Dava Sobel's book Longitude became an international best-seller, and has been translated into more than twenty foreign languages. In her latest book The Planets she uses her unique skill to turn complex scientific ideas into beautifully written, easy to understand and delightful prose. Download and read the extract and be light years ahead of your reading friends.
After the huge national and international success of ‘Longitude’ and ‘Gallileo’s Daughter’, Dava Sobel tells the human story of the nine planets of our solar system. This groundbreaking new work traces the ‘lives’ of each member of our solar family, from myth and history, astrology and science fiction, to the latest data from the modern era's robotic space probes. Whether revealing what hides behind Venus's cocoon of acid clouds, describing Neptune's complex beauty, or capturing first-hand the excitement at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when the first pictures from Cassini at Saturn were recently beamed to earth, Dava Sobel's unique tour of the solar system is filled with fascination and beauty.
After the huge national and international success of ‘Longitude’ and ‘Gallileo’s Daughter’, Dava Sobel tells the human story of the nine planets of our solar system. This groundbreaking new work traces the ‘lives’ of each member of our solar family, from myth and history, astrology and science fiction, to the latest data from the modern era's robotic space probes. Whether revealing what hides behind Venus's cocoon of acid clouds, describing Neptune's complex beauty, or capturing first-hand the excitement at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when the first pictures from Cassini at Saturn were recently beamed to earth, Dava Sobel's unique tour of the solar system is filled with fascination and beauty.
In lyrical prose interspersed with poems by Tennyson, Blake and others, ‘The Planets’ gives a breathtaking, intimate view of those heavenly bodies that have captured the imagination since humanity’s first glimpse of the glittering night skies. Timely and timeless, ‘The Planets’ will engage and delight as it unravels the mysteries of the cosmos. It is of infinite relevance to this age in which new planets are being discovered elsewhere in our galaxy.
'Sobel is a stunning talent that continues to sparkle and interest us all as much as the subjects she writes about.' Guardian
'A true life thriller, jam packed with politcal intrigue, international warfare and personal feuds and financial skullduggery.' Daily Mail
'Rarely have I enjoyed a book as much as Dava Sobel's Longitude. She has an extraordinary gift of making difficult ideas clear.' Daily Telegraph
Author
About Dava Sobel
Dava Sobel is the internationally renowned author of the bestselling Longitude – winner of the 1997 British Book of the Year Award – Galileo’s Daughter and The Planets. She is also an award-winning former science reporter for the New York Times and writes frequently about science for several magazines, including the New Yorker, Audubon, Discover, Life and Omni. She lives in East Hampton, New York.
After the huge national and international success of ‘Longitude’ and ‘Gallileo’s Daughter’, Dava Sobel tells the human story of the nine planets of our solar system. This groundbreaking new work traces the ‘lives’ of each member of our solar family, from myth and history, astrology and science fiction, to the latest data from the modern era's robotic space probes.
The Planets features in the following genres: Non-Fiction Books of the Month, Biographies & Autobiographies, eBooks of the Month, Recommendations, Biography, Literature and Literary studies
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
The Planets was written by Dava Sobel and published by HarperPerennial an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Planets has 304 pages
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