Comments on: Book Review of “The Planets: A Journey Through the Solar System” by Giles Sparrow http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/2009/05/16/book-review-planets-journey-through-solar-systemy-giles-sparrow/ The stories of a part-time librarian mixed with nonfiction book reviews. Join in the fun! Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:16:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: HavaLyon http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/2009/05/16/book-review-planets-journey-through-solar-systemy-giles-sparrow/comment-page-1/#comment-96 HavaLyon Sun, 17 May 2009 18:01:00 +0000 http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/?p=200#comment-96 Sariah, somehow I missed your comment. Whoops! I think I remember that book because if we're thinking about the same one, that was one of my favorites too. One of my dreams growing up was to be an astronaut. Well, you can see how well that went ;-) but that doesn't mean I can't still read and learn and dream about space! Havs Sariah, somehow I missed your comment. Whoops!

I think I remember that book because if we’re thinking about the same one, that was one of my favorites too. One of my dreams growing up was to be an astronaut. Well, you can see how well that went ;-) but that doesn’t mean I can’t still read and learn and dream about space!

Havs

]]> By: HavaLyon http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/2009/05/16/book-review-planets-journey-through-solar-systemy-giles-sparrow/comment-page-1/#comment-95 HavaLyon Sun, 17 May 2009 17:46:53 +0000 http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/?p=200#comment-95 Phyl, I read your post that you linked to in your previous comment - the book sounds amazing! Just like something I would love to read. I just did a search and no, we don't have it in our library. :-? I just did an interlibrary loan request, but I have a feeling that I'm about to do another one. ;-) Thank you very much for the recommendation. Stephanie, I was actually thinking of you when I asked for suggestions. I was sure you'd have something really great to share. You're letting me down here! LOL! But yeah, I really don't want to read textbook style books. I love learning when it isn't a struggle to do so, and to me, textbooks are the ultimate struggle for learning. Somehow, they manage to take an incredibly interesting and mind-boggling topic, and reduce it down to boring and dry crap. How this is possible, I'm not sure, but it seems to happen every time. It's rare for me to read a textbook that doesn't make me want to bang my head against a wall. :roll: I should see if Bob has any suggestions - that's a great idea. I could honestly just run a book review site where I review nothing but space and astronomy books - I love the topic that much. But, I shall refrain from it because there is so many topics out there that I want to learn about - I don't want to miss out on learning about a variety of things by pigeonholing myself into one topic. Hava Phyl, I read your post that you linked to in your previous comment – the book sounds amazing! Just like something I would love to read. I just did a search and no, we don’t have it in our library. :-? I just did an interlibrary loan request, but I have a feeling that I’m about to do another one. ;-) Thank you very much for the recommendation.

Stephanie, I was actually thinking of you when I asked for suggestions. I was sure you’d have something really great to share. You’re letting me down here! LOL!

But yeah, I really don’t want to read textbook style books. I love learning when it isn’t a struggle to do so, and to me, textbooks are the ultimate struggle for learning. Somehow, they manage to take an incredibly interesting and mind-boggling topic, and reduce it down to boring and dry crap. How this is possible, I’m not sure, but it seems to happen every time. It’s rare for me to read a textbook that doesn’t make me want to bang my head against a wall. :roll:

I should see if Bob has any suggestions – that’s a great idea. I could honestly just run a book review site where I review nothing but space and astronomy books – I love the topic that much. But, I shall refrain from it because there is so many topics out there that I want to learn about – I don’t want to miss out on learning about a variety of things by pigeonholing myself into one topic.

Hava

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/2009/05/16/book-review-planets-journey-through-solar-systemy-giles-sparrow/comment-page-1/#comment-94 Stephanie Sun, 17 May 2009 16:11:06 +0000 http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/?p=200#comment-94 It was probably intended as a "coffee table" book. You'd think I'd have some good suggestion, being a rocket scientist and all, but I really know very little about astronomy that isn't more like a textbook. Have you checked with Bob at Black Holes and Astrostuff? He's big into astronomy. It was probably intended as a “coffee table” book. You’d think I’d have some good suggestion, being a rocket scientist and all, but I really know very little about astronomy that isn’t more like a textbook. Have you checked with Bob at Black Holes and Astrostuff? He’s big into astronomy.

]]> By: sariah http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/2009/05/16/book-review-planets-journey-through-solar-systemy-giles-sparrow/comment-page-1/#comment-93 sariah Sun, 17 May 2009 14:33:54 +0000 http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/?p=200#comment-93 I have always loved reading about space too! We had a great hardback book on space growing up that I loved to go through. I'd look at the amazing pictures and ponder on the weirdness of black holes.... I have always loved reading about space too! We had a great hardback book on space growing up that I loved to go through. I’d look at the amazing pictures and ponder on the weirdness of black holes….

]]> By: Phyl http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/2009/05/16/book-review-planets-journey-through-solar-systemy-giles-sparrow/comment-page-1/#comment-92 Phyl Sun, 17 May 2009 14:16:58 +0000 http://www.nonfictionbookreview.com/?p=200#comment-92 I suppose having all those photos, with captions that explain what you're seeing, is the closest thing any of us can get to the "hands on" type of learning that aids our learning from text, eh? As to suggestions for other books to read, I don't know if it would be in your library or not, but there is the book I mentioned in my comment on your previous post: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quirks-Quarks-Guide-Space-Everything/dp/0771050038" rel="nofollow">The Quirks & Quarks Guide to Space: 42 Questions (and Answers) About Life, the Universe, and Everything</a>. It's by one of the guys who works on the CBC Radio science program, "Quirks & Quarks." He and the program's host (who writes an extensive Intro) are big space geeks. And this is a compilation of what they learned as they've had all sorts of scientists on their program over the last few years. I suppose having all those photos, with captions that explain what you’re seeing, is the closest thing any of us can get to the “hands on” type of learning that aids our learning from text, eh?

As to suggestions for other books to read, I don’t know if it would be in your library or not, but there is the book I mentioned in my comment on your previous post: The Quirks & Quarks Guide to Space: 42 Questions (and Answers) About Life, the Universe, and Everything.

It’s by one of the guys who works on the CBC Radio science program, “Quirks & Quarks.” He and the program’s host (who writes an extensive Intro) are big space geeks. And this is a compilation of what they learned as they’ve had all sorts of scientists on their program over the last few years.

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