The Little Book of Stars (Little Book Series)

This is Kaler's 3rd book that I have read cover to cover. I have about 25 Astronomy books, but I think I have learned the most about astrophysics, star development, star chemistry, and star death from this little, inexpensive book. The illustrations are sparse and in black and white, but the text is so readable, in-depth, and interesting, that this 37-year-old former Psychology major was enthralled through the entire 180 pages. A good companion to his "The Hundred Greatest Stars" (still my favorite).

The Little Book Of Stars shows how modern astronomers came to understand how stars work, how they congregate, the immense variety of stars (some as small as a city, others vast enough to swallow up our solar system), and the astounding variations in temperature and brightness. Professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, James Kaler reveals the extraordinary physical forces that are involved with the birth, growth cycle, and death of stars. A constant reference throughout this informative little volume references our own Sun and solar system. The Little Book Of Stars is a superbly written and presented introduction to neophyte astronomers and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the nature of stars.