Synopsis
Discover the incredible secrets of the Universe, from its furthest galaxies to our own solar system. With over 50 million copies sold in 88 countries and in 36 languages, Eyewitness Books are truly the ultimate visual information encyclopedias for the 21st Century. Carrying on the tradition of integrating words and pictures, these three new titles in the Eyewitness series are timely editions to any library.
Diane Frook - Children's Literature
The big bang, galaxies, planets, stars, black holes, quasars, meteors: the different elements of the universe are dutifully explored in this volume of DK's "Eyewitness" Books series, which expertly massages the complexities of modern technology and theories into short, direct and understandable text. The contributions of ancient scientists and the beliefs immortalized in mythology add historical footnotes. Approximately a third of the book is devoted to our familiar home, the Solar System. But, while this series has tackled myriad subjects ranging from sports to sharks to Shakespeare, the entire Universe seems a bit cramped by Eyewitness's strict style. At times, the sequence of two-page spreads, consisting of a summary paragraph or two and several captioned pictures, sucks the awe of the Universe straight into the black hole of factoids. However, it is this same style that ensures textual manageability, with lots of great photographs to boot. As with the other 100-plus books in this series, the layout is more conducive to skimming than reading, but it is undeniably an attractive invitation to skim, and should certainly satisfy the curiosity of neophyte astronomers. An index is included. 2003, DK Publishing,