Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home From the Moon by Buzz Aldrin with Ken Abraham; Harmony Books; New York, New York (hard cover); $27.00, 2009.

The word "magnificent" glued to a sense of desolation is unusual - yet Apollo 11's Buzz Aldrin found himself face to face with that view and uttered that word play on the Moon. In this book you'll find the ups and downs of a space traveler - the magnificence of walking on an exotic world to a human desolation caused by depression and other inner-demons.

What Aldrin has written here, ably assisted by the writing talents of bestselling author Ken Abraham, is a fascinating, personal account of space travel mixed with a chronicle of self-destruction and self-renewal.

For the space aficionados out there, you'll find this book a compelling read that provides more insight, for example, into the Apollo 11 mission, but also a feel for Aldrin's post-landing dealings with being "second on the Moon" just 20 minutes after Armstrong's first footfall.

Moreover, the book also delivers Aldrin's on-going passion to make space tourism a reality via his ShareSpace Foundation and his infectious visionary zeal to see humans step onto Mars...and travel beyond - viewpoints of today 40 years after he stepped onto the Moon this month.

Magnificent Desolation is also an account of an individual that, seemingly, has never actually stepped back on terra firma after his space adventure; this globe-trotting astronaut is his own cycling spaceship cruising between movie stars and TV shows, countless interviews, meet and greet receptions with Presidents, handshakes with rock musicians and other personalities and attending space and non-space events around the world.

The reader will find both a generous helping of Buzz the space explorer, along with his arm in arm, life in love with wife Lois - as their voyage continues.

 

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307463456

- Leonard David

Climate Change: Picturing the Science by Gavin Schmidt and Joshua Wolfe; W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.; New York, New York (soft cover); $24.95; 2009.

This is an inspired work, teaming the talents of NASA scientist Schmidt with camera-shooting Wolfe. What's captured here are snapshots attendant with words from leading experts on climate change here on Earth.

No matter which science camp you're in, be it a climate change believer or doubter, you'll find this a compelling and captivating book that frames the situation, quite literally.

Essays by climate scientists set the stage for what they sense is the nature of "human-induced" alternations of our planet's climate. This volume is subdivided into three sections: symptoms, diagnosis, and possible cures. Preventative planetary care is one theme of this eye-catching book, a collection that's both a good read and rife with photos of scientists attempting to grapple with our planet's future.

Be it retreating glaciers, changing weather patterns, missing-in-action permafrost or impacts on Earth's biology, this book draws you in on the on-going dialog regarding the state of our planet.

You'll find an end-of-the-book resource listing that'll keep you engaged in this hot button topic. But what this book does best is give you a sense of people that care - scientists around the planet that are trying to wrestle with humankind's impact and destiny on and within the Earth's complex and fragile biosphere.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.wwnorton.co.uk/book.html?id=2264

- Leonard David

License to Orbit: The Future of Commercial Space Travel by Joseph Pelton & Peter Marshall; Apogee Books, Burlington, Ontario, Canada (soft cover); $23.95, 2009.

This is a ringside seat to the flourishing commercial space business. And you'll need to read this book through and through to learn of the players and the muscle of innovation that is allowing access to space to go commercial.

Thanks to the book's 11 chapters and 200 pages, this is an impressive tutorial on the technical, legal, economic and social hurdles ahead to create a vibrant commercial space flight marketplace. In particular, this volume paints an optimistic future for public space travel...but does also flag potential show stoppers.

Other parts of the book tell the story of spaceport development; the past and present cavalcade of space planes, as well as a nifty chapter titled: "The Top Ten Things to Know about Space Tourism and the Future of Space."

License to Orbit is a well-researched and written book, one that is unique in its scope and provides an up-to-date status report on people and technologies that are hastening the day of private space systems.

An introduction by former astronaut, Jeffrey Hoffman, sets the stage for this engaging report from the trenches about non-government supported space travel. Once you've read this book, you'll be up to speed about the fast-paced nature of the evolving private space enterprise.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.apogeespacebooks.com/Books/licensetoorbit.html

- Leonard David

Smithsonian Atlas of Space Exploration by Roger Launius & Andrew Johnston; HarperCollins Books, New York, New York (hard cover); $34.99, 2009.

Here's a wonderful approach to capturing humankind's outreach into space - be it by an artist's paintbrush, through ancient observatories, or theoretical thinking and mathematical equation...;to actually hurling robots and humans off Earth.

Launius and Johnston have captured the grand sweep of it all, nicely gathered in seven sections that included envisioning space, orbiting the Earth, reaching for the Moon, and dispatching probes across the solar system.

There is no skimping on photographs and great illustrative graphics throughout this book's 240 pages, ending with a nicely compiled list of readings on the history of space exploration that includes references right up to 2009.

What I found particularly engaging is how the book showcases just how fast-paced and wide-spread humanity's space ventures have been over the last five or so decades. Furthermore, this is a great storytelling marriage of people and hardware, coupled with the science gained from a range of space missions.

This oversized book is well-written by two leading experts within the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The volume is ideal for both the seasoned space watcher and a person hungry to quickly catch-up on what's taken place in global space exploration. This book is a stage-setting read of what space exploration could offer in the decades to come - given the will and, of course, proper funding.

As the authors conclude, "Only one feature of spaceflight is inevitable: the unexpected will occur."

For more information on this book, go to:
http://history.nasa.gov/what.html

- Leonard David

Missions to the Moon - The Complete Story of Man’s Greatest Adventure by Rod Pyle with a foreword by Gene Kranz; Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, New York (hard cover – with slipcase); $40.00, 2009.

This treasure of a book is just that...it's a great read with loads of surprises folded into its pages, quite literally.

As the calendar moves forward to July we embrace the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11's historic landing on the Moon. This book is a joyous celebration of reaching out beyond Earth, from early work on rockets, to Apollo moonwalkers, and to the recent lunar missions by Europe, Japan and China. 

Pyle has done a fantastic job - as has the design and production crew for this book -- of boxing up the past like it was a time capsule. Once this work is in your hands, the fun begins. It contains rare and newly researched removable facsimile documents from the archives of space exploration. You'll even have a copy dated July 7, 1969 of a U.S. government memorandum on single-trip insurance for the Apollo 11 crew; a November 1969 Apollo 11 mission report; and a horde of other valuable collectibles that have been faithfully reproduced.

There are roughly 200 eye-catching photographs and some 15 recreated and rare facsimile documents.

The text here is clear and a joy to read - with a lot of tidbits that are surprising relishes to the saga of the past decades of space exploration - right up to China's recent space walk and the prospects for an international moon base.

You'll find this a wonderful addition to your bookshelf or as a gift to those unfamiliar with space exploration - both in history and for the years to come.

This is a unique, large format book that keeps on giving beyond its 64 pages! Be on the lookout for this book coming out in July.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.sterlingpublishing.com/catalog?isbn=9781402769801

- Leonard David

Chariots for Apollo: The NASA History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft to 1969 by Courtney G. Brooks, James M. Grimwood, and Loyd S. Swenson, Jr., with an introduction to the Dover Edition by Paul Dickson; Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, New York (soft cover) $24.95, 2009

This captivating edition is an unabridged and slightly corrected republication of a NASA History Series book - Chariots for Apollo: A History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft -- first issued in 1979.

The book's trio of primary authors compiled an exceptional reference to the Apollo spacecraft's development, all the program changes, as well as the tragic Apollo fire, along with the Apollo 11's epic sojourn to the Moon in July 1969.

Just out in time for the Apollo program's 40th anniversary, the reader will find this book loaded with forgotten facts, underscoring the hard work of government, industry and university teams to create this landmark program.

More than 100 photographs and illustrations are laced throughout the book's 576 pages, which begins with NASA's origins and concludes with the victorious Apollo 11 Moon mission.

As Paul Dickson points out in his new introduction, the technical side of Apollo is told with clarity and vividness. This book is accessible to any interested reader. Hundreds of oral histories help make this book a personal saga of Apollo's trailblazing achievement. This is a book that puts into light how America pulled together a team of 400,000 people to shoot for the Moon and make it so.

"As the 21st century rolls on, the Apollo experience becomes an even more important prime example of what America can do when it puts its mind to it, a point made time and again by Barack Obama in his race for the presidency," Dickson notes.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://history.nasa.gov/what.html

- Leonard David

Remembering the Space Age – Proceedings of the 50th Anniversary Conference by Steven J. Dick, Editor; NASA History Division; Washington, D.C. (hard cover) $54.00; SP-2008-4703; 2008

This is a superb collection of papers, drawn from a co-convened NASA History Division and National Air and Space Museum Space History Division conference on October 22-23, 2007.

As the editor, Steven Dick, NASA's Chief Historian suggests, the reader will find this volume full of thought provoking ideas, views, and speculative reasoning. The book itself is divided into three parts: National and Global Dimensions of the Space Age; Remembrance and Cultural Representation of the Space Age; and Reflections of the Space Age.

What the reader will find here is perspective on the first 50 years of space exploration activity - not only the technical wherewithal, but the implications and impact upon society at large of space activity to date.

In some ways, this is a disconcerting collection of papers. There are plenty of unfulfilled expectations reported here. In some ways, the "Space Age" of the last five decades has become a prelude to promises, still to be attained. But that's the beauty of this book.
The diversity of approaches taken in this book to grapple with the why and outcome from exploring space is unique. I particularly found the discussion of iconic photography of space exploration fascinating - concluding with a nifty list of what iconic imagery may grab public attention during the next 50 year cycle.

This look back in time will give the reader a much better foothold on the decades ahead - and a tool to help gauge - and balance -- vision and reality. As the editor observes: "And it will be different 25 years from now. Such is the nature of memory; such is the nature of history."

For more information on this book, go to:
http://history.nasa.gov/what.html

- Leonard David

Einstein's Telescope - The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe by Evalyn Gates; W.W.Norton & Company, New York; (hard cover) $25.95; 2009.

Rest easy. The Universe is rich with mystery, wonder... and surprise. "All signs are pointing to something very different from anything we have ever yet imagined."
That's the message from this book's author, Evalyn Gates, assistant director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, a senior research associate at the University of Chicago.

There's plenty of head-scratching going on concerning dark matter, dark energy and black holes. There are exotic and invisible forces at work, markedly different from the normal matter that makes up the Earth and other planets, as well as stars.

Gates takes the reader on a wild ride in cosmology - the study of the Universe and its evolution. I found this book quite readable - both for a general reader and for those already steeped in astronomy. You don't have to look far to realize how many revelations reach headline status -- almost daily -- in terms of new astronomical findings.
This book provides the reader the tools to appreciate the rampaging scientific quest to better understand our Universe and its contents. Gates puts you on the frontlines of those delving into cosmological research, along with the tools and techniques now in use, or to be applied in the future, to help decipher the cosmos.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/212/4872/114.html

- Leonard David

Confessions of an Alien Hunter – A Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Seth Shostak; National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.; (hard cover) $27.00; 2009

This is an absolutely delightful book. Shostak is a top-notch writer, delivering a witty, humorous and behind-the-scenes look at a profound time in human history: The search for ET out there is underway down here on our planet.

The book takes the reader on a journey that includes our early reconnoitering of the nearby worlds - the Moon and Mars - as well as detailing our emerging technological wherewithal to scan the stars with radio telescopes in a search for other starfolk.

You'll also find an engaging view of why scout for ET when there are those convinced that alien life is already zipping through our skies in UFOs. Similarly Shostak adds one more kick in the rear to the Face on Mars crowd. Spacecraft overflight of that feature has shown it to be faceless.

But a majority of this book is dedicated to telling the story of the people and places now engaged in the quest to give a listen for extraterrestrial intelligence. Shostak not only explains the protocol if we hear something, but the impact on our society when/if that day arrives.

Shostak is senior astronomer at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California - so he's deep in thought and hands-on doing when it comes to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Again, you really will find this book appealing on many levels - a way to turn up your own signal gain on the why and wonder of probing the surrounding cosmos for radio waving civilizations.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/212/4872/114.html

- Leonard David

Astronomy - A Visual Guide by Mark A. Garlick; Firefly Books, Buffalo, New York/Canada; (soft cover) $27.95; 2008

This gorgeous book provides 90 charts and graphs, 100 maps, along with 430 color illustrations and photographs - all nicely packaged to give all ages of reader a breathtaking look at the surrounding cosmos. Images from ground and space-based observatories make up this book, as are pictures from camera-snapping probes sent out to our neighboring worlds.

You really can't do much better than this volume, which lives up to its title as a visual guide. Easy-to-read and understandable text makes it a volume that you'll reference on a regular basis. The blend of space exploration and astronomy - dipping back to the past to today's mind-boggling findings also means it's a page-turner.

As is a particular passion of Firefly books, the reader is given guidance on how to become a skywatcher, with or without equipment. There's a section on choosing and using binoculars, telescopes - and great help on reading star maps. Included are month to month sky maps with symbols to identify open and globular star clusters, galaxies and planetary nebulae, with constellations labeled and diagrammed.

Garlick is a member of the International Association of Astronomical Artists and the author of The Story of the Solar System, The Expanding Universe and many other science books. This superb book is a great add to your personal library.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&bookid=9901#

- Leonard David

The Saucer Fleet by Jack Hagerty and Jon C. Rogers; Apogee Books; Burlington, Ontario, Canada; (hard cover); $59.95; 2009

For you older Coalition readers out there - and I'm one of them - there are many reasons why the passion of space travel consumed us at an early age. And one of those reasons is science fiction, particularly early movie releases and early television.

This book brings it all back, spread over 328 pages with scads of photos and drawings. There's also a foreward written by Dr. Phil "The Bad Astronomer" Plait noting how flying saucer flicks shaped his childhood.

The Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet and other movies are highlighted. Also, the authors take a look at the Lost in Space and The Invaders TV shows.

While this book adds to the social history of flying saucers - a phenomenon still alive and well today - I found this volume a time capsule of creativity that spotlights talented directors, model makers, writers and other artists. These individuals made space travel all the more real... sure, scary too, with all those robots and space creatures you have to deal with. But if they can come here, why shouldn't we be able to go there? These productions, to me, made space exploration all the more real and probable in my lifetime.

Lastly, a real treat is a healthy section on Walt Disney's foray into a flying saucer ride at Disneyland back in the 1960s. It was, basically, high-tech bumper cars that took an "E-ticket" - and a balancing act of your weight -- so you could fly your personal saucer.

Hagerty and Rogers clearly had a great time both researching and writing this book- and you'll have a great travel back in time as a reader.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.apogeebooks.com/Books/SaucerFleet.html

- Leonard David

Landscapes of Mars – A Visual Tour by Gregory L. Vogt; Springer Science + Business Media, LLC, New York; (hard cover); $39.95; 2008.

You'll find another world on your hands thanks to this delightful and nicely packaged book. General interest readers as well as Mars afficianodos will find Vogt's treatment of the red planet an engaging publication. What's more is that this large format book offers 3-D glasses and specially selected 3-D images of Mars.

The author takes the reader on a real romp, explaining various landscapes on this exotic world - from the Valles Mareineris canyon system to the Olympus Mons volcano... and much, much more. A strong element of this book is going back in history, telling the story of early observations of Mars, pre-space exploration robots, then how our views of the red planet have changed thanks to automated orbiters, landers and rovers.

There is brief note of NASA Phoenix Mars mission which landed on the planet in 2008 - as well some information on the now-delayed NASA Mars Science Laboratory mega-rover, slipped from 2009 to 2011 due to technical woes.

Still, there is plenty to deal with here, particularly given those spunky Spirit and Opportunity rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey, as well as Europe's Mars Express. The book concludes with a helpful appendix section, such as "Topographic Terminology", "Mars Vs. Earth: The Facts", and a roster list of "Robot Martian Explorers".

Who knows if you'll make it to Mars in your lifetime. Meanwhile, sit back and relax with this book and -- for now -- make the visual voyage without leaving Earth.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.springer.com/astronomy/book/978-0-387-75467-3

Krafft Ehricke's Extraterrestrial Imperative by Marsha Freeman; Apogee Books; Burlington, Ontario, Canada; (paper) $27.95; 2009.

There is no doubt that the late Krafft Ehricke was a space visionary - a person steeped in rocketry but also a renaissance man.

Ms. Freeman has written an excellent overview of Ehricke's pioneering view of where an expansive space program can take humanity. A former rocket researcher from the Peenemunde days in Germany, Ehricke's expertise helped shape the formative years of America's space program.

Upon moving to the United States, he became an American citizen in 1954, later working with General Dynamics to help develop the Atlas missile and then the Centaur, the first liquid-hydrogen rocket stage. Later, he carried out advanced studies at Rockwell International while also working independently on schemes for the commercialization and colonization of space.

At the age of 67, Ehricke passed away in 1984 - but thanks to this book, his legacy of how best to colonize and industrialize the solar system has been captured.

Krafft Ehricke was a philosopher, anthropologist... and more. The reader will find a selection of his works here: From thoughts on nuclear propelled space vehicles to space stations and space tourism.

One of his more seminal works is a wonderful read called "The Extraterrestrial Imperative – From Closed to Open World."

The book includes a foreword by Apollo 17’s Harrison Schmitt, a nicely written introduction that underscore&'s Ehricke's place among the intellectual and philosophical elite of our time.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.cgpublishing.com/Books/9781894959919.html

Is Pluto a Planet? A Historical Journey through the Solar System by David A. Weintraub; Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey; (paper) $18.95; 2008.

As NASA’s New Horizon’s spacecraft continues its long-distance trek, the hullabaloo over Pluto being de-classified as a planet continues. You’ll find an engaging account here of what is and what is not a planet.

The author is a professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt University and tells the tale of just what is the definition of a planet in the first place – and how that term has changed over time. As he writes: "This question appears so simple – clearly the answer is either yes or no – yet the simplicity if misleading."

Weintraub puts it all together in a nicely written and authoritative book that covers the historical, philosophical, and astronomical trappings of dealing with our own solar system. What’s more, the information he has assembled allows the reader to decide whether Pluto is indeed a planet – or some other status.

The book also provides background on other recent discoveries in our outer solar system.

Weintraub explains that it’s time to start teaching youngsters something more complicated, with more depth of meaning, that the simple memory line that has the first letter of our family of planets: My Very Earthly Mother Just Served Us Nasty Pizza.

The book ends with a section on what we do know about Pluto – sure to change when the first spacecraft from Earth visits that world in July 2015 before heading deeper into the Kuiper belt of icy rocky objects on the planetary frontier.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8247.html

The Crowded Universe - The Search for Living Planetsby Alan Boss; Basic Books, New York, New York; (hardcover) $26.00; February 2009.

Noted astronomer, Alan Boss, has written this book, offering a fresh look at the on-going search to scope out Earth-like planets. This book could not be more timely given the upswing in exo-planet detections and the forthcoming launch of NASA's Kepler spacecraft.

Boss is a research scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and is a leading expert on the formation of stars and planets. His writing style is humorous as well as enlightening. The author points out right at the start that "a new space race" has begun - one that is international in character and a competition to discover how frequently Earth-like planets occur in our neighborhood of the Milky Way Galaxy.

The book offers a march through time in the blossoming quest to detect planets with life around other stars. The bottom line for Boss is that life is not only possible elsewhere out there... it is common.

The reader will find well-written explanations of the technology behind the search, be it NASA's Hubble or the Spitzer space telescopes or the French CoRoT, specifically designed to scan for extrasolar planets. The upcoming Kepler liftoff is also spotlighted - a major new space entry in finding out just how crowded the universe really is.

Not only is the technology of the past and present highlighted. Future space observatories are detailed. Sprinkled throughout this volume is the political background - both good and bad - that is also part of the adventure of addressing that age-old query: Are we alone?

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/basic/book_detail.jsp?isbn=0465009360

The Pluto Files - The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet by Neil deGrasse Tyson; W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, New York; (hard cover); $23.95; January 2009.

Chalk up another great read from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, as well as the Frederick P. Rose Director of the world-famous Hayden Planetarium. It’s not a pretty picture when you dethrone a planet – long listed as the ninth planet in our solar system.

Tyson tells a wonderful tale, going back in time to Pluto’s discovery in 1930. But in 2006, that world was kicked out of its planethood status by the International Astronomical Union, or IAU for short. The author takes us through a walk in time, putting Pluto in perspective in culture, history, and in science. But then Pluto’s “judgment day” is also explained – a real role reversal in astronomical terms for the tiny globe.

The ripple effect from that demotion included impacting the elementary school classroom, Tyson explains in a dedicated section of the book. This is an inside look at the hue and cry when the outer planet was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” – and all the controversy that decision sparked.

The book is packed with cartoons, letters from children, and photos – a real treasure of a volume that also underscores just how perplexing and exciting exploring our own solar system – and beyond -- can be.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/winter09/006520.htm

Life in the Universe – Expectations and Constraints (Second Edition) by Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Louis N. Irwin; Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Germany (hard cover); $59.95; 2008.

This book has been written for graduate students in the natural and life sciences, but there are amble sections in this volume that a well-rounded reader will find instructive, as well as thought-provoking. The tip off of how fast this topic is moving is right on the book’s cover, that is, a second edition.

The authors have done an excellent job spotlighting the fast-paced nature of astrobiology to make a declarative case: life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. Indeed, life arose relatively quickly on Earth, with the authors suggested that it could do so elsewhere "under appropriate conditions."

But what are those suitable conditions? For instance, do exotic forms of life exist that don’t rely on carbon as a basic chemical element? Can life thrive sans solar energy as a main energy source or water as a primary solvent?

Offered in the book is a generic framework for considering the history and fate of life wherever it occurs in the universe. Lastly, there is a chapter on life detection, past and present, carried out thanks to spacecraft missions, specifically to Mars. In a concluding observation, the authors underscore the building blocks needed for an extended human mission to the red planet…and eventual human settlement of that world.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences/book/978-3-540-76816-6

Stargazing with Binoculars by Robin Scagell and David Frydman; Firefly Books; Buffalo, New York; $19.95 (pocket book); 2008.

This is a handy-dandy guide to heavenly viewing by using -- what the author’s dub -- “the poor person’s telescope.” And for portability’s sake, binoculars do win hand’s down – or in this case, hand’s up so you can effortlessly stroll your eyes through the nighttime sky.

As the authors point out, even with the simplest binoculars you can reveal lots of detail about Earth’s moon, constellations, comets and planets, as well as Earth-circling satellites as they zip by overhead.

One of the attributes of this guide book is a section on choosing binoculars – even the types of mounts and other accessories available. You’ll be surprised at the varying kinds of binoculars are out there, all at various prices. And after you’ve bought your binoculars, Scagell and Frydman provide an easy to understand tutorial on how to adjust your equipment.

This 208 page book is packed with easy to use star maps, as well as a month-by-month guide to the best objects to study. So latch onto a copy of this practical guide and step outside for a sky full of enjoyment.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&bookid=9666

Exploring the Moon - The Apollo Expeditions (Second Edition) by David M. Harland; Springer/Praxis; New York/U.K.; $39.95 (soft cover); 2008.

This 40th anniversary edition includes new high-definition photos, taking the reader back to a time when footprints ruled the Moon. Harland does a superb job of capturing a “being there” feel, recounting what moonwalkers did, said and felt in lunar travelogue style. This book focuses primarily on the last three expeditions – Apollo 15, 16 and 17 – also drawing upon recollections from those that made the trek years after their adventures.

The large format of the book helps grab the reader into taking their own moonwalk; loads of the images put you face-to-face with the lunar surface. That’s due to the addition of specifically assembled, high-resolution panoramic pictures based on scans recently released by NASA of original film.

Harland also includes details on robotic lunar exploration, be it the U.S. Ranger and Surveyor missions, or the former Soviet Union’s Luna series.

The book is over 400 pages, containing 176 illustrations, 16 in color. Harland does an impressive job here, a book that also includes a healthy glossary and a chronological bibliography. And by the time you’ve read through and absorbed the images presented, you’ll gain a refreshing perspective of the scope and grandeur of sending humans to the Moon, how expeditionary crews worked there, made mistakes, and also insight on how best to pick up where the Apollo missions left off in years to come.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.springer.com/astronomy/popular+astronomy/book/978-0-387-74638-8

Around the World in 84 Days – The Authorized Biography of Skylab Astronaut Jerry Carr by David Shayler; Apogee Books; Burlington, Ontario, Canada; $31.95 (soft cover). There’s a $59.95 hardback special signed by Jerry Carr with bonus book available too.

The author is a master spaceflight historian, and this book showcases his skills in crafting an enjoyable read.

Gerald Carr commanded the Skylab 4 mission that ran from mid-November 1973 to early February the following year. It was the last and longest expedition to the U.S. Skylab space station.

During that time, Carr and his two fellow crewmates circled Earth for 84 days, setting a new long duration record for human space travel. That feat was not surpassed by the Russians until some four years later - and not by another U.S. astronaut until 1995.

This book details the personal voyage of Carr, making extensive use of a diary the astronaut has kept while on orbit. But there’s a lot more here, highlighting Carr’s pre- and post-Skylab years. There’s even a solid chapter on Carr missing the chance to become the 16th man to walk on the Moon – due to the cancellation of Apollo missions.

The reader will find considerable detail here, thanks to Shayler’s dogged research talents. Also, a nifty bonus DVD includes a Skylab 4 photo gallery, a tour around a Skylab mock-up hosted by Carr, as well as film clips from the voyage of Skylab 4.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.apogeespacebooks.com/Books/84dayssigned.html

How to Live on Mars – A Trusty Guidebook to Surviving and Thriving on the Red Planet by Robert Zubrin; Three Rivers Press; New York; $13.95 (soft cover).

Yes, even on Mars you can laugh your helmet off. This is listed as a “science/humor” book – and it does educate the mind while coughing up chuckles.

Zubrin is the well-known leader in the humans to Mars effort, a technical visionary and now part-time humorist too. The author serves up quite a number of tongue-in-cheek (or is it tongue-in-check?) comments, but sharp witted truth at the same time. For instance, how to instantly spot a NASA inspector, regulator, revenuers…and shrinks. There is even suggestion about the best places on Mars to have some real fun.

I found particularly useful the chapter on how to fly on Mars, from airplanes to rocket hoppers. Written in a style that puts Zubrin as a traveler’s aid representative on Mars, this book is engaging, flat out fun, and still valuable given all the insights of what it’ll be like to live on the red planet.

For the pioneers out there ready to pull up stakes here on Earth and plant their feet on Mars, this is clearly a must read so you know what to expect at the other end of your destination.

The book – also available as an eBook – carries original illustrations by Michael Carroll, Robert Murray, and other space artists that add to the visual fun awaiting us all on the red planet.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.randomhouse.com/gm/results.pperl?title_subtitle_auth_isbn=zubrin

Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story by David Hitt, Owen Garriott, and Joe Kerwin; University of Nebraska Press; Lincoln, Nebraska; $29.95 (Hardcover).

NASA’s Skylab space station was hurled into Earth orbit by the huge Saturn V rocket in mid-May 1973. Once in orbit, three individual crews of three astronauts each lived onboard Skylab, with their missions lasting progressively longer: 28, 59 and 84 days.

While Skylab is one for the history books, this orbiting outpost was a legacy project that provided an important foothold on space – enabling crews to live and work effectively onboard the International Space Station (ISS).

With all the razzel-dazzle of today’s space shuttle flights to the ISS, the authors collectively underscore why the 100-ton Skylab was critical to understanding that, yes indeed, humans can live and work in space. This book explains the origin of Skylab, its development, the near-loss of the huge facility due to problems encountered en route to orbit, and the heroic on-orbit effort to save Skylab.

Captured here too is the fall of Skylab – a nerve-wracking event that saw the giant facility tumble to Earth in July 1979.

As the book’s title suggests, Skylab provided a learning tool for homesteading space. You’ll find drama, humor, and a wealth of insider looks at what it takes to survive and perform productively in space. The book is a well-told saga of Skylab from start to fiery fall.

Also featured in the book is the in-flight diary of Alan Bean. It also includes a foreword by Homer Hickam of Rocket Boys/October Sky fame.


For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/978-0-8032-2434-6-Homesteading-Space,673959.aspx?skuid=11019

Reflection From Orbit by Winston E. Scott (Capt. USN Ret.) NASA Astronaut; Apogee Books, Burlington, Ontario, Canada; $23.95 (soft cover).

Scott is a former NASA Astronaut and a veteran of several shuttle flights, including three space walks. While this book is a few years old, you’ll find a comfortable read here – true reflections from a person that’s a passionate space traveler.

Flying onboard both Endeavour and Columbia, Scott shares with the reader his early interests in flying – showing his age a bit by spotlighting such early TV epics as Sky King.

This book offers a number of insights into becoming an astronaut, both the risks and rewards, as well as a behind-the-scenes view of preparing for a shuttle mission. Scott tells the tale of living in space, writing in an engaging style. He notes that attempting to get a restful sleep in microgravity is not so easy! Similarly, his window-watching moments are a delight as he explains what’s visible from orbit as the Earth whisks by.

Scott has authored an eloquent book that the reader will find educational, entertaining, and well as inspirational.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.apogeespacebooks.com/Books/Reflections.html

Mars 3-D: A Rover’s-Eye View of the Red Planet by Jim Bell; Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ; New York, New York; $19.95 (Hardcover).

Until you get to Mars in person, this is the best way going! Your eyes are in excellent hands thanks to the author, Jim Bell – an astronomer and leader of the Panoramic Camera (Pancam) color imaging team on the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover missions.

Bell has picked 120 3-D and color images shot by the still-rolling Mars robots. While the imagery tells the story, so does the writing style as Bell gives the reader a personal tour of rover exploration achievements.

This book is an excellent holiday gift for all ages – and Martian unreal estate that you can keep an eye on, literally. A tip of the space helmet visor to the folks that came up with the novel design of the book, one that incorporates the 3-D glasses into the volume itself.

As the author notes, the twin rovers have opened our eyes to an engaging Mars – one that cries out for further exploration. The red planet as seen through the eyes of machine vision is captured here, “and there appears to be nascent thirst among people to voyage there,” Bell writes.

Thanks to this book, you’re virtually standing on Mars – with boot prints to follow.

For more information on this book, go to:
http://www.sterlingpublishing.com/catalog?isbn=1402756208