Are you interested in astronomy? The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky might be an interesting addition to your library! This book covers a variety of topics related to stargazing, and is quite thorough in its explanations. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting--it was more academic in its approach and in its assumption of previous astronomical knowledge.
I was excited to read this book as I have always imagined I'd be enthralled with astronomy :) Through reading this book I have realized that I am not. Hmmmm. Don't know why, but I think throughout reading it I repeatedly felt disconnected, like it was something for someone else. Now, I will admit I am more of a biologist and my interests lie more in that realm, so this may have something to do with it! I did appreciate the discussion of how the eye works in terms of viewing celestial bodies.
The book is very academic, not a light read. I had to read it when the kids were in bed and there were no other distractions(no reading this one in the car!) This book is definitely valuable to me as a great resource, especially for our homeschooling family. As a "read" for me it was too much work~~at this stage of my life I don't want to have to work so hard to understand a book :) BUT as a reference book I believe it will get lots of use throughout the future years in our family!
You can tell the author is passionate about astronomy and viewing the "night sky". His enjoyment and knowledge shine through his writing, which adds to the appeal of the writing. He writes as a teacher trying to inspire his students. There is a very broad range of topics from planets to the moon to basic stargazing to telescope selection and use to the biology of the eye to photographing the astronomical views and etc. There are pages after pages of high-quality photos and drawings
The book is in-depth and academic; the "basic" chapter was deeper than I understood--it took a couple of read-throughs for me to get it. As a reference it'll be very useful, but for me it wasn't a book to just read and enjoy--BUT--I would still recommend it if you're interested in astronomy or a homeschooler!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of this review. I was not required to write a positive review.
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