DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Adam Verner’s friendly, leisurely cadence immediately invites listeners into Eric Asphaug’s discussion of the origins of our solar system. The renowned planetary geologist examines planetary formation, revealing new insights on perceptions of creation. From Kepler’s laws to giant impact theory, Asphaug’s concise writing style makes the subject accessible. Some of the information is complex, and Verner takes his time walking listeners through the material. In doing so, he captures Asphaug’s conversational tone as well as his passion for his subject. Verner’s engaging narration makes this audiobook enjoyable no matter what level of scientific background the listener has. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
08/26/2019
Asphaug, a University of Arizona professor of planetary science, takes readers on an initially promising, ultimately somewhat disappointing tour of the solar system. Exploring a variety of planetary forms—including comets, asteroids, moons, and the sun—he depicts the system in its entirety as a dynamic, complex, and deeply mysterious place. For instance, there’s Iapetus, one of Saturn’s eight moons, dubbed a “walnut moon” because of a 20-kilometer-high ridge that circles its equator, about which Asphaug concludes, “Ideas for how it formed are rather crazy, but one of them is true, or none of them are crazy enough.” Asphaug integrates his own research with that of others, yielding a firsthand account of cutting-edge science, including his titular hypothesis that early in Earth’s history it had two moons. He posits that the smaller satellite crashed into the moon, leading to the stark differences in composition between its two sides. He also hypothesizes about the origin of life, discussing how microscopic organisms might well have migrated among celestial objects. Asphaug makes for an enthusiastic and erudite guide to these and other subjects, but his overly technical language will likely frustrate general readers attracted by his compelling material. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Delightful. ... The story swings from the birth of the universe, through the history of astronomy, to the modern understanding of the piece-by-piece building of the planets. ... Makes the solar system an even weirder and more wonderful place than it seemed before.” — Wall Street Journal
“A gripping and endlessly fascinating account of how planets formed.” — Alan Stern, planetary scientist and leader of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto
"If the planets were born out of material orbiting the Sun, like raindrops condensing from a cloud, why do they differ so much in structure and chemical composition? This detailed book assesses the astronomical and geological evidence on the origin of planetary diversity." — Nature. "Best Science Picks of the week"
“When the Earth Had Two Moons is a lyrical exploration of our solar system, introducing not just the facts of its formation and nature but the implications for all of us living on Earth.” — Amy Mainzer, visiting scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona
“An enthusiast as well as a fine writer, Asphaug lays it out from the beginning. . . . An expert, entertaining review of what’s known about the solar system.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Asphaug draws upon his years of research and expertise to provide the reader with a truly wondrous and surprising exploration of planet formation and the origins of life. A meticulous and expertly presented work of science, When the Earth Had Two Moons is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended.” — Midwest Book Review
“An enthusiastic and erudite guide.” — Publishers Weekly
Amy Mainzer
When the Earth Had Two Moons is a lyrical exploration of our solar system, introducing not just the facts of its formation and nature but the implications for all of us living on Earth.
Alan Stern
A gripping and endlessly fascinating account of how planets formed.
Nature. "Best Science Picks of the week"
"If the planets were born out of material orbiting the Sun, like raindrops condensing from a cloud, why do they differ so much in structure and chemical composition? This detailed book assesses the astronomical and geological evidence on the origin of planetary diversity."
Midwest Book Review
Asphaug draws upon his years of research and expertise to provide the reader with a truly wondrous and surprising exploration of planet formation and the origins of life. A meticulous and expertly presented work of science, When the Earth Had Two Moons is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended.”
Wall Street Journal
Delightful. ... The story swings from the birth of the universe, through the history of astronomy, to the modern understanding of the piece-by-piece building of the planets. ... Makes the solar system an even weirder and more wonderful place than it seemed before.
Wall Street Journal
Delightful. ... The story swings from the birth of the universe, through the history of astronomy, to the modern understanding of the piece-by-piece building of the planets. ... Makes the solar system an even weirder and more wonderful place than it seemed before.
DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Adam Verner’s friendly, leisurely cadence immediately invites listeners into Eric Asphaug’s discussion of the origins of our solar system. The renowned planetary geologist examines planetary formation, revealing new insights on perceptions of creation. From Kepler’s laws to giant impact theory, Asphaug’s concise writing style makes the subject accessible. Some of the information is complex, and Verner takes his time walking listeners through the material. In doing so, he captures Asphaug’s conversational tone as well as his passion for his subject. Verner’s engaging narration makes this audiobook enjoyable no matter what level of scientific background the listener has. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-08-07
The sun and every body in its vicinity formed from the same primordial dust, yet every planet, moon, comet, and asteroid is different. This accomplished overview of planetary science describes the details.
The first photograph from another planet was the rocky surface of Venus, transmitted from a Russian lander in 1975. More Soviet Venus probes followed, and while NASA has been responsible for most of the rest, other nations are getting into the act. The result, featuring contributions from high-tech telescopes and computer simulations, is an explosion of information about our solar system and, more recently, solar systems throughout our galaxy. An enthusiast as well as a fine writer, Asphaug (Planetary Science/Univ. of Arizona) lays it out from the beginning. Despite their flawed theories, when the ancients observed and calculated, they proved that Earth was a sphere and measured its diameter and the distance to the moon and predicted eclipses. Geniuses from Copernicus to Einstein improved the big picture, but it was well into the 20th century before interesting details became clear. That meteor strikes formed the moon's craters remained controversial until the Apollo landings proved it. After a nod to the Big Bang and formation of the sun, Asphaug concentrates on the history and current knowledge of the planets, familiar and unfamiliar moons, and unattached bodies in between. As an earthling, he favors earthlike features, and readers will share his pleasure as he discusses them. Rivers, lakes, oceans, and rain? Saturn's moon, Titan, has them; Mars and perhaps Venus once enjoyed the same. Life began in water, so scientists are thrilled when they find it elsewhere. Ice doesn't qualify, but there is evidence for liquid water oceans under the icy surface of Jupiter's Ganymede and Europa, Saturn's Enceladus, perhaps Mars, and even some asteroids and comets.
An expert, entertaining review of what's known about the solar system.
