The Friendly Stars

I came across this little paperback in a sailing store in Sausalito and had to buy it. The original edition was published in 1907. How often do you see books from that era reprinted in 1964 and still available nearly a century later? This book is obviously a classic.It's charm is in the descriptions of the twenty or so brightest stars in the sky that can be seen from the northern hemisphere. Also described are the major constellations that these bright stars are in or near. All the scientific details about each star or constellation are there along with some little comment about what makes each special. We see "golden Capella, rose-tinted Aldebaran, red-faced Betelguese, fair Rigel, the gentle Pollux, and Procyon, the smaller Dog star, all fresh and joyous and eager" in our mind's eye before going out of doors and seeking them in person. The book aids observation of these stars in the sky by detailing the seasons of the year and time and place in the sky when each of the stars rise and set. The book's mention of the relative positions of stars and of constellations with each other and its maps make the process of finding things in the night sky even easier. I know there are planetarium programs out there with all kinds of astronomical information, but none can match the writing style of this little tome. It reminds me very much of Henry David Thoreau's writings about the wild apple trees, the rivers, and other natural things in his neck of the woods. Buy the book, get your binoculars or telescope and head outside for a night of wild magical viewing.