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More copies of this ISBN:The Planetsby Dava Sobel
Staff Pick
Using scientific facts and cultural background, Sobel continues in her witty and knowledgeable fashion with this absorbing ode to our solar system. Lyrical, personal, and engaging. Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:With her blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, Dava Sobel used her rare and luminous gift for weaving difficult scientific concepts into a compelling story to garner rave reviews and attract readers from across the literary spectrum. Now, in The Planets, Sobel brings her full talents to bear on what is perhaps her most ambitious subject to date — the planets of our solar system.
The sun's family of planets become a familiar place in this personal account of the lives of other worlds. Sobel explores the planets' origins and oddities through the lens of popular culture, from astrology, mythology, and science fiction to art, music, poetry, biography, and history. A perfect gift and a captivating journey, The Planets is a gorgeously illustrated study of our place in the universe that will mesmerize everyone who has ever gazed with awe at our night sky. Review:"Sobel's purpose in this lovely and personal volume is to show us the planets as she sees them. Writing in quite a different mode than in her best-selling Longitude and Galileo's Daughter Sobel offers intimate essays inspired by the planets in our solar system, which she describes as 'an assortment of magic beans or precious gems in a little private cabinet of wonder — portable, evocative, and swirled in beauty.' She frames each essay in a different light, using a particular planet as a stepping stone toward a discussion of larger issues. Her 'Jupiter' essay becomes a meditation on astrology, while her essay on the Sun, which relates the actual birth of the universe seemingly ex nihilo, evokes the Genesis account of creation in both its themes and the cadence of its language. Put simply, Sobel's conceits work (even, remarkably, the essay on Mars written from the perspective of a Martian rock) because each beautifully frames its planet. An essay that begins with the story of Sobel's grandmother coming to the United States as an immigrant, for example, sets up the author's musings on the odd nature of Pluto as somewhere in between 'planet' and 'other.' This resonant and eclectic collection — informative, entertaining and poetic — is a joy to read. Agent, Michael Carlisle. (On sale Oct. 11)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"Thoroughly readable: not a dry recitation of facts — though the facts are there — but a lively exploration of the historical and cultural meaning of the planets." Kirkus Reviews Review:"A thoughtful, apt diction permeates Sobel's journey among the planets, creating a mood of reading pleasure that also helped make Longitude a best-seller." Booklist Review:"[Sobel's] writing is vivid and poetic....The resulting fabric offers something for all readers, even those who think they might not be interested in science and space. Highly recommended." Library Journal Review:"Sobel's gift, which is so evident and admirable in this book, is her ability to infuse dry, even mundane, science with poetry and romance....There are not nine reasons for liking this book — there are as many as there are stars." San Diego Union Tribune Review:"Unlike Galileo's Daughter and Longitude, which reaped acclaim for rich narrative and in-depth information, this work is much more personal. It is part memoir, part anthology and part reverie." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review:"[A]n incantatory serenade to the solar system....With a captivating mix of erudition and whimsy, [Sobel] shows how the planets are repositories of meaning... (Grade: A-)" Entertainment Weekly Synopsis:From the bestselling author of "Longitude" and "Galileo's Daughter" comes a stunningly illustrated love letter to our solar system. 12 full-color illustrations. About the AuthorDava Sobel is an award-winning former science writer for the New York Times. The author of the bestselling Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, Sobel's work has also appeared in Audubon, Discover, Life, and The New Yorker. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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