Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Astronomy - Star Guides    3. Astrophysics & Space Science    4. Multiple stars    5. Observations    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Science / Astronomy    9. Stars, interstellar matter   

Reviews (50)

Rekindles the early excitement of the Shuttle program
For whatever reason, most Shuttle astronauts have never gained the recognition that the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo astronauts did. We've come to see them as glorified airline pilots or even bus drivers, carrying earnest scientists into space to watch mice mate in zero gravity. Mike Mullane paints a very different picture of the 1980s Shuttle crews, proving that they were every bit the "fighter jock" competitors that their predecessors were. I for one find this refreshing and gratifying. His no-holds-barred assessments of some of his colleagues, like Sally Ride and John Young, will surprise some readers, even those who already know that the astronauts never were the faultless All-American Heroes that NASA tried to make us believe.
A great read!
Being a space cadet from way back I've read a lot of astronaut memoirs but this is the first one of which I'm aware that deals with the shuttle era.
A Fantastic Must Read
The book is an excellent read especially for those familiar with the space program or worked in the field.This especially applies to me as I was an instructor for the Apollo Astronauts and the Shuttle Astronauts from 1966 until 1992.Mike's book is the first book that has ever given any credit to the Training Team.In the past, I have never read anything that gives credit to the instructors that trained the Astronauts.Very seldom is credit ever given to the people that built the Apollo spacecraft or the Shuttle either.How many people can name the contractors?HmmmmmI give credit to Mike for being honest about the NASA management and expressing his feelings.Many of us were not able to do that because we were contractors and NASA was our customer.I found nothing disagreeable with his thoughts and feelings in this area.I especially liked his personal feelings about his family and the crew members.I could not put the book down.I said "YES" outloud many many times in agreement with his comments. It almost inspires me to write a book myself to add to his story.If you are interested in the space program you better read this book..........thanks Mike ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Air Forces    2. Astronauts    3. Astrophysics & Space Science    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Manned Space Exploration    9. Military    10. Mullane, R. Mike    11. Scientists - General    12. Space Shuttle Program (U.S.)    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Science & Technology   

Reviews (3)

Afraid of Numbers? Then this space book is for you!
I first had the pleasure of using Mr. Damon's book, "Introduction to Space: the Science of Spaceflight," in my first few graduate classes. I was impressed by the coverage afforded in this book. Granted, this book was completely useless for technical graduate studies (I needed my 'number and equation fix') it has many uses for persons wanting to know about space without the calculations and involved physics.
Decent Introduction To Space
Thomas Damon's "Introduction to Space" is a good place to start for people who are generally unfamiliar with any of the basic principles of space flight. It is comprehensible any to interested person, and is generally geared toward a high school or early collegiate reader. The text is good at simplifying the math involved and in separating it from the text, making comprehension much easier for people who are not mathematically inclined.
Showcases all aspects of spaceflight
In a fully updated and revised third edition, Thomas Damon's Introduction To Space: The Science Of Spaceflight is an information packed compendium showcasing all aspects of spaceflight, including propulsion, orbits, high resolution images of Earth from space, satellites, debris in orbit, MIR, the International Space Station, space shuttles, working in space, exploration of the Solar System and beyond, disturbances in the space environment, and more. Profusely illustrated with color as well as black-and-what photography, charts, and graphs, Introduction To Space is an informative, superbly presented, and detailed history enhanced with both common units and metric unit descriptions of all quantities; a glossary; and an index. Highly recommended for school and community library space science and history collections. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Astrophysics & Space Science    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Space flight    6. Technology & Industrial Arts    7. Popular astronomy    8. Space travel & exploration   

Reviews (4)

Superb textbook on Maths of Satellite Orbit determinations
Satellite Orbits, Models, Methods and Applications is a great reference on Satellite orbit computation/determination. Chapters include; 1. Around the world in hundred minutes 2. Introductory Astrodynamics 3. Force Model 4.Numerical Integration 5. Time and Reference Systems 6. Satellite Tracking and Observation Models 7. Linearization 8. Orbit Determination and Parameter Estimation 9. Applications + Apendices and list of symbols. Excellent software
The sections dealing with orbit estimation are very sketchy. Needs to filled out with specific and detailed computational algorithms (e.g. Escobal). Outstanding book
This book is a very thorough review of Orbital Mechanics.Current, up to date material that goes from the basics to graduate level.Outstanding CDROM has a lot of source code and compiled applications.The best book I've come across on this subject, highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Artificial Satellites    3. Astrodynamics    4. Astronomy - General    5. Astrophysics & Space Science    6. Orbits    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Aerospace & aviation technology    10. Astronautics    11. Astrophysics    12. Satellites    13. Science / Astronomy    14. Space travel & exploration    15. celestial mechanics    16. space flights   

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Science / Astronomy    5. Stars, interstellar matter   

Reviews (2)

Astronomy: Journey to the Cosmic Frontier
The book was in mint condition.I received it promptly.I am confused though as to the record of it's purchase date.I bought this book in early September and the notification I just received says I purchased it yesterday.Other than that, no complaints.

Good read lost of water
Its a good read, clear definitions, emphasis on getting sence of things, and simple relationships (say lifetimes scales as inverse of mass squared) but rather poor problems if one intends to use as a textbook... a 100lvl classes only :) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - General    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Textbooks    6. Astronomy, Space & Time    7. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (4)

The standard reference on gear engineering
One of my two favorite gear books (the other being Drago's Fubdamentals of Gear Design). The 1983 edition is thorough, comprehensive and very readable for a reference book. Surprisingly for an American book of that time, it covers the metric system and standards (ISO, etc.) used in Europe and elsewhere. While the technical standards used in the book have been updated/replaced, it is still current in many areas and lays a solid conceptual basis for gear design.
Great book at its time
This book was probably the best you could buy for introducing gear technology in 1983 (and probably still is). The only problem is that it is scanned pages from the original so all pictures are poor, especially pictures of gear failures cant be copied. At some pages there are also small white dots that covers the text but they are not so many that you get disturbed by them.
The printing quality is poor, try to find the 1984 original
The book contents might be excellent. I regreted to
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Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Engineering - Mechanical    3. Machinery    4. Technology & Industrial Arts    5. Technology / Industrial Design / General    6. Technology: General Issues   

Reviews (31)

Really Heavy
This book is unbelievably heavy in the figurative sense.Although the writing can be laborious, the argument put forth regarding ancient astronomical facts being tied up in "folk tales" is stunning.Deeply researched, long, this book is definitely NOT for your ten year old.

Lacked Structure
There more than enough interesting material here for a good book. Reading this is like following a dozen rabbit trails without a guide. Even knowing the point of the essay before-hand only carried me so far. These authors needed more interested editors.

Clear reasoning, chaotic structure, engaging book.
Santillana and Dechend have made a compelling case for the role that myth plays in describing and capturing complex astronomical observations. I read it with great interest and engagement, but could have used better laid connections between the appendices and the main text. I am reasonably well-read in myth, but I still found myself flipping rather frantically back and forth and searching for online references so that I better understood what was being said.
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Subjects:  1. Astrology - General    2. Astronomy - General    3. Folklore & Mythology - Mythology    4. General    5. Philosophy    6. Sociology    7. Epistemology, theory of knowledge   

Reviews (4)

good book ; bad translation
this is a classic book. however, the new 8th edition is not translated very well. i have an older english version (6th edition, 1968) that is translated much better. even where the content is the same between the two editions, the "updated" translation is worse that in the original version.

A Must-have Book for Fluid Mechanics Researchers!
This is the best and the most classical fluid mechanics book that i have read. Read it through carefully and you will get much from it. Reading it from time to time can give you many new knowledge every time.

Applause
An excellent resource.A tough act to follow for any other author of BLT books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Boundary layer    3. Fluid Mechanics    4. Mechanics - General    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Solid State Physics    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Aerodynamics    11. Flow, turbulence, rheology    12. Fluid Dynamics    13. Jpplied Mechanics    14. Science / Mechanics / Dynamics / Fluid Dynamics   

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Cosmology    3. Einstein field equations    4. General    5. Mathematical Physics    6. Relativity    7. Relativity Theory    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. General Relativity    11. Geometrical Optics    12. Gravitational Lensing    13. Post Newtonian Approximation    14. Quantum Gravity    15. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (5)

Infectious enthusiasm
Carl Sagan's "The Cosmic Connection" is an enjoyable and easy-to-read survey of science and astronomy, circa 1973.Sagan's passion for his subjects comes through loud and clear in the essays that comprise this book.Reading this book is a little like watching "Cosmos" -- you're struck by the breadth of Sagan's knowledge and charmed by his imagination and wide-eyed enthusiasm for his topics.Sagan has a flair for making science accessible to the masses.He explores topics such as planetary exploration, the origins of life, and, of course, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.Readers who liked "A Brief History of Time" will probably enjoy "The Cosmic Connection."The epilogue, which provides a year 2000 update for many of the chapters, is a valuable addition to this classic book.

Worth reading
Sure this isn't Sagans best book, it was one of his earliest. But its definitely a great read, full of profound thoughts.

Digressions? Yeah!
This book is a mix of thoughts by Carl Sagan, which he mainly dictated while crossing North America in a car. Well, it shows! It jumps from interesting paragraphs to useless personnal experiences, and the final result is a short text that is confusing, and (but that's not his fault) outdated. Read "Cosmos" and "Pale Blue Dot", they are much better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Cosmology    3. Extraterrestrial Biology    4. Life    5. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    6. Life on other planets    7. Origin    8. Planets    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Popular astronomy    12. Popular science    13. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (4)

Not what I expected, but not bad
When I saw the title of this book, I had images of butterfly diagrams, an adequate amount of astrophysics and space physics, etc. However, the book's subtitle, "Learning to Live with a Stormy Star" was a much better clue as to the book's contents. Although some stellar/space science is briefly discussed, the main theme of the book is centered on sociological hardships, financial losses, research budgets, business interests, etc., all pertaining to our periodically stormy sun. Especially highlighted are: the survival of expensive satellites in space during less than ideal space weather, the sociological effects of their loss and the effects of this weather on power grids on earth. But my unfulfilled expectations and resulting disappointment should not result in a poor rating for this book. It is well written, very informative and seems to thoroughly cover, I think, what it was apparently intended to cover - hence my rating of 4 stars.

Vital, but strangely incomplete
I am recommending this book to everyone. I am quite convinced by Odenwald's data and studies I have encountered prior to this epochal book that our goverments need to take seriously what the good doctor is warning us about. The threat of unprecedented super-solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections from our unsteady star, ones that could blank out power-grids, destroy communications satellites and possibly fry increasingly vunerable microchips is something every thinking person should consider. Good introduction for general science readers
Interesting topic, though I judged the coverage to be uneven. Readers wanting an update about solar physics will be disappointed by a lack of details; but this can be supplemented by a visit to NASA’s solar physics Web pages.... Policy-makers should be impressed by the real and potential economic fallout from massive solar plasma discharges; but some of Odenwald’s detailed examples illustrate a coincidental rather than true cause-and-effect relation of solar events to Earth-based calamities. The Exon Valdez disaster is discussed at length before being dismissed, and is referenced later. Several pages detail inconveniences due to a power blackout in the D.C. area which had nothing to do with unusual solar activity. I found these references obtuse — I would have greatly preferred to see more information about the sun.Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Astronomy - Solar System    3. Environmental aspects    4. Magnetism    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Solar activity    8. Popular science    9. Science / Meteorology    10. Solar-terrestrial phenomena    11. The Sun   

Reviews (4)

telescope accessories
an excellent aid for viewing the sky and locating interesting bodies in the constellations.

Good planisphere
Actually I would give this planisphere a rating of 3.5 rather than 4. It is a good planisphere overall. The plastic it is made of is of good quality & it comes in a plastic cover for storage. Instructions are printed on one side for the beginner, and they are brief yet very explanatory. Blue ink against a white background make this planisphere very easy to read under filtered red light since the blue appears black under red light. However, I find it lacks detail. Although all constellations are on it, only a few Messier objects are plotted. I've seen other planispheres with much more detail. Another thing it lacks is a list of the planets & when they are best viewed. I've seen this list on many other planispheres, but not on this one. The bottom line, however, is that this is a very good planisphere for those beginners who want to learn well the constellations.

A useful tool- convenient; practical; durable.
A rotating starfinder like this one (often referred to as a "Planisphere") effectively shows how the night sky looks at any given time on any night of the year. For instance, if it's 10 p.m. on April 30th, just line up April 30th on the outer wheel with 10 p.m. on the inner wheel. The starfinder will thus display the position and orientation of the constellations that are visible to you at that time. As time passes, celestial objects "drift" from east to west due to the Earth's rotation. Occasional adjustment (rotating the planisphere's inner wheel to keep up with passing time) will sustain an accurate representation. As with any night-time observing aid, it should be viewed with red light.Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Constellations    3. Maps    4. Nature / Star Observation    5. Planispheres    6. Science    7. Science / Astronomy    8. Star Observation    9. Stars   

Reviews (2)

Stars and Galaxies and Nebula, oh my!
I bought The Planetary System for an Astronomy class and enjoyed the text immensely.I think Morrison and Owen should have added a few more explanations of events/heavenly bodies in a few places but overall this is a great book for introducing astronomy and definitely kept my interest!The cdrom that comes with the book "Voyager Skygazer" turned out to be fabulous fun although a little distracting when I discovered that I was able to track satellite orbits as well as the night sky events with its help.

Unbelievably boring
This book is very clear, but it is quite boring.I have to read it for an astronomy class and the hundred dollars I spent on it has been wasted.All the concepts are very clearly explained through pictures, examples from real life and diagrams, but this textbook still sucks nonetheless.IF you know that you have to purchase this textbook for a class, pray the class isnt as dull as the reading ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Solar System    2. Physics    3. Planets    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Science / Physics    7. Solar system   

Reviews (2)

Good shop
This book covers classical and modern aircraft control techniques in a easy way to understand, including continuous-model discretization.

Aircraft Control and Simulation
This book is an excelent reference for anyone who works on, has an interest in or has studied the design and modeling of aircrafts. Its explainations are very clear and understandable ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Airplanes    3. Control systems    4. Engineering - Mechanical    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Technology & Industrial Arts    7. Aerospace & aviation technology    8. Technology / Engineering / Mechanical   

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Atlases    3. Atlases - General    4. Moon    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Astronomical charts & atlases    8. Moon - Atlases    9. Popular astronomy    10. Science / Astronomy    11. The Moon   

Reviews (121)

Chariots of The Gods
I remember seeing this movie as a boy and have been trying to track it down ever since. If you believe in something larger than this earth it's a must see. I give full marks to the movie, however the delivery time is ridiculous.I have been waiting over a month now. I have received a request to this review and I have STILL not received either the book or the movie. I remember the movie as I have seen it a number of times so the review is appropriate.

This book needs to go in the FICTION section.
I bought into this book hook, line and sinker (and the movie) as a child. THen I grew up and learned that everything you read isn't the truth.
Examining Unsolved Mysteries of the Past
+++++
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Ancient civilization    3. Archaeology    4. Body, Mind & Spirit    5. Civilization, Ancient    6. Extraterrestrial influences    7. General    8. Life on other planets    9. New Age    10. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    11. UFOs & Extraterrestrials    12. Crime & mystery    13. History / General   

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Astronomy - General    3. Celestial mechanics    4. Differentiable dynamical syste    5. Differentiable dynamical systems    6. General    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Aerospace & aviation technology    11. Astronautics   

Reviews (2)

Very good introduction to cosmology
The Early Universe provides an excellent introduction to the topics it covers, including the standard big bang cosmology, baryogenesis and inflation.I read Dodelson's Modern Cosmology before this text, and the two compliment each other.The Early Universe provides a more complete and physically intuitive description of the standard big bang cosmology, including the role of thermodynamics, nucleosynthesis and out-of-equilibrium dynamics.Because of the attention to the "background" dynamics, and also to baryogenesis, phase transitions, inflation, and other applications of high energy physics, one gets a better sense of the "bigger picture" with Kolb and Turner's text.On the other hand, The Early Universe lacks any technical discussion of metric perturbations and CMB analysis, which are important components of much current research.These are highly emphasized in Dodelson's text.For appropriate topics, I have found The Early Universe to be a very good reference.

Please create an audio adaptation ...
To the publisher I would appreciate it if the publisher could produce an audio adaptation of this book. I would love to listen to this while I drive to work and to let my 16 month old son listen to it as a bedtime story.Arnold D Veness ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Weather    5. Cosmology & the universe    6. Theoretical & mathematical astronomy   

Reviews (3)

Radial engine lover's dream
I have been facinated with the R-4360 since I built a B-36 model while in grade school.I did get to see and hear one C-124 depart Lajes AB, Azores while in the USAF. What a sound!
Graham White does it again!
After enjoying Graham White's prodigious tome on the P&W R-2800, I was pleased to see another volume released, this time on the R-4360.Mr. White must have access to a tremendous archive of information, because both these books provide a level of detail that can satisfy the most discerning aviation buff.He is also able to describe the various engine systems in a way that does not overwhelm the reader with technical minutiae, something most engineers would be incapable of doing.
ALabor of Love
Reading this excellent book makes it apparent that Mr. White has a great interest in aircraft engines, especially the R-4360. He covers the subject well although I would have liked a little more insight into the development and manufacturing process (and maybe a little less on landing gear design). I flew about 800 hours behind these engines on the KC-97 and we referred to them simply as the "Corncob", a term of endearance from a pilot's viewpoint, but not so from his observation. It was a finely tuned machine and stood up well to the punishment we gave them in SAC Air Refueling operations. The illustrations are profuse, large and well detailed and the printing and paper content are excellent. If your intrest is radial aircraft engines, the book is a "must read". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Airplanes    3. Aviation - General    4. Aviation - History    5. Design and construction    6. History    7. Military - Aviation    8. Motors    9. Spark ignition engines    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. Transportation    12. Transportation / Aviation / General