5 comments about Starlight Nights: The Adventures of a Star-Gazer.

1. Remember those movies where an old man tells his story in the form of a flashback? The kind that makes you wish you could go back in time to hang out with them, experience their life? Starlight Nights is one of those stories.
   Leslie Peltier's book is full of warmth and humor. He takes us back to a 1905 farm and describes what it was like to grow up without electricity, television. The beginning of his story predates the spread of the automobile. We watch as he buys a small telescope, and without the benefit of a college education, becomes the friend and colleague of the eminent astronomers of his day. We experience the thrill of finding comets and novae, and at the same time, the quiet joy of country life a century ago.
   The book is wonderfully illustrated by Mr. Peltier himself, and the introduction includes family photographs.
   Absolutely recommended for everyone, not just stargazers.



2. This is a jem. The author would likely fail to recognize the world of 2002, and would certainly be horrified to awake in it.
   He lived, really lived, in an earlier era when discovery of a new comet by an amateur simply looking through a telescope, without the CCDs and other fancy technology, was celebrated, and civilization grew at a pleasant pace in the midwest where he lived, away from the hustle, rush hours, and UN crisis. His humility in accepting the gifts of slowly increasing aperture telescopes and the way in which alone, he found good ways to use them to their best are balm to the soul.
   Get a copy of this little book, turn off the TV and computer and regress to Peltier's world of worthwhile ways of spending your time while seeing the universe. Fortunately, you don't really have to wait weeks to get a copy if you'll dial up Sky and Telescope.



3. Starlight Nights: The Adventures of a Stargazer by Leslie Peltier is a wonderful book, which embodies the heart and soul of stargazing. It was out of print for many years, but has been republished by Sky Publishing, and is available through Amazon and through the Sky & Telescope Store online. I obtained a copy last year and read it. Once started, I couldn't put it down.
   
   Peltier begins when, as a child of five, he first saw the Pleiades. As a young teenager he saved up his money and bought his first scope, made his own observing pier in the pasture, and hung out every night learning the night sky. The book covers about 60 years in Peltier's life, including his stargazing honeymoon out west. He observed every night he could, undeterred by cows in the field or snow on the ground.
   
   He became an avid variable-star observer and a comet hunter. He tells the story of bicycling into town on a dark November night in 1925 to telegraph his first comet discovery to Harvard College Observatory. One of his early telescopes, a six-inch refractor, had a wooden (mahogany) tube. When he found each comet he neatly carved the date in the tube of the telescope.
   
   Over the years he built his own observatories, and obtained castoff FAMOUS telescopes (a twelve-inch refractor made by Alvan Clark), when Miami University of Ohio, 125 miles from his home, wanted to upgrade theirs. He became famous among astronomers, but always lived a simple life, shunning publicity, and not straying far from the family homestead in Delphos, Ohio. Leslie Peltier was a gentle soul, self-effacing and honest, and "real". He writes as if he were talking to a friend, telling a favorite story.
   
   This book captures the romance of amateur astronomy. Peltier embodied the "heart and soul" of a stargazer. As David Levy says in his foreword, this book explains the "why" of astronomy, and not just the "how".
   
   It's a book every stargazer should read.



4. This is a really neat book! I love the way that Leslie Peltier wrote - such an honest, everyman's perspective. It draws the reader in and fascinates anyone; whether interested in astronomy as a passion or just in passing. A great, quick read. Wonderful rainy day (or cloudy night!) book and a nice one to take to the beach this summer, too.
   
   The foreward by Eugene Shoemaker is great. It is only in the newly printed version, of course - not in the original. :-)
   
   As an amateur astronomer - a lunar observer in particular - I can heartily suggest this as not only a fun and interesting book to read but one where you learn of life in the past in the United States - a slower time but a time of great discovery and accomplishments, too.



5. This book is a straightforward telling of Leslie Peltier life as an amateur astronomer. Although it is a simple story without much drama it draws you into his world and never gets boring.
   
   The dark night sky is a free resource we need to preserve. Our ancestors gazed up on the same stars we see today. When you go out at night you can be the latest in a long line of humans who have looked up to the heavens and wondered about their place in the universe.
   
   If this book doesn't inspire you get out and observe, nothing will.

No comments about Black Tides.

5 comments about Magnificent Failure: Free Fall from the Edge of Space.

1. As the manager of the Lakewood Parachuting Center in the 1960's I met and jumped with Nick from his first jump on. Craig Ryan understood what we were doing back then and wrote a wonderful story about what really happened.



2. I am Vern Piantanida, Nick Piantanida's brother. I already submitted a review for the book. I did this using my son-in-law's system so it picked up my review as being from him - James Keenan. Of course, this caused confusion as people think James is another brother to Nick. Nick had only one sibling - me. Sorry for the confusion.



3. On the morning of February 2, 1966, a gigantic weather balloon rose from the South Dakota prairie and soared straight into the Stratosphere. In the small aluminum gondola beneath the massive helium filled envelope, parachutist Nick Piantanida prepared to set a world's record. At 120,000 feet, he would jump out of the gondola, free fall for tens of thousands of feet - reaching a speed perhaps greater than Mach 1.0 in the process - and then glide to safety beneath a modified Para-Commander.

   It wasn't meant to be. When he reached jump altitude, a horrified Piantanida discovered the quick-release on his oxygen hose had hopelessly jammed. He had no choice but to cut the gondola loose, and fall back to earth with the aid of its cargo parachute. Three months later he would make another attempt. Unfortunately for this brave and dauntless American, that jump would end in disaster, and cost him his life.

   Author Craig Ryan, whose fascinating chronicle of military balloon flights and parachute tests The Pre-Astronauts briefly described Piantanida's Project Strato-Jump, revisits the topic in great detail in Magnificent Failure. While Strato-Jump has sometimes been denigrated as a haphazard effort undertaken by an amateur, Ryan makes clear that characterization is far from the truth. Piantanida was an extremely experienced parachutist, and a cadre of professionals from the civilian, contractor, and military world supported his effort. In reality, Strato-Jump was one of the boldest civilian efforts of its era, and it might well have succeeded had not the disconnect fitting jammed.

   Where Piantanida's final, fatal flight is concerned, Ryan presents a great deal of new information and develops a credible scenario concerning what went awry. For years, this topic has been the subject of speculation and rumor. It is now clear that Piantanida was doomed from the moment he took off.

   Yet while it does chronicle a debacle, Magnificent Failure is not merely a somber record of a botched endeavor. Rather, it is an entertaining and readable portrait of a larger-than-life figure who dreamed of glory and worked terrifically hard and against all odds to obtain it. Thanks to Ryan's research effort, technical insight, and journalism skills, the book is remarkably insightful, full of detail and pulse-pounding drama. In an era when civilian teams are once again striving to reach not just the upper atmosphere but space itself -- the X-Prize contenders come to mind -- Magnificent Failure delivers a message of inspiration, while at the same time reminding us that glory sometimes eludes even the bravest of men.




4. As a collector of books written by or about former astronauts as well as balloonist I can honestly say that this is one of the finest written accounts I have read. This book truly captures both the technical side of this endeavor and the man behind the dream.
   
   As a 3rd grade student of St. Bernard's Grade School in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1965 I distinctly recall being on the school playground and watching a small dot in the sky that we knew was a ballon. I recall at that time knowing the difference between gas and hot air ballons. The buzz on the playground was that someone was going to parachute from the balloon. I am not sure how I knew that but I was captivated by this event as I have been since by aeronautical events of all kinds.
   
   Thanks Craig Ryan.....this is a very cool book!
   
   EZ



5. I picked this book up at a local Dollar Tree for, what else, one dollar. I'm not completely sure on how that reflects on the book itself. No matter where I purchased it, the story of Nick Piantanida and the Strato-Jump project is just incredible. I am not a baloonist, parachutist, or anything even remotely related, but Nick's story is inspiring no matter who you are. This is one of the best books I have read in the past year. No matter where you find this book, pick it up! Also, the photographs are great! Highly recommended.

No comments about Leonardo Da Vinci.

5 comments about Noble Obsession: Charles Goodyear, Thomas Hancock, and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the Nineteenth Century.

1. I do not often write a review of something I have read, even when it is either good or bad, but when a volume as exceptional and enjoyable to read as this one comes along, it deserves praise. I particularly enjoyed the way Mr. Slack put the era in context and he was not hesitant to go off and explore and explain the background behind the players. He gives little stories that truly flesh out those individuals or companies whom touched Goodyear's life. My only complaint is that the book was so short! This is one that could have been expanded and I dare say it would not have been dull in the least! I also wish Mr. Slack would write more! Great work!



2. Some pieces of history just do not seem to be the stuff of entertaining books - such as the history of rubber. Mr. Slack turns this bit of history into a thoroughly entertaining and informative book. Of course, he had the whacky Charles Goodyear to help along the way. To say Goodyear was obsessive would be to understate the case.

   Mr. Slack weaves the efforts of Goodyear and his rivals to make rubber a useful commodity into a compelling read. Goodyear's successful efforts - after years of amusing failures - are purloined along the way by a rogue's gallery of figures. The title would imply a greater role for Hancock than he appeears in the book, but Mr. Slack shows his scientific methodology and buusiness sense in contrast to Goodyear's lack thereof to great effect.

   As we watch Goodyear trip and fall repeatedly on his way to stumbling onto the answer, Mr. Slack explains the science behind the experiments well. Adding to the book is Mr. Slack's ability to give the historical perspective. He relates well the times and the burgeoning industrial age, so that when the answer to production of rubber is found, its impact on the age is comprehended by the reader.

   A terrific and well-written history. Strongly recommended.




3. You would never know it by today's amazon.com sales rank where currently it is ranked 1,102,030!!!! Like most of the others who have reviewed this book, I found it to be superb. Charles Slack takes us back to nineteenth century America and one mans obsession with an idea. Many folks bought into his idea for a time and some of them lost a lot of money in the process. Most people considered him a fool. But Charles Goodyear devoted most of his working life to perfecting the art of vulcanization. His efforts resulted in a product with literally thousands of commercial uses. It is a truly remarkable story told in a most engaging manner. Never mind the best sellers.....give this one a try. I guarantee you that you won't be disappointed.



4. Rubber...something we take for granted in todays world really has an interesting history. The race to make this into a functional material is traced in this book. I must say that I learned so many things about Charles Goodyear and his quest to bring rubber into our lives as a product that has so many applications. His early struggles with financial loss as a result of his quest underlines his obsession that would land him in the poor house on different occasions. This book is a great source of learning not only of him but the other players at the time who could see the potential of this product. Its a great history lesson for anyone interested in how rubber came to be a part of all our lives.



5. I found this book fascinating, easy to read, and fun. The reader will not only learn about Goodyear and about the rubber industry, but will also meet interesting historical characters, learn about how they reacted under difficult circumstances (some honorably, some not so honorably), and will also learn interesting facts about life in antebellum America. I highly recommend this book!

2 comments about Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: An Autobiography and Other Recollections.

1. i believe the author owes me not only an apology but a greeting and invitation for the only if in the why and why not



2. I saw the previous review and had to write a real review for those interested in this book. The book has effectively four introductory essays by Virginia Trimble, Jesse Greenstein, Peggy Kidwell, and Katherine Haramundanis. Each of these are well worth reading on their own and they place Cecilia Payne, later Payne-Gaposchkin by marriage, in context. I will refer to her as "CPG" from now on.
   
   The part of the book written by CPG, "The Dyer's Hand" is a memoir of growing up in England, being a woman scientist at Cambridge, and moving to Harvard to become an astronomer when being a woman still made the directors of the Harvard Observatory immediate think of placing you in the pool of woman calculators -- underpaid and not considered on the level of the men. CPG helped change that. She applied the then new ideas of Saha to the analysis of the sun's spectrum and realized that the sun was made up of a huge amount of hydrogen compared to helium and the other elements. Up to the publication of her thesis in the 1920's no one really understood that stars were mostly hydrogen and helium. Earlier observations had been incorrectly interpreted as showing earthly abundances of the elements. CPG helped force astronomers to revise their stellar models -- the first step to truly understanding the stars.
   
   Her working life spanned roughly 50 years and she devoted her life to astronomy even though it was not until the 1950's that Harvard woke up and gave her a job title other than assistant to the director of the observatory. She helped create our understanding of how stars work and she is a gifted writer. This is an amazing life and the autobiography is necessary reading.

No comments about Pierre-Simon Laplace, 1749-1827.

5 comments about Charles Darwin: The Naturalist Who Started a Scientific Revolution.

1. Biographer Cyril Aydon drew upon a lifetime's interest in Charles Darwin and his work to write Charles Darwin: The Naturalist Who Started A Scientific Revolution. The result is a fascinating and informative biography of the famed author of "The Origin of Species" and "The Descent of Man". It was Charles Darwin whose theories of evolution (and whose proposal that the descendants of primordial primates could, over thousands or millions of years, eventually become men through the process of natural selection) would change forever how human beings think of themselves and understand their own genesis. This accurate and engagingly written biographical account blends an overview of natural science with the events of Darwin's life before, during, and after the publication of his trailblazing scientific treatises. Charles Darwin is a very highly recommended study of a truly great man whose trailblazing contribution to biological science is still a substantial part of public debate and controversy today between religious creationists who deny, and the scientific community which supports, Darwin's concept of human evolutionary development.



2. To read the biographies of great men has always been a fascination. Great men of sciences, technology, philosophy, politics, Charles Darwin features prominently among them, both personally to me, and in the annals of history. The biography by Aydon is a very simple yet charming story of the man who "created a scientific revolution".

   Aydon presents the story of Charles Darwin in a chronological way, a standard fare in biographies, but with chapters to add the thematic approaches for the book. The author uses personal letters sent by Darwin to his friends and mentors as `personal touches' to this biography. They add to the overall charm of the book and reveal a lot about the man and his thinking. Most helpful is a map of the Beagle's voyage, which I not infrequently referred to when reading the chapters on the round the world trip of the famous Beagle.

   I personally analysed two points, which the author have emphasised throughout the book. Firstly, Darwin was helped in his success by the wealth and support of his father. There are many references in the book, to the pecuniary benefits accrued to Darwin by his father. This facilitated his rise as a devoted naturalist, who had no care and worries for material pursuits and with such wealth and support, he was able to network and make gains otherwise not possible for a poorer Darwin. Secondly, was his fortuitous inclusion in the Beagle's voyage. Had it not been for the 5-year voyage, Darwin would not have been able to realise his childhood dreams of collecting and observing specimens and most importantly, Darwin would have ended up as a clergyman.

   The later part of the book, after detailing his voyage and subsequent settling down, revolves around his industry to complete his "big book" and his moral and intellectual dilemma. Not insignificant is the loving support given by Emma, Darwin's beloved wife.

   Having read this book, I feel that Darwin's life was full of lucky breaks and that he was one of the sickliest scientists around. However, the industry and power he brought to his book, "The Origin of Species" made him a revolutionary scientist. This book is recommended for the neutral reader, who simply wants a good story about a giant scientist. I have a further feeling that to satisfy my curiosity about this man, a more detailed biography is essential.




3. For those interested in the life and thought of Charles Darwin, this is the perfect place to start. There are several other biographies of Darwin in print, some of them quite lengthy and quite technical. But if you are interested in a relatively short (ca. 300 pages) but very substantial treatment that is elegantly and engagingly written, Aydon's contribution delivers. The hardcover edition is beatifully printed and bound, with very clear type and the most generous line-spacing I've ever seen, making Aydon's tightly focused and well paced narrative a pleasure to read. There are sixteen pages of black-and-white photographic plates that are sharp and clear, plus four maps and one table. Reading this book is a very satisfying experience and makes one eager to move on to Darwin's own writings and to more in-depth biographies. Bravo and many thanks to author Cyril Aydon!



4. Aydon's biography is a lively look at Darwin and the development of his theory of natural selection. Examining Darwin's character and work is timely as Darwin continues to be inseparable from the debate about evolution's implications.
   
   Read as a companion to Darwin's autobiography, Aydon provides detail and context for the events that Darwin recounts. Just as Darwin comes alive in his autobiography, Darwin's world comes to life in Aydon's biography through descriptions of episodes in Darwin's life like his tedious documentation of barnacles, the personalities of his family and friends, or the debate between Huxley and Wilberforce.
   
   Aydon's discussion of the people who influenced Darwin's life was especially helpful. These people include his father, Captain Fitzroy of the Beagle, his wife Emma and their children, and his loyal friends Hooker, Huxley, and Lyell. Seen in terms of his relationships with these influential people, Darwin is far more humble and far less singular than he might seem on his own.
   
   According to Aydon, evolution was in the air during Darwin's lifetime; had Darwin not articulated his theory on the origin of the species, it seems likely that someone else would have. However, Aydon's Charles Darwin makes the argument that no other person had the resources, the experiences, and the force of personality to deliver the theory of evolution nearly as well as Darwin did. I think Aydon is right.



5. Aydon's book provides a relatively short account of Darwin's life. I found the prose easy and accessible. The writing is direct and packed with the facts; this is a good place to get a "birds eye view" of Darwin's life. While the autobiography provides the first person view, it is difficult to see many of the outside influences which greatly affected Darwin's life. Aydon does a good job of bringing these to the forefront.
   
   One of these outside factors which I didn't really pick up on so much while reading the autobiography was the wealth Darwin was born into and all the things this afforded him. Without this safety net, it is debatable whether Charles would have had many of the opportunities which influenced him on his scientific journey. One of these was the ability for him to try out medical school and studying theology before finding himself unhappy in both these endeavors. Another, and possibly the most important factor, which this wealth afforded was his Beagle trip. Not everyone had the wealth to take a 5 year journey sailing around the world, but luckily, Darwin did.
   
   Another big factor which I didn't quite pick up on in the autobiography was the extent to which Darwin's illnesses affected him. His sicknesses were very pervasive throughout his life and always seemed to be hindering his work. Who knows how much more he could have accomplished had he not had to rest so frequently.
   
   Aydon does a good job of bringing to the forefront large factors like these, which Darwin didn't put too much emphasis on in his autobiography. This book is a good for those who want an easy, interesting read and want to know the major factors surrounding Darwin's life.

1 comments about Neil Armstrong - A Giant Leap for Mankind (Biography).

1. Anything about Neil Armstrong, whether one of many Apollo video documentaries, or even an extremely rare TV interview, like '60 Minutes' did a couple years ago, is apt to be spellbinding. You just cannot do justice to a historical account of man's quest to fly without including Neil Armstrong. This mere snipet of a biographical book at only 63 pages probably gives "just the facts" as Neil's own autobiography, 'First Man' is likely a more detailed account of his entire life. I can never get enough of this genuine real life American hero's life story.
   
   Neil Armstrong experienced and accomplished more spectacular feats of aviation and aerospace in just one decade (the 60s) than any other hundred hotshot test pilots probably ever did (or will). Even Chuck Yeager must be in total awe of Armstrong's breakthrough historical achievements.
   
   Mr. Armstrong is not only the essence of the "right stuff", but arguably the best of the best, if not one of the most daring aviators ever born. For only ten bucks you can have some fascinating insight in to Neil's life and a memento in the form of this book of what shall always be remembered as a National Treasure. BRAVO!

1 comments about The Survival of Charles Darwin: A Biography of a Man and an Idea.

1. Those who have read Clark's biography of Einstein, will find his study of Darwin and of his theory of wonderful interest. Clark was truly a master of the biographer's art. A thoroughly researched book that gives insight into Darwin as a kindly country gentleman who spent his life in earnest study of nature - indeed of the processes of survival. The book does not end at Darwin's death but continues on to examine the impact of his work and the development of knowledge about heredity well into the late twentieth century. The only regret the reader may have from this book is knowing that Clark is dead and we will have no more wonderful studies. He did not write many books, but instead gave remarkable attention to the figures he studied. Reading all of his biographies would be a worthwhile journey into the art of research and of writing that gives historical figures of gargantuan proportion a humanity that brings them to life. The Biography of Darwin also gives light to the ridiculousness of creationists who still struggle against the inevitable truth of his clarity of thought, as well as to how scientists could impale themselves against the guarded idols of the fixed paradigms of their own egoes. Would that some playwright would bring Darwin to life in a work of intellectual stature. There are surely enough characters of his time to make it most interesting.