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The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium (with AceAstronomy™, Virtual Astronomy Labs...
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The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium (with AceAstronomy™, Virtual Astronomy Labs...
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by Jay M. Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko
Sales Rank : 19494
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Paperback: 552 pages
Publisher: Brooks Cole; 3 edition March 3, 2006
Language: English
ISBN-10: 049501303X
ISBN-13: 978-0495013037
Product Dimensions:
10.7 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
Product Review
"Pasachoff and Filippenko is an excellent text--certainly one of the better brief astronomy texts, and arguably the best. It reads well, it is engaging, it is clear, and it is concise."
"The authors seem to have taken great pains to be accurate and to keep the reader informed of assumptions and limitations It tells why a particular topic is important It anticipates and clears up possible points of confusion Brief historical notes help establish the perspective that astronomy is an ongoing, exciting, human adventure."
"The level is good. The average introductory astronomy student can read it, but it has not been really ’dumbed down.’ Because the authors have chosen their words with great care, it is one of the most accurate books on the market."
"I like the idea of having a short book which allows the students to focus on the key ideas. I like very much [the authors’] efforts to debunk pseudo-science and distinguish such nonsense from real science."
"The authors have done a good job in covering the emerging areas of astronomy."
"The way that your authors integrate the physics concepts into the book is appropriate for this course. For example, I like the way they introduced general relativity by relating it to solar studies. These are difficult concepts but they were presented in such a way that they should not overwhelm the students."
"Love the starparties! These might be the best ’lab’ of all. The little lightbulbs for highlighting core ideas, and especially dealing with misconceptions, are great. This is clearly a student-friendly text."
"No problems with the writing style, or pace--I’ve got one of Pasachoff’s field guides on my deskHe’s a pro! And widely regarded for his science, and for his writing."
Weaknesses: "None that I can see."
Specific Errors: "Couldn’t find any!"
On Chapter 16 (A Universe of Galaxies): "This chapter is superbly done. The discussion on dark matter and the sections on ’The search for distant galaxies’ and ’The Evolution of Galaxies’ are exceptional. On Chapter 17 (Quasars and Active Galaxies): "Entire chapter is excellent. Discussion on quasars is excellent. Figure 17-28 on the appearance from Earth of an active galaxy--excellent."
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Jay Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko combine extensive research experience, teaching experience, and textbook-writing experience to offer a book that is unparalleled in its ability to present the latest science in a way that students can understand. This brief, beautifully illustrated text – one of the briefest available for the course – offers concise coverage of a wide range of astronomical topics. The authors have struck a balance between the fundamental concepts and the exciting topics at the forefront of astronomy, conveying the spirit of contemporary astronomy within a big picture context. The authors emphasize the central theme of origins in this text, first by singling out specifics in the headings of each chapter and then by dealing with a variety of relevant material in the text itself. An early discussion of the scientific method stresses an importance on the verification of observations, and sets the stage for the text's consistent focus on astronomy as a science.
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