Children of the Stars: Our Origin, Evolution and Destiny / Edition 1

by Daniel R. Altschuler

Overview

Are we alone in the Universe? What is our place in it? How did we get here? We have long searched for the answers to questions such as these, and scientists are beginning to find some of the answers. In this beautifully illustrated book, Daniel Altschuler provides the reader with the elements to understand the questions and their answers as far as we know them. He explores subjects from physics and astronomy, to geology and paleontology. Along the way he touches on topics such as the search for life on other worlds and the hazards of asteroid impacts. Written in an engaging and readable style, readers will be intrigued by the surprising connections among the stars, our planet, and life itself. Daniel Altschuler is Director of the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the site of the world's largest single-dish radio telescope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521812122
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/25/2002
Pages:	276
Product dimensions:	7.24(w) x 10.04(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Daniel R Altschuler, an experienced researcher, educator, and science administrator, is director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center's Arecibo Observatory and a member of the faculty of the Physics Department of the University of Puerto Rico, at Rio Piedras.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Cooking the elements; 2. The fertilization of space; 3. The birth of planets; 4. Mother Earth; 5. Life; 6. Close encounters of many kinds; 7. Other worlds; 8. The dark crystal ball; 9. Epilogue; Appendix A. Some numbers; Appendix B. World scientists' warning to humanity.

Editorial Reviews

"Altschuler writes with such clarity in Children of the Stars that even younger readers can gain an understanding of the complexities of the universe from reading it. Accompanying Alschuler's text is a mosaic of photographs so brilliant that they are a close runner-up to actually staring up at the sky on a clear summer night." Cornell Chronicle

"...a slim, elegant and richly illustrated book for the general reader that somehow manages to convey the most important concepts of virtually all the scientific disciplines-astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, evolutionary theory, geology." New York Times Book Review

"...a marvelously presented scientific tour through the mysteries of the cosmos, looking at what science has to say about how we came to be here, and whether we are alone in the universe. Written in plain terms easily accessible to the nonspecialist general reader, and illustrated with beautiful color drawings and photograph, Children of the Stars is a remarkable and enthusiastically recommended vision of galactic enigmas and beyond. Highly recommended for personal, school, and community library astronomy reference collections." Library Bookwatch

"He tells how our species came to be, from the ashes of exploded stars to the rise of complex molecules to the role of massive impacts of space-borne debris in evolution.... The book is well written in a lively style ... appropriate for those with strong backgrounds in the sciences. Such readers wwill glean much from the book." Choice

"Altschuler brings a passion and attitude to his writing that makes Children of the Stars lively and personal. He delights in fascinating factoids...and provides humorous comments..Altschuler's book is a fun read...would be a great gift to excite anyone." Nature

From the Publisher