Foundations of Astronomy

It is a shame that there are no other reviews of this text available, and the low average rating gives altogether the wrong impression. Seeds' is a remarkable text in that it is targeted at a lay audience, one perhaps without any understanding of mathematics or even science in general, yet its treatment is neither narrow nor shallow. That is, very, very few topics are completely ignored here, and those that are presented are presented in great (although not technical) detail. Between the two covers lie a wealth of lucid explanation, inspiring photographs, and helpful diagrams relevant to countless astronomical topics. Another big point in Seeds' favor is his dedication to currency: nothing in this book is anything short of up-to-date. I think it is truly inspiring that students reading this textbook can discover images taken by robotic probes still exploring our solar system, right now, as they read. Altogether missing from this book is any kind of mathematical treatment; on no more than a dozen occasions does Seeds at all attempt to speak in terms of equations or numerical methods. Moreover, the underlying physics is very thinly presented - I don't think the words "quantum mechanics" or even "thermodynamics" ever appear anywhere in the text. The relativistic concepts in the text are at a level no higher than that of a Discover magazine. Seeds' treatment of stellar structure and evolution is entirely qualitative and intuitive (although, oddly, all four of the differential equations of stellar structure appear without explanation in a somewhat humorous graphic). In his treatment of planetology, Seeds makes little more than a passing reference to haematite on Mars and "basalts" on pretty much every other body. Rather than use side notes to speak "more precisely" about a topic (as the excellent "Astronomy Today" text does), Seeds uses his boxes to speak about how science works and how scientists think. In fact, there is an entire section toward the beginning of the book dedicated to debunking astrology. I should be clear: this is not a graduate text, or even a senior undergraduate text. This is a textbook for high school students or college freshmen, and particularly, for those who do not intend to pursue a degree in the physical sciences. The broad and up-to-date treatment is perhaps the greatest strength here. It is remarkable how much Seeds can teach to a completely lay audience without resorting to difficult math or physics. For his intended audience, this text will undoubtedly be a great joy to read.

Michael Seeds has provided us with a wonderfully written book on astronomy. I used his 1990 edition as an introduction to the subject, and found that after reading it, I often referred to it for authoritative details to answer particular questions. Best of all, in each successive edition, the book is brought up to date---it keeps pace with the progress of the science. Thus, I used is frequently as one of my sources in writing my book, "Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations in our Neighborhood," which is a serious effort to estimate the possibility that one or more planets within a thousand light years of us has a technical civilization. H. Richard Lukens, Jr.

As an amature I found this text an excellent overview of the astronomy world. It is well organized and presented a basic overview of most all topics. It is well written and clear and would be very usefull for any one starting out in astronomy and interested in gaining a broad knowledge of the subject. Subjects covered lay a good foundation and also act as a spring board to other books with greater depth. I have kept and used this text for many years. It is great.

With currently 2-3 dozen astronomy books on my bookshelf I recently found this book without actually looking for it. Impressed by the extraordingly well structured contents table I felt this urge to purchase it and I was even more impressed after starting to read.The author is gifted at explaining complicated issues in a way that most beginners will understand without difficulty and more advanced backyard astronomers won't get bored (I started dealing with astronomy on a regular basis in 1992, my first books being T.Dickinson's "Nightwatch" and the "Audubon Field Guide to the Night Sky" by Mark R. Chartrand, both books still among my favorites).So if you need a comprehensive astronomy reference this is the book to buy.

I took beginning astronomy at college, and this was my book. The 1999 edition. It came with 2 CD-ROMS which are very interesting and helpful. The book goes step-by-step in laying down the history and foundations of astronomy, and takes you all the way through a chapter on life on other planets. In between, it's easy to follow and stops to explain certain terms and well-accepted ideas among modern astronomers. Great book for beginners, intermediate and expert look elsewhere.