Space Books

"My name is Jules Truffaut, and this is the story of how I redeemed the human race..."

I couldn't resist that opening, though the hapless hero of this tale seems unlikely to deliver on the promise. Jules was expelled from the Union Astronautical space fleet. The only way he'd ever see space again would be if he could somehow reach the Coyote Federation, defect and offer his services and training there.

Jules is competent, intelligent and motivated... but he also isn't blameless in getting booted from his former position and he also seems unable to keep himself out of trouble. He's imprisoned on Coyote--but jumps at the only way out: an offer of employment by the richest man on the planet who is planning a mysterious trade expedition to an alien planet in an old bucket of a spacecraft along with crew that consists of an inexperienced girl who got hired because of her connections and a mysterious, blues-playing drunk.

Still, Jules is at heart a good guy, and though things can go very bad for him they are rollicking adventures, and we have the promise that all ends up a bit better than it would seem for the fellow.

The aliens and their culture were fun, the back-water but still independent and prominent Coyote is fun, the crazy crew and obnoxious million/billionaire was fun; and Jules and his wild trip made for one good read.

this book is a great continuation of the super-fun coyote trilogy and definitely lives up to its predecessors. i thought it even was better than spindrift, which was also amazing. the coyote universe is so rich and definitely full of interesting characters, and in this book you get to see some of them interact and get a different view of coyote life, all with a fun space quest.

In part of Allen M. Steele's Coyote Universe a discovered stowaway manages to make it to Coyote, after being busted for being involved in an exam cheating scandal.

However, he ends up in the slammer there and is 'convinced' by a wealthy entrepreneur to do some piloting for him, in a perhaps less than ethical trade deal.

Aliens, diplomacy and danger await, along with a bit of silliness.

This is a lighter story in tone than the couple of Coyote collections I have read, but is basically solid, although the end is only ordinary.


3.5 out of 5

Being caught helping his brother to pass his exams at the Space Academy by giving him the answers, Jules Truffaut is kicked out of Union Astronautica Space Fleet. For months he works towards one goal: to get airborne. He stows away on the spaceship headed for Coyote but he gets caught. He steals the shuttle and lands on the planet where he is arrested. He hoped to ask for asylum when he landed but instead he knows with the charges against him that the Chief Magistrate will deport him.

Before he goes in front of the judge, billionaire Morgan Goldstein visits Jules in his prison cell; the wealthy man offers a proportion to the prisoner. He gives Jules a chance to become a crew member of the Pride of Cucamonga en route to the Rho Coronae Borealis System in order to make a trade pact with the elder species the hjadd. If he agrees all charges will be dropped and he will receive asylum. He agrees to go on the mission.

When the crew reach their destination, a cultural misunderstanding turns disastrous. Jules and his mates take part on a dangerous mission that more than likely will mean their death, but correcting the blunder is critical. If they succeed the hjadd will reconsider allowing humanity into the Talus, an organization of highly sentient races who exchange science and technological advances.

Set in the same universe as the Coyote trilogy, GALAXY BLUES is a rip roaring electrifying space opera in which humans are infants compared to the elder races. Readers will thoroughly enjoy learning about the hjadd and their strong unconscious belief in their superiority to the visiting barbaric mankind. Jules is an interesting antihero who tries to disapprove the hjadd perception that advanced technology equates to superior culture and species. Fans will appreciate his efforts.

Harriet Klausner

The Gathering is much like it's namesake, a wonderful cocktail party with multidimensional Friends from all levels of Being. It's more than worth a read if only for it's distilled and refined explanation of a "Holographic Universe", something I've always had trouble fully assimilating in my own mind, despite constant direct experiencing.

The dry wit and tongue in cheek moments of the book keep the pace rolling, while reminding that life is supposed to be a fun ride, (even if the "fun" is more the manic kind, and the laughter erupts from realizing the absurdity of life and self). Where else could you read "When I came out [from the dentist's office] God told me to steal both books. I did..."?

A good book with many "re-member-ances" for anyone tap-dancing on the wobbly fences of their reality or sanity. Just because you're crazy, doesn't mean it's not all real. Get this book! And for a real mind-blower also get It's Time to Remember: A Riveting Story of One Woman's Awakening to Alien Beings. Two different yet perfectly alligned perspectives of dealing with the "too muchness" of awakenings through alien encounters.

It's hare to belive that such exquisite information comes from Oklohoma...but then again, so did my first boyfriend. Go Tonto!

In 1996, William Gammill experienced contact with otherworld beings. The channeling lasted for approximately fifteen days, during which time he took copious notes. He describes his experiences and what he learned from them in The Gathering, his fourth book. He says that "although [his book] begins with an encounter that can only be characterized as `alien,' the theme is not alien contact. The theme is human consciousness and transformation."

The basic message that "The Brothers" gave Gammill is that earthly humans are part of a grand experiment. Our purpose is to learn how to recognize the God within each of us. This requires change, from the level of DNA outward. This change is occurring now in each of us. Like most changes, it can create emotional and physical distress, even disease.

Gammill says that we have free will, but it's guided by our souls. "Everything a person experiences," he says, "is determined by his or her soul, which reincarnates from one body to the next...Personal responsibility, not chance, determines your fate." Between lives, the soul goes to a place of light, where it decides what you will experience in the next lifetime. All experiences have the ultimate goal of healing the human race so that individuals can increase their awareness of God. Once awareness and surrender is achieved, which will take thousands of years, individuals will "ascend" to rejoin with God as one entity.

"Compelling and beautifully written, The Gathering can help us understand our alien neighbors and ourselves in a new and positive way." It's essential reading for all those who have wondered why we are here.

I read the book at the same time I was getting to know the author personally in Costa Rica. The book would lead one to believe the author is 'way out there', but in actual fact he is quite grounded, level headed, and intelectual. What impressed me about the book is his general style of writing where he said things to the effect that 'this will be true for you'...'or not'. The bottom line is that we all have choices. Choices to believe or not to believe. And that is the essence of our existence - what we ultimately BELIEVE to be true, IS true.

This a miraculous book that is almost impossible to describe. It must not be merely read, thought about or marveled at - although it is beautifully written, thought-provoking and marvelous. It must be savored and allowed to sink in. Above all, it must be experienced, because the ideas and movement exercises offered here are pathways to directly experience the mystery of pure being. If that sounds abstract, have no fear. Charles will lead you step by step -- everywhere, nowhere and right here.

This is a beautiful expression of classic Buddhist teachings. Genoud uses movement to "embody" the lessons, so the reader can actually play with the ideas physically.

This book by Charles Genoud is a pure pleasure to read. Poetry or teaching of wisdom...it is both!! Gesture of Awareness brings a new view of reality, our minds and our bodies. I have learned a new way to look at meditation and movement practices and it is changing the way I lead these practices.

Charles Genoud is my teacher and friend, so I'm not an unbiased reviewer. On the other hand, having attended his retreats and workshops for a dozen years or so, I'm in a position to attest that this book achieves something I thought was impossible: it catches on the printed page the flavor of Charles's uncatchable work. The Gesture of Awareness exercises that Charles has developed elude description, not because they're complex but because they're so subversively simple. Every time you try to make something of them (some effort, some concept, some "special" experience), Charles pulls the rug out from under you once again. Suffice it to say that meditative and spiritual practices generally introduce the dimension of liberation first while doing the practice, with the eventual aim of transcending the practice so that liberation is present while you're doing nothing more cosmic than walking across the room. Charles takes you straight to that dimension while walking across the room.

It was a pleasure to read Give Us This Mars, the second book in a series that deals with the great heights of achievement human beings are capable of reaching. The books illustrate well how each giant step for mankind is generally the accumulated results of the many efforts of a small group of amazing and inspiring individuals. In Book One, the three heroes of the story ended up with no choice but to attempt the first human settlement on Mars, and after many years of hard and frustrating work, they succeed in developing an efficient, prosperous and fully functioning Mars settlement.

This Martian settlement, thought impossible by people on Earth, is now, of course, the subject of considerable envy, especially on the part of the great powers. The satisfying theme of how the decent little people, with limited resources in a very difficult environment, attempt to outsmart the powerful and unethical big guys, is played out to its fullest in Give Us This Mars. The characters in the story are well developed and the plot unfolds smoothly, but with many unexpected twists and turns. Also, the necessary science in the story is clearly explained, and the author's understanding of the laws of nature enhances the flow of the plot. All in all, Give Us This Mars is a very enjoyable and stimulating read.

For those of you who have read the first book this one is very different. The first book was about surviving the elements of Mars and how to setup a living facility on Mars. The sequel is an action packed thriller that reminded me of the old Wild West. The bad guys arrive into a small town and try to take over. There are [weapons] and everything. Lots of twists and turns that kept me in suspence throughout the entire read.

I am a member of a book club of twelve, and we try to read as diverse a selection of books as possible. That includes SF books, which few of us would read without a prod.

"Give Us This Mars" is as good a page turner as I have ever read. Reading it was like being on a long and wonderful visit to Mars. I began on a Saturday morning and could not put it down. I continued until night, when I was forced to stop, with poor Astrid clinging to life by a thread. Next day brought more excitement, with Don giving me a big surprise. What happens is brilliant.

This unexpectedly thrilling read took me into a world of political intrigue, armed conflict, power politics at the highest level, and the physics of trebuchets (medieval artillery, which I understood even though I am not a scientist), with a light sprinkling of Zen philosophy.. All this combines to give a futuristic reenactment of events that took place in the years following the discovery of the Americas by Columbus. The way the trebuchet comes into the plot is not what you might think.

I got a sense of the alien landscape of Mars, and the experience of the dangers of Mars made for exciting reading. At times I even experienced an emotional involvement with the characters and events in the story. The author is usually thorough in his narration of events, but on occasion he shows sophistication, in leaving out the details of events that are best left to the reader's imagination, such as a long journey Captain Derk and his military go on to carry out a surprise attack. There is not much technology/science detail in the story, and if you do not have a science background, I would recommend reading Book Two before Book One. You had better be ready for the directions north, south, east, and west, which are common in the story. I needed the maps and diagram at the end to help me keep track.

There is a discussion early in the book between Derk and Denise about land ownership on Mars. They have very opposing ways of looking at how land/territory is acquired and retained, and it explains many conflicts on Earth. I thought it was the most thought provoking part of the story. The book is definitely not far-fetched science fiction, and this non science-fiction reader closed it with a satisfied feeling, and many things to ponder. Did I see hints in the book of an interesting installment to follow?

Thomas W. Cronin, author of As It Is On Mars, gives lovers of Mars fiction an excellent sequel in Give Us This Mars. The political and suspenseful elements are still there, but Cronin has ramped up the action in this second book. In Give Us This Mars, Denise Lavoisier, John Erway, their two children born on Mars, and Ichiro Sato have not only survived the decade since the first ill-fated manned mission to Mars, but have thrived. The United States and the European Union covet what the Martians have built, and both governments aim to take it from them. The EU crew, commanded by the villainous and brilliant Richard Derk, arrives on Mars first, and sets to work at the job of surveying the Kasei Valley area and "rescuing" the Martians. The Martians are prepared for the "rescue" attempt, but Derk is a tough adversary. Deceit vs. honest wit, superior strength vs. plucky resolve, big government vs. libertarian paradise - Give Us This Mars has all this and more. The typos present in the first book are mostly absent in this book and Cronin's fiction flows more smoothly this time. I enjoyed the first book and I truly think this one was much better! I look forward to any sequel that Mr. Cronin has to offer.

How many authors of popular science books begin their books by boasting that they can teach real science to readers who have no math--or no math beyond basic algebra? And then what do you get? Either a tub full of metaphors sloshing about promiscuously or else a math course so compressed it would leave Newton saying, "Duh?" But not in this book. Bernard Schutz takes the reader by the hand and leads him gently on. There is scarcely a bump in the road; yet, by the end of the book, you've not only learned a good deal of physics, astrophysics and cosmology, you've also gotten an inkling of how a physicist thinks. How does Schutz manage to succeed where failure is the rule? Well, partly by magic, I think. But partly by the clever use of simple computer simulations (downloadable for free) and partly by means of a very carefully thought out pedagogical strategy. This gentleman is a teacher par excellence. If you're only going to read one science book in your life, read this one. Just be prepared to spend some time with it.

I wanted to understand relativity, and tried many books. Up to know i met two kinds of books, the ones which i could not understand because they are to difficult, and the ones with a minimum of math, which are incomplete and oversimplified. I did not understand everything (e,g the Einstein equation and tensors) but most of this book gives me a deep insight in the beauty of relativity, cosmology and astronomy in a way no other book has done.

This is a truly wonderful book. It is suitable for those with little physics and math backgrounds as well as those with more. It is, in fact, incredible how much one can learn here with so little math about topics normally associated with advanced math. In addition to learning many new things, I got great new insights into what I thought I already knew.

I went to this book to learn about general relativity and cosmology. I got that and so much more. The book covers many fascinating topics about the earth, the solar system, galaxies, and brings in physics concepts when they are needed. A recurring theme is the effect of gravity and what resists gravity. So, e.g., white dwarfs are explained by quantum effects resisting complete collapse due to gravity. In addition to learning a lot about general relativity, you get introduced to some aspects of mechanics, statistical mechanics and quantum theory. All this while learning a great deal about astronomy and cosmology.

Calculus isn't required and most of the demonstrations are done with physical arguments, analogies, and simple algebra. Computer programs are available from a website for those who want to use them to illustrate numerical results. (You don't need to use the programs to enjoy the book.) Of course, further study will, at some point, require more math. But this book demonstrates how much can be explained with the simplest concepts, and would be worthwhile for someone to read before getting immersed in the higher math.

This is possibly the best book i own. The book basically covers "all" the important topics in gravity, cosmology and astrophysics. For example equivalence principle, general relativity, gravitational waves, neutron stars, black holes, even a bit of quantum gravity (especially in last chapter) etc etc.

Though i must warn that anyone who reads this book might accidentally turn into a theoretical physicist. Its that fascinating/exciting really and it really makes one feel that this is a special time in theoretical physics (waiting for quantum gravity and new astronomical observations and theories). In this respect it is somewhat similar to popular books.

But i wouldnt call this a popular science book, since it goes deeper into things. For example i have Schutz's "First course in general relativity" and i think that up to the chapter on Einstein's equation it is easier than this. The reason is probably that this book doesnt use explicit calculus (well in a way it does with finite differences) or tensors; for example the chapter dealing with differential geometry and general relativity was pretty difficult to understand without tensors, but it gives very nice intuitive understanding for differential geometry/general relativity. There were other places were i understood something i havent really ever understood but was well explained here. All in all, this is an excellent book on gravity and cosmology and i recommend it to anyone.

Great neighborhoods are built by the neighbors living in them: working there, buying there, fixing it up, loving it. Jay's book is a wonderful tool for anyone who loves their neighborhood. It's full of practical ideas and persuasive philosophies for helping a neighborhood wake up to itself. What are the things that make people want to stop and explore? What makes residents of a great neighborhood want to settle down and never leave? A must-have for anyone who's interested in what makes neighborhoods more livable.

My professional work involves partnering with neighbors to create and sustain vital neighborhoods. This is an invaluable, easy to read book that spurs ideas and reminds us that great neighborhoods are not created by those just sitting on the sidelines.

The Great Neighborhood Book is full of examples and ideas for
down to earth you and me kinds of action that inspire and energize
to make things happen in our neighborhoods. It includes getting to know
neighbors, putting benches out at natural pausing places, greening and
gardening ideas, and simple suggestions. Recommend it for community
organizations, individuals and planning groups.

Written by Jay Walljasper, a Senior Fellow of the Project for Public Spaces, The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Placemaking is a how-to guide for local communities to improve the quality of life for their residents through building shared bonds. From creating great places to hang out (a park with few hidden spaces and scattered vendors selling refreshments is more likely to deter homeless people and drug dealers from using it), to reducing crime (ordinary people's eyes and physical presence on the street are much more likely to deter crime than iron bars on windows), foster economic vitality (promoting locally grown/cooked/made food is kind to the environment as well as the local economy), and much more. Drawing heavily upon real-life examples in communities that made a measurable positive difference, The Great Neighborhood book blends practicality and inspiration into an uplifting whole and is enthusiastically recommended reading for concerned citizens, neighborhood watch groups, and municipal boards, among many others.

I liked this book because of the content - the strong character & moral issues presented in a cowboy/western context, but applicable to anybody's life. The principles are time-tested biblical truths, are based on true life adventures & experiences and are woven in between the artists' illustrations. I have my own personal copy & I purchased one for my son & my nephew. Highly recommended.

My husband and I both enjoyed this book. We both understand the hardships of ranching and understand the joys of caring for cattle, seeing new calves born, and riding in peaceful ranch country. The art work is exceptional, and the words are comforting and so appropriate. The use of scripture throughout the book makes it even more enjoyable.

Purchased, reviewed and ordered additional copies for gifts. If you enjoy the great outdoors, horses, beautiful artwork and wonderful content describing life and God's creation - this one's for you!
A quality book of the highest caliber - anyone should be proud to give it as a gift or display on their coffee table.
Jack Terry is a most gifted artist and writer.

I bought this book for a friend because I knew immediately that he would like it. The book has amazing artwork; the pictures are absolutely beautiful. Each painting is described as to how it came about with wonderful stories. Truly a neat book.

An absolutely great read, very little in the way of redeeming qualities, but very fast and interesting. It does extoll the virtues of loyalty, duty and honor. With that in mind, it is an excellent action book set in the far future. Those future Marines had ancestors at Belleau Wood and Tarawa.

I would usually read a book like this in one or two sittings, but had to break this one up in daily readings over a week due to the relentlessly "Grimmer Than Hell" tone of the stories. Not that I didn't enjoy the book but just found I enjoyed it better in smaller doses. I mainly know David Drake's work through "The General" series, so it was interesting to see the darker side of his writings. Be sure to read the author's introduction for background on why the stories are so much more cynical than his more recent work.

Although this is a collection of previously printed stories, the only one I had read previously was the Draka story. I especially enjoyed the first set of stories (The Fleet series) and the last set (Lacey series).

If you love Drake's "classic" combat science fiction, and you missed one or more of these short stories the first time around; get the book. Each story measures up to the high standards that Drake sets for himself and which his fans have come to expect. You'll love this one, too.

If you do not know Drake's work yet, and "space operas" do not thrill as much as they once did, maybe you should try something stiffer. Drake deserves your attention, and this volume is as good a place to start as any.

Not everyone loves Drake's future nightmare documentaries. If you prefer Drake's softer side (or just plain don't care for hard core "realistic" combat science fiction), you won't find much pleasure here; route your attention elsewhere.

In a series of short stories, author David Drake explores the dark side of war and a dystopic future. Drake is a Viet Nam veteran and that experience gives his stories a gritty realism that shows through even in the more space-opera stories of 'the Fleet.' In his world, battles never go well, the enemy doesn't miss all the time, and commanding generals, admirals, back-room intelligence, and civilian 'suits' don't have a clue what they're asking for.

GRIMMER THAN HELL is an apt title for this set of dark stories. Whether set in the futuristic universe of the Fleet, the monitored and dying world of Lacey, or even the wars of Hell itself, Drake chooses to show humanity at its best and worst--in deadly action.

If you're looking for a light and upbeat read, stay well away from GRIMMER THAN HELL. But in a world where politicians continue to order soldiers into harms way, GRIMMER is a brutal and useful reminder that harms way can be very harmful indeed--not just for the physical violence that warfare brings, but also for the emotional damage done to soldiers and, at a more hidden level, to those sending young warriors into battle. GRIMMER delivers a few enjoyable twists, a couple of intriguing characters in Captain (Major) Kowacs and Jed Lacey. If you're looking for the kind of SF that makes you think, GRIMMER is a great choice.

An extraordinary book that fits all those bits and pieces together to orient you into our galaxy. Distances become second nature, you come to see the sky in 3 dimensions. Beautiful photgraphs and diagrams. This book will make your mind grow

This is a wonderful book full of explanations, photographs and maps. There's a bit of history about the Milky Way Galaxy's discovery followed by descriptions of our Galaxy and the surrounding neighborhood, the "Local Group." The book starts outward and moves in toward the galactic center, describing the various spiral arms along the way. It contains great maps and excellent descriptions, particularly of our very local part of the Galaxy. It's not a difficult read, though a little previous reading in astronomy wouldn't hurt. Definitely a great resource for amateur astronomers and those with just a passing interest. This is not a new book, and I'd love to see a newer edition.

Reading this book rekindled an old dormant interest in "reading" the night sky. This book, if carefully read, presents galactic structure are we currently know it in a way that truly make one rethink the night sky and truly begin to understand what one is seeing. I have to agree with several prior reviews: this is the kind of book that can expand one's mind. I went so far as to duplicate the color maps and laminate them so that when I star gaze, I can refer to the maps and place objects in our Orion Arm, Perseus Arm, or Sagittarius Arm. The explanation of Gould's belt made me appreciate again the splendor of Orion in the winter sky. This book is well worth the price and read. It can be casually read, but careful reading and study pay big dividends.

a superb book for amateur-reading . Beautiful colourful pictures of our galaxy. A 'road-map' on a scale you've never seen ! It tells you more about our home-galaxy, distances, objects, and the location of our own star (the sun) than whatever astronomical photographs may. I was very sorry to reach the last pages.

"Habitable Planets for Man" offers in-depth speculation about extrasolar planets. We learn that Earth-like worlds are reasonably likely only around a rather narrow range of stellar types which exclude every bright star except Alpha Centauri. Even if a planet with abundant oxygen and water is found, its weather may be unsuitable; tides or seismic activity may be extreme; narcosis due to excessive carbon dioxide or nitrogen may occur; day lengths may be difficult to tolerate. The chapter "An Appreciation of the Earth" is practically redundant, because after studying the earlier text, the reader is sure to be glad of living on the third rock from the Sun!

This is the most valuable reference book a science fiction writer can have. Period. It's also wonderful fun to read.
Pair it with the 2000 book RARE EARTH for contrast. Dole is still more interesting, and doesn't really have an agenda, despite the title.

What a smart guy he must have been!

This glorious book is virtually identical to the first edition, published in 1964. And while it is a little dated, it is simply terrific. I wish I had read it when it first came out.

Even the opening page is a treat, showing where our Sun would appear if we looked at the night sky from the vicinity of Alpha Centauri. It would be the brightest star in Cassiopeia! But what if we were in the vicinity of, say, Eta Cassiopeiae? Well, in that case, our Sun would be in the Southern Cross.

Now we get into the meat of the book, looking for habitable planets. What do we mean by "habitable?" Even before the book was written, the term "habitable zone" was used to refer to a region around a star in which a rocky planet could have liquid water on the surface, and that's not a bad definition. But Stephen Dole wants a little more than that. He wants the mean temperature extremes in every season to be between 14 degrees F and 104 degrees F so we poor humans won't freeze or get overheated (personally, I think we could survive a little outside this zone: we do on Earth). He wants between 0.2 and 30 lumens of light per square centimeter so we can grow our plants.

What about gravity? Well, sure, we'd get uncomfortable at much over 1.5g. But as Dole points out, there may be a stronger limit. Once a planet is above about 3.2 earth masses, it is likely to capture plenty of helium, so much that it will then capture hydrogen and become a gas giant. Too much atmosphere for us!

How about oxygen? I might settle for a place that lacked oxygen and try to "terraform" it. Not Dole: he wants us to be able to breathe on that planet! And he computes some acceptable partial pressures of oxygen.

Of course, we'll need water. Oceans! But we don't want more than about 90% of the surface to be covered by oceans: we need some land as well. And there are other requirements: not too much dust or wind, not too much radiation, a mass of at least 0.4 earth masses (so it can retain a breathable atmosphere), a day of less than about 100 hours so it does not get too cold at night or too hot during the day, decent values of inclination and eccentricity, and so on. We also need to be careful about "tidal locking," with a year slowly becoming equal to a (sidereal) day on the planet. That planet might have part of its surface overheat to the extent that the oceans start to boil, with the water being lost by photodecomposition followed by a loss of the hydrogen to space (with the exception, perhaps, of some ice retained on the "dark side" of the planet).

Next comes perhaps the finest part of this book, namely a table showing, for each star spectral type: the mean star mass, luminosity, radius, number of such stars per cubic parsec, years of residence on main sequence, and habitable zone boundaries. He eventually calculates (or estimates, by each spectral type) the total number of habitable planets in the Milky Way to be 645 million!

That is a worthy and pioneering piece of work.

Dole then gives a table of the stars within 22 light-years that he thinks might be candidates to have habitable planets. Since then, we've looked at some of these stars a little more carefully, and in the next few years, I think we'll know much more about them and the potential for habitable planets orbiting them. My guess is that we'll find at least one such planet.

I highly recommend this classic on the habitability of planets in the Galaxy. It got me to remember a popular motto (which Dole, to his credit, does not use): "The meek will inherit the Earth. The rest of us shall go to the stars."

This book was written in 1970 as an analysis of what sort of planet would be inhabitable by humans on a permanent basis (colonization), and what are the chances of finding such planets around nearby stars. The book looks at human requirements, such as temperature, gravity, atmospheric composition, etc. Then other factors are reviewed, such as solar system organization, stellar properties, satellite relationships, special properties of binary star systems, etc.

This book makes for some very interesting reading. It is rather dated, though, with the mass of Pluto being placed at equivalent to the Earths, and with water oceans being speculated about for Venus. Admittedly, this probably does mean that some of the conclusions are suspect. However, the depth of information in this book does make it an interesting resource for science-fiction authors, and other interested in speculating about extra-solar planets for man.