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Coming of Age in the Milky Way
by Timothy Ferris
Product Group: Book
Publisher: William Morrow & Co (1988-07)
ISBN: 0688058892
EAN: 9780688058890
Dewy Decimal #: 509
Hardcover: 495 pages
Edition: 1st ed
SKU: 20057
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Paperback. Book pages clean and crisp with no markings.
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Editorial Reviews
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Book Description
Winner of the 1988 American Institute of Physics Prize, Ferris's book offers the listener "an exhilarating, wide-ranging journey that takes us from the shores of the Mediterranean, where the second-century astronomer Claudius Ptolemy fashioned his creaky celestial spheres, to modern-day research institutes, where theorists contemplate this and other universes bubbling out of a quantum vacuum." (The New York Times)
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Customer Reviews
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Coming of age in the milky way
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-10-25
0 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is a good book. I don't agree with all it says but that is ok it still has a lot of thought provoking information
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way Rocks
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-09-28
This book is a great resource for any astronomy lover who wants to know more about the background and history of astronomy. It has lots of information on historical people in astronomy as well as great stories about their discoveries. Great book, must have for history of astronomy.
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Jerry's
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-14
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Excellent chronology of physics from Aristotle to the present. I will use it as a reference. Excellent index and other aids to finding what you want in physics and other sciences.
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"Cosmic"
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-21
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
What a story! And yes, I said story because the author has taken subjects most of us take for granted (the size of the heavens, the age of the Earth, the intricacies of the atom) and turned these into a wonderful almost joyous tale of intellectual achievement. I am still stunned at the depth of scholarship, the vast research and the almost magical manner in which Ferris manages to make what appears to be an arcane dry topic into an intriguing saga.
Ok, I admit it. I love science books written for the educated layman - from "The Singularity is Near " to "Wonderful Life" to the philosophical tomes of Pagels and Hardison. But this is more than science - it is also a history of who we are and our physical, mental and dare I say it, spiritual evolution. In this sense it reminds one of "The Discoverers" by Boorstin with its chronological structure, emphasis upon individual genius and captivating storyline. Beginning with the ancients, we see how our ideas fashion our intellectual quests. The overwhelming success of Western culture depended on our ability to break with age-old traditions, to absorb ideas from the outside and most importantly, to challenge the traditional religious beliefs. Very few cultures have been able to accomplish this and their lack of scientific prowess is evidence.
The individual tales could occupy a volume themselves - mind-boggling examples of thought that are so rare we have trouble believing them. Not only are Darwin (Evolution challenged the prevailing age of the Earth) and Newton (the greatest human who ever lived?) are found but all the unknown heroes of the ages are given their due. The author has an uncanny way of simplifying tremendously dense concepts into language for the layman. This was never truer than his discussion on the weird world of quantum physics with its seemingly magical and nonsensical qualities. I would say that this should be required reading for all high school graduates except that a vast number would be bewildered by the concepts presented, unaware that science has a history of more than video games and cars. My grade - A+++
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Coming of Age in the Milky Way
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-08-18
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
An Excellent exposition of the history of astronomy and astrophysics. Mr. Ferris writes with a lucidity and thouroughness not often found in books on this fascinating subject.
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