Fi, for example, the chapter that lucidly tells us the story of Mars, uses the extraordinarily clever device of narration from the point of view of a Martian meteorite, a piece of Martian rock blasted loose from Mars' surface by an asteroid impact that found its way to earth, landing in an Antarctic icefield over sixteen million years ago.
I don't think I could improve on Newsweek's comment ... "a guided tour so imaginative that we forget we're being educated while we're being entertained."
THE PLANETS is highly recommended and adds to a growing body of work that includes the equally entertaining LONGITUDE and GALILEO'S DAUGHTER.
Paul Weiss
If John Lennon were alive today to read Dava Sobel's THE PLANETS, I've no doubt he would be pleased to call it "a magical mystery tour".
I've always enjoyed reading popular science but, frankly, some of it is turgid, dry-as-dust commentary that is far more soporific than informative. By contrast, Sobel's THE PLANETS, a whirlwind tour of some of the most fascinating features of our very own solar system, waxes lyrical, indeed, almost poetic at times with the compelling beauty of its prose.
Each chapter, written from a unique imaginative perspective, takes what might otherwise be difficult scientific concepts and weaves them into a narrative that will draw in even the most science-phobic reader with an irresistible urgency and fascination. Sci-Fi, for example, the chapter that lucidly tells us the story of Mars, uses the extraordinarily clever device of narration from the point of view of a Martian meteorite, a piece of Martian rock blasted loose from Mars' surface by an asteroid impact that found its way to earth, landing in an Antarctic icefield over sixteen million years ago.
I don't think I could improve on Newsweek's comment ... "a guided tour so imaginative that we forget we're being educated while we're being entertained."
THE PLANETS is highly recommended and adds to a growing body of work that includes the equally entertaining LONGITUDE and GALILEO'S DAUGHTER.
Paul Weiss
November 8, 2018
An interesting tour of the solar system with not only factual information, but some history of the myths & beliefs that surround each one. I found her narration of the discovery of Pluto particularly good. She really weaves the story of Lowell & Tombaugh together well & then takes us down its road of demotion.
April 18, 2024
Dava Sobel takes the reader through the history of discovery of each planet in our solar system, along with details about what is known of the planet and its moons. She also mentions the planetary references found in works of art, mythology, music, science fiction, and culture. It is ordered by the planet’s distance to the sun, starting with Mercury. It contains poetry and anecdotes related to her own past experiences. It is a different approach to a discussion of the solar system – more artistic and historical than scientific. I found it reasonably interesting but not riveting. It contains enough diverse information about the solar system to make it worth the time invested.
September 8, 2022
While admittedly a VERY basic introduction to the science and history of the planets, the author’s writing style and engaging presentation was a delight to read. Her awe at the vastness of space was palpable and her delight in research itself was catching. An excellent starting point for further planetary study, this journey was well-worth taking with plenty of wonder-ful facts and stories for every reader!
April 29, 2023
I was expecting a science book about the planets. This wasn't it.
July 8, 2013
If you open this book expecting science, you will be sorely disappointed, as I was. All the same, it's not fair to rate a book low just because it wasn't what I expected, and that's not why I gave "The Planets" only two stars (and I think I'm being quite generous). The reason is, "The Planets" isn't really about anything at all. It's a tiny part personal history - the author's relationship with the planets, tiny part social and cultural history - the discovery of and significance of the planets in a cultural sense, tiny part science, and tiny part creative writing (there's a vignette from the first-person perspective of a Mars rock). The problem is all these tiny parts don't add up to one coherent whole. Whether you're looking for science, history, culture, or whatever else, you'll be left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled. I give this book two stars instead of just one because I do like Dava Sobel's writing style - it's eloquent and fun, though not by itself able to save this book.
July 11, 2013
Should have been published with large color pictures as a coffee table book. I'm not sure this should be shelved with the science books- while it does include some facts about the planets, it's more a literary effort. As it is, the individual chapters feel wholly disconnected from each other, written in a wide variety of styles, and some with entirely extraneous information, such as the friend of the author's who ate moon dust after being given it as a present by a boyfriend. I honestly thought that would be the strangest bit of the book, but that was before I reached the chapter where the author suddenly decided to write in the first person as a bit of Martian rock or the one where a letter written by Caroline Herschel was reproduced in its entirety . (That chapter was very odd. Did the author have a word quota she had to make and was short on? The chapter started with a quote from Mitchell, switched to the letter from Herschel to Mitchell, and then concluded with a minimal amount of text by the author.) All in all, a disappointment.
February 5, 2017
The Planets is an interesting book, but one that is not for everyone. If you are looking for highly technical or academic treatment of planetary science, look elsewhere. If you want to get an overview of the planets in our solar system, this book does that. Mostly this book reminded me of information I used to know but had forgotten. There were a few new facts from more recent discoveries that I found interesting,
The writing style is clear and very readable, not weighed down with a technical jargon or mathematics. The text is sprinkled with poetry (which I skipped) and personal reflections. I expect these were intended to make the subject more accessible or relatable. I found them distracting and at times condescending.
There are a number of color illustrations scattered throughout the text. While these are pleasing to look at, I did not think they added anything.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
The writing style is clear and very readable, not weighed down with a technical jargon or mathematics. The text is sprinkled with poetry (which I skipped) and personal reflections. I expect these were intended to make the subject more accessible or relatable. I found them distracting and at times condescending.
There are a number of color illustrations scattered throughout the text. While these are pleasing to look at, I did not think they added anything.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
February 6, 2013
I devoured this book, and was very sad when it ended. Her format of comparing and contrasting the science of astronomy (modern, ancient, and everything in between) and folklore of astrology was enthralling. I did not give it five stars because I kept feeling like I wanted more, just a bit more, for each planet. But I loved the book, and it led me to search out her other works. I have read each of her books since, except "A More Perfect Heaven." Still trying to get to it. I definitely recommend this book, though it was a bit more of a "light" read than I wanted.
June 9, 2019
In a concise manner this book refreshed my memory on the basics of our planets. Mythology and music is also woven into the history.
As for Venus, it is at times the “morning star”, while on other days it’s the “evening star”. With a bit of light humor the author stated: “Who knows how many childhood wishes are squandered on that planet before the gathering darkness brings out the stars?”. Certainly a few of my grand wishes were foiled decades ago.
As for Venus, it is at times the “morning star”, while on other days it’s the “evening star”. With a bit of light humor the author stated: “Who knows how many childhood wishes are squandered on that planet before the gathering darkness brings out the stars?”. Certainly a few of my grand wishes were foiled decades ago.
November 26, 2008
Dava Sobel manages beautifully and engagingly to bring these heavenly bodies as close as one's own backyard. With eloquent descriptions of their compositions, the reader is transported throughout the solar system from the scorching toxic surface of Venus to the seas of liquid metallic hydrogen underneath Jupiter's crushing atmosphere and beyond.
The chapters are organized by planet and they include discussions on history, mythology, geology, and the scientific community that has discovered and explored the planets and their neighboring objects. Her prose is lyrical and her passion for science and space apparent. The book is written to be accessible to the non-science major and manages this well, if not flawlessly. The true science buff will definitely want for more, but the intention behind this book seems to be to whet the appetite, not gorge the mind on facts.
Some chapters are more successful than others (Venus and Jupiter being stand-outs while Mars and Neptune are much weaker), but overall, this book is beautifully written and would be a good introduction to non-fiction for the staunch pretty prose reader.
The chapters are organized by planet and they include discussions on history, mythology, geology, and the scientific community that has discovered and explored the planets and their neighboring objects. Her prose is lyrical and her passion for science and space apparent. The book is written to be accessible to the non-science major and manages this well, if not flawlessly. The true science buff will definitely want for more, but the intention behind this book seems to be to whet the appetite, not gorge the mind on facts.
Some chapters are more successful than others (Venus and Jupiter being stand-outs while Mars and Neptune are much weaker), but overall, this book is beautifully written and would be a good introduction to non-fiction for the staunch pretty prose reader.
March 21, 2015
პლანეტები და ასტრონომია ჩემი ვნებაა, კოხტა წიგნები პლანეტებზე მითუმეტეს. ერთი სიამოვნებაა ხარისხიან ფურცელზე დაბეჭდილ, კარგად დაკაბადონებულ, ლამაზად გაფორმებულ წიგნს რომ გადაშლი პლანეტების შესახებ. მეორე სიამოვნება კი თავად თხრობამ უნდა მოგგვაროს. ამ წიგნმა პირველი სიამოვნება მომანიჭა, აი მეორე კი ცოტა არ იყოს დამაკლო. დავა სობელი კარგი მწერალია, თუმცა ეს წიგნი ცოტა ღარიბი გამოუვიდა. პლანეტებზე გაცილებით მეტის თქმა და უფრო საინტერესო ამბების მოყოლა შეიძლება. საინტერესო ამბების მოლოდინს წიგნის დიზაინთან და სათაურთან ერთად აღრმავებს თავების სათაურებიც მაგალითად თავს მარსის შესახებ რომელსაც SCI-FI (სამეცნიერო ფანტასტიკა) ქვია, გიქმნის მოლოდინს რომ წაიკითხავ როგორ შემოდიოდა მარსი ადამიანთა ცხოვრებაში სამეცნიერო ფანტასტიკის საშუალებით. მარსს ხომ მართლაც ყველაზე მდიდარი სამეცნიერო ფანტასტიკური წარსული აქვს, თუმცა ამ თავში სამეცნიერო ფანტასტიკის მხოლოდ 2-3 სათაურია ნახსენები და ისიც სქოლიოში.
ასევე ძალიან გამიკვირდა როცა ავტორმა მარსზე საუბრისას ახსენა დედამიწიდან მარსზე სიცოცხლის მოხვედრის შესაძლებლობა და არ ახსენა საპირისპირო სცენარი, რომელიც უფრო პოპულარულია დღეს, რადგან მარსზე სავარაუდოდ უფრო ადრე გაჩნდა სიცოცხლისთვის ხელსაყრელი პირობები.
ავტორი ძირითადად მეცნიერების ისტორიაზე წერს,მისი სხვა წიგნების გამოხმაურებებიდან და თემის მრავალფეროვნებიდან გამომდინარე, პლანეტების მითოლოგიური, ისტორიული, მისტიკური, სამეცნიერო მნიშვნელობის და წიგნის თავების სათაურების გათვალისწინებით გექმნება ძალიან კარგი მოლოდინი ამის ნაცვლად აღმოჩნდა, რამდენიმე ცნობილი მეცნიერული ფაქტის აღწერა და აღმოჩენის ისტორია, ძალიან მოკლედ. თუმცა იყო საინტერესო ამბებიც მაგალითად უილიამ ჰერშელის დის წერილი მარია მიტჩელისადმი. სადაც აღწერილი იყო ურანის და ნეპტუნის აღმოჩენის ისტორია.
ასევე ძალიან გამიკვირდა როცა ავტორმა მარსზე საუბრისას ახსენა დედამიწიდან მარსზე სიცოცხლის მოხვედრის შესაძლებლობა და არ ახსენა საპირისპირო სცენარი, რომელიც უფრო პოპულარულია დღეს, რადგან მარსზე სავარაუდოდ უფრო ადრე გაჩნდა სიცოცხლისთვის ხელსაყრელი პირობები.
ავტორი ძირითადად მეცნიერების ისტორიაზე წერს,მისი სხვა წიგნების გამოხმაურებებიდან და თემის მრავალფეროვნებიდან გამომდინარე, პლანეტების მითოლოგიური, ისტორიული, მისტიკური, სამეცნიერო მნიშვნელობის და წიგნის თავების სათაურების გათვალისწინებით გექმნება ძალიან კარგი მოლოდინი ამის ნაცვლად აღმოჩნდა, რამდენიმე ცნობილი მეცნიერული ფაქტის აღწერა და აღმოჩენის ისტორია, ძალიან მოკლედ. თუმცა იყო საინტერესო ამბებიც მაგალითად უილიამ ჰერშელის დის წერილი მარია მიტჩელისადმი. სადაც აღწერილი იყო ურანის და ნეპტუნის აღმოჩენის ისტორია.
March 1, 2016
Confession time: I originally perused this book because the cover is beautiful.
As a child, I was fascinated with astronomy. As a college Freshman, I took an astronomy course and dropped out after a few weeks. Perhaps now I would be able to grasp the difficult mathematics required for even elementary-level space science. Perhaps. But I think I'm better off with a text like The Planets, which dives into the fascinating history (and indeed much of the science) of our solar system with a sense of whimsy and poetry.
Unlike, apparently, some who have written reviews of this book, I read a few pages before buying it. I do that regardless of topic or genre. To begin reading something is an investment of my time and energy. I've read criticisms of the approach used here, and I don't understand how that approach wasn't apparent from the beginning. I guess this isn't my problem, but I feel a bit sad to read negative reviews by people who really are not within the intended audience here. This is beginning-level stuff, surely, for a general readership with an interest in, not an expertise with, the material.
I know I haven't retained a lot of the specifics Dava Sobel has shared here, but that's not to say I haven't learned a lot. I also have a strong appreciation for how Sobel shaped each chapter, each treatment of individual bodies of the solar system. I'm happy to have read it.
http://darkmagnet.blogspot.com/
As a child, I was fascinated with astronomy. As a college Freshman, I took an astronomy course and dropped out after a few weeks. Perhaps now I would be able to grasp the difficult mathematics required for even elementary-level space science. Perhaps. But I think I'm better off with a text like The Planets, which dives into the fascinating history (and indeed much of the science) of our solar system with a sense of whimsy and poetry.
Unlike, apparently, some who have written reviews of this book, I read a few pages before buying it. I do that regardless of topic or genre. To begin reading something is an investment of my time and energy. I've read criticisms of the approach used here, and I don't understand how that approach wasn't apparent from the beginning. I guess this isn't my problem, but I feel a bit sad to read negative reviews by people who really are not within the intended audience here. This is beginning-level stuff, surely, for a general readership with an interest in, not an expertise with, the material.
I know I haven't retained a lot of the specifics Dava Sobel has shared here, but that's not to say I haven't learned a lot. I also have a strong appreciation for how Sobel shaped each chapter, each treatment of individual bodies of the solar system. I'm happy to have read it.
http://darkmagnet.blogspot.com/
July 9, 2014
I think I expected this to be more scientific than it turned out to be, which may be a common problem judging from other reviews. It's actually more of a historical glance at the way humanity has envisioned the galaxy, and the way our knowledge has grown over the millennia. It's a lot literary, with bits of science and mythology thrown in. Some parts of it were lovely for that, though I wasn't sure about the emphasis on linking the Old Testament Genesis story with the scientific facts of creation. It seems likely to alienate a lot of readers, even if it sounds pretty.
Of course, we mustn't forget that this is also quite behind the times now: published in 2007ish, shortly after the demotion of Pluto, it has nothing to say about more recent discoveries about the moons of the outer planets, or Curiosity, or anything like that. It's quite accessible, but not up to date, which is a pity.
Sometimes the literary interludes really got on my nerves, with Sobel putting words into people's mouths and anthropomorphizing inanimate objects. I like literary tricks like that as much as the next person, but it just seems ridiculous when they're giving words and complex thought to a meteorite...
Of course, we mustn't forget that this is also quite behind the times now: published in 2007ish, shortly after the demotion of Pluto, it has nothing to say about more recent discoveries about the moons of the outer planets, or Curiosity, or anything like that. It's quite accessible, but not up to date, which is a pity.
Sometimes the literary interludes really got on my nerves, with Sobel putting words into people's mouths and anthropomorphizing inanimate objects. I like literary tricks like that as much as the next person, but it just seems ridiculous when they're giving words and complex thought to a meteorite...
June 21, 2015
Spicuiri din recenzia finala care se gaseste pe blogul meu
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Cred că este o carte foarte potrivită pentru adolescenți deoarece conține destul de multe lucruri necunoscute care să le trezească interesul atât față de astronomie cât și față de mitologie, astrologie, literatură SF etc. Însă pe mine m-a lăsat rece. Rece ca Pluto.
Mă gândesc că lui Vlăduț s-ar putea să-i placă mult pe la vreo 12 ani, însă când mă gândesc că sunt alte cărți, vezi Universul într-o coajă de nucă de exemplu, Dava Sobel nu prea are șanse să rămână mult timp apropiată sufletului unui tânăr.
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Cred că este o carte foarte potrivită pentru adolescenți deoarece conține destul de multe lucruri necunoscute care să le trezească interesul atât față de astronomie cât și față de mitologie, astrologie, literatură SF etc. Însă pe mine m-a lăsat rece. Rece ca Pluto.
Mă gândesc că lui Vlăduț s-ar putea să-i placă mult pe la vreo 12 ani, însă când mă gândesc că sunt alte cărți, vezi Universul într-o coajă de nucă de exemplu, Dava Sobel nu prea are șanse să rămână mult timp apropiată sufletului unui tânăr.
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October 26, 2017
Fascinating because of its subject but I wasn't totally convinced by Dava Sobel's approach: I thought it worked better for some chapters than for others. What it did do well for a simple lad such as myself was to instill a sense of wonder at the many varied worlds out there - in our planetary system and beyond.
July 13, 2023
It was absolutely riveting. I loved how Dava Sobel intertwined scientific fact with mythology and a bit of poetry to curve out the edges. Not only did I learn so many fascinating facts about the sun, our moon and the other planets & heavenly bodies in our solar system, but it was done with style too.
Kudos to Dava Sobel for sharing her love of the universe on such a fascinating and entertaining way. 4-Stars, you should read this!
Kudos to Dava Sobel for sharing her love of the universe on such a fascinating and entertaining way. 4-Stars, you should read this!
October 11, 2018
A beautiful reminder that the pretty orbs we memorized in grade school are more than that. They're actual alien worlds rich with a chemical character and harmony that mirrors our connection to them. Dave Sobel writes poetry and facts about the Solar System, and reminds her reader to look up to the stars with wonder and inspiration.
February 5, 2023
This book was delicious and I’m surprised by all the negative reviews. Right from the start the author shares her love and curiosity for the planets, and she weaves (a Eurocentric view of) poetry, science, history, mythology and other elements through a metaphorical structure that makes this book feel like a work of art.
March 26, 2023
I didn't realize when I started the book that it was 20 years old, but it was still a fun, short read with tidbits about our solar system. Some of it was outdated, but the history was top notch.
August 1, 2014
Not a book that needs to be read (or listened in my case). It' OK. Sobel tries the make this more interesting by waxing poetic, quoting many poetic bits about planets and using some other gimmicks. I liked the quotes, but would have preferred a simpler straight forward prose. The core of the book is not the planets as much as the history of our understanding of them, and of their discovery. This I liked, but it's a rushed history. These histories are most interesting because of the people involved. But the coverage is too brief to ever meet anyone (or re-acquaint with them, since most of the people she covers are well known). The worst chapter for me was on earth where she jumps from maps to explorers, leaping through time without any chance to provide context. I just found it disorienting.
I don't regret the book, just feel a little underwhelmed by it.
I don't regret the book, just feel a little underwhelmed by it.
February 8, 2019
This was a great read - I picked it up at 2nd and Charles mainly because the front cover was beautiful and featured Saturn, my favorite planet. I'm so glad I did; the author was very engaging - each chapter covers one of the planets in our solar system (including poor non-planet Pluto.)
July 19, 2021
A brief history of planet discovery, name origin, mythology. Since it was published before Pluto's demotion and the New Horizons mission, a lot of information is now out of date. I enjoyed the narrator for this.
November 11, 2015
Not for scienceheads. This is a book for lit nerds who want to learn about our solar system but who want it told prettily and connected to art and myth and music, etc.
February 18, 2020
An introduction to the planets of our solar system from creation and the Sun, through the inner planets with the Earth's moon, the gas giants and ice giants all the way out to the Keiper Belt objects, starting with Sobel's own fascination with astronomy.
And these aren't dry recitations of facts. Sobel has found a way to individualize each entry be it with an interview with an asteroid from Mars 'talking' about its former home to beginning Saturn's entry with Gustav Holtz's opus, The Planets and Saturn, Bringer of Old Age. Even the author's own surprising encounter with moon-dust or not. And the focus on the Uranus and Neptune entry being a paraphrased letter from Carolyn Herschel (assistant and sister of Sir William Hershel, discoverer of Uranus) to Miss Maria Mitchell.
The writing is almost playful, teasing and informative. It was easy to read and didn't get bogged down with highly detailed descriptions of scientific theory. Oh, and Lynette R. Cook, who did the color illustrations, did a lovely job.
The only possible negative is that it was published in 2006 so much of the information inside has been updated with new discoveries.
2020-035
And these aren't dry recitations of facts. Sobel has found a way to individualize each entry be it with an interview with an asteroid from Mars 'talking' about its former home to beginning Saturn's entry with Gustav Holtz's opus, The Planets and Saturn, Bringer of Old Age. Even the author's own surprising encounter with moon-dust or not. And the focus on the Uranus and Neptune entry being a paraphrased letter from Carolyn Herschel (assistant and sister of Sir William Hershel, discoverer of Uranus) to Miss Maria Mitchell.
The writing is almost playful, teasing and informative. It was easy to read and didn't get bogged down with highly detailed descriptions of scientific theory. Oh, and Lynette R. Cook, who did the color illustrations, did a lovely job.
The only possible negative is that it was published in 2006 so much of the information inside has been updated with new discoveries.
2020-035
March 11, 2019
Planetele este una dintre cele șase opere de popularizare a științelor exacte scrise de autoarea americană, cel mai sigur - pentru un public adolescentin. Titlul se referă, bineînțeles, la planetele din Sistemul nostru Solar, capitolele fiind scurte esee în care sunt scoase în evidență caracteristicile principale ale fiecărei din cele 8(9) planete într-un limbaj facil, ideal pentru înțelesul tuturor. Autoarea insistă, de asemenea, și pe steaua locală - Soarele - precum și pe satelitul natural al planetei Pământ. Nu se limitează însă numai la știința astronomiei când vorbește despre aceste corpuri cerești, înglobând și elemente de mitologie, astrologie și poezie în opera sa. Din cauza naturii fragmentare a cărții, dictată de subiectul ales și a numeroaselor inserturi literare non-științifice, seriozitatea academică a acesteia poate suferi un pic, nu mai mult de câteva procente totuși.
May 23, 2020
An interesting mix of fact, myth, culture, astrology, and science fiction woven together with history, biography, and poetry. The prose is lyrical, celebrating the solar system with insight, facts, and explanations folded into , inspiring story-telling. It’s an elegant paean, promising to engage and captivate the reader.
Twelve full-color illustrations accompany the narrative; following are a glossary, notes about the illustrations, details on the narrative, and a bibliography.
Recommended.
Twelve full-color illustrations accompany the narrative; following are a glossary, notes about the illustrations, details on the narrative, and a bibliography.
Recommended.
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