Pebbles on the Cosmic Seashore

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Pebbles on the Cosmic Seashore: A Lifetime of Astronomical Discoveries is a beautifully written introductory work on the science of astronomy. A compilation of original essays intended for the enlightenment of a general audience, Pebbles on the Cosmic Seashore is divided into two parts. In Part I, the author transports the reader on a temporal, and at times poetic, voyage of discovery. Hypothesizing that the science of astronomy emerged out of the sense of awe with which paleolithic peoples regarded the heavens, he traces its advance into the realms of mythopoetic thought, in which the motions of the heavenly bodies were attributed to gods and enshrined in myth Part II is a magisterial depiction of the wonders of the Solar System and beyond. Opening with a description of the startling beauty of the Earth, "our home, " Part II then introduces its readers to the earth's closest neighbors within the solar system. It then moves on to a discussion of the constellations of stars that lay beyond our own region of the heavens, and, finally, suggests that someday humankind will explore this greater world so seemingly at present beyond our reach. Humanity, the author believes, is perched upon the cusp of a great decision: Elizabeth Harvey, Ph.D. Professor of History, Merced College