New Fred Watson book

[NeilW]

Hi All,

You may be interested in a new book from Fred Watson entitled "Star-craving mad: tales from a travelling astronomer", described as a journey through time and space. Should be highly entertaining if Fred's public talks are anything to go by. Highly recommended.

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Downloaded it to my Kindle a couple of days agao. Quite an entertaining read so far

[rogerco (Roger)]

Anybody downloaded this to an IPad ? I just keep bumping into cookie problem or "you missed something out" message. Pity I would have like this on the iPad, the last book "why is Uranus up slider down" was great. I'll just have to browse through my favourite bookshop.

[Steffen]

Originally Posted by rogerco

Anybody downloaded this to an IPad ? I just keep bumping into cookie problem or "you missed something out" message. Pity I would have like this on the iPad, the last book "why is Uranus up slider down" was great. I'll just have to browse through my favourite bookshop.

Are you trying to buy from the Kindle or the iBook store?

I bought it from the iBook store, which was as uneventful as one would expect. No cookies involved.

Cheers
Steffen.

[pilchard1231 (Rodney)]

Just finished Fred's book , good book for newbies , nothing much for others.
Quite entertaining and well written , you get the impression that a large portion of the experts he mentions are quite a fickle bunch , perhaps humility and genius don't mix. To be recommended for those thinking of tinkering in Astronomy.

[madbadgalaxyman (Robert)]

Originally Posted by pilchard1231

Just finished Fred's book , good book for newbies , nothing much for others.
Quite entertaining and well written , you get the impression that a large portion of the experts he mentions are quite a fickle bunch , perhaps humility and genius don't mix. To be recommended for those thinking of tinkering in Astronomy.

Having corresponded with professional astronomers from time to time, I can attest to the fact that they have the same variety of personalities as can be found in many other groups of people e.g.
some of them are modest, mild mannered, and helpful
while others of them are arrogant & potentially-nasty psychopaths who want to crush the "astronomical opposition"

cheers,
Bad galaxy man

Writers of astronomical books always like to stress the clashes between various astronomers, which can of course get quite heated and nasty, like any other dispute. However, there are also close friendships between colleagues....but these don't make such gripping reading!

[Nico13 (Ken)]

Just finished it my self.
Starts off a bit slow almost like a promotion for his guided tours but turns into a light hearted look at astronomy over the centuries so yes it is what it says it is a look at travelling astronomers and historical sites info but also includes contemporary issues and all the big names are covered even a bit of a blurt about religion in the last few pages and its place in the world from his point of view with respect to astronomy and its plusses and minuses effects on society over the last few hundred years and even though a lot of us would most likely agree with his views I felt they were out of place, a bit too much blurting but only a couple of pages. Wonderd off topic a couple of times
Having said that I think the majority was an enjoyable read where you didn't have think too hard about anything in particular as he did a pretty good job of taking you there. If you're interested in the history you'll enjoy it for the most part.

[sheeny (Al)]

I finished mine a while ago too.



Al.

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

I finished this book last night and I really enjoyed the read. Chapter 8 - A Matter Of Some Gravity was even more interesting that Ch 6. I have always found the Uncertainty Principle applies to my understanding of Relativity. Just when I start to think I have the fundamentals focused in my mind, it all becomes a fuzzy mess again. Averted vision is of no help either. The way that Fred Watson explained Einstein's brilliant theories makes it all seem a bit easier.....relatively.

Definitely worth reading.

[MichaelSW (Michael)]

I recently finished reading this book as well. Fred Watson weaves a fine tale about the history of astronomy, its heroes and characters, the instruments and science they brought to light, and the work that continues today. It was informative, enjoyable and FUN.

I have to put my hand up - I struggle with the science part of my
interest in astronomy - first in the understanding and then in the
remembering, but I do persist. The last paragraph of page 181 made me shake my head first in wonder, and then in sheer delight. It was regarding a question considered at the 2009 convention at Palm Cove. "….. the failure of calculations of the by-products of the Big Bang to reproduce the observed amount of a particular type of lithium in ancient halo dwarf stars?"

Just think for a moment what someone with no idea of the cosmos, other than having heard that everything began a very long time ago in a Big Bang, would make of people calculating that there are different types of lithium which can be detected and measured way out in space some 13 billion years after the event!

It is so wonderful there are really clever people around doing
their best to discover the story of the Cosmos and explain it all.