Dispatches from planet 3 Thirty-two (brief) tales on the solar system, the Milky Way, and beyond

Many of the astronomical milestones and many of the scientists in Dispatches from Planet 3 will be familiar from other books on the history of science. But what sets this book well apart from other recountings is the warm glow of humanity infusing each of its 32 chapters. One has to admire Bartusiak's keen judgment in choosing stories from astronomers' lives as well as her skill in retelling them so efficiently. The chapters are brief, but each one weaves lives, events, and science together effortlessly. Even better, the humanizing details supporting each account of a breakthrough are not ones that most readers will have encountered before. Dispatches introduces general readers to clearly elucidated astronomy, to be sure. But readers will gain something from nearly every chapter, either by meeting a less-famous scientist or by learning interesting new background on familiar figures and their discoveries. Structurally, Dispatches is organized by scale rather than historical time; its three sections expand outward from the solar system to stars, galaxies, and then cosmology. It's very difficult to offer a truly original tour through these well-covered grounds, but Bartusiak has done it masterfully. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Kent D. Fisher, Columbus State Community College

These 32 short essays cover major events in the history of astronomy and cosmology, ranging from the demotion of Pluto to the status of dwarf planet, the evolution of galaxies, the detection of gravity waves and neutrinos, and the role of time in the Big Bang. Bartusiak's (The Day We Found the Universe, 2009) goal is to provide historical context for many recent discoveries and a summary of how we got to where we are now in the science of space, offered in easy-to-read, bite-size morsels. Many of these essays cover events from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, the period when modern cosmology was born, but the collection isn't arranged chronologically. Rather, the essays are grouped, small to large, by topic, starting from the solar system and working out to the larger universe. Of particular value, several essays focus on women who did significant work, but who historically haven't gotten credit. This is an informative and rewarding read for anyone interested in our understanding of the universe. Recommended for fans of Amanda Gefter's Trespassing on Einstein's Lawn (2014).--John Keogh Copyright 2018 Booklist