In the past few years, various publishers have released several titles on or related to Copernicus. Two that stand out for me are Dennis Danielson’s The First Copernican and Jack Repcheck’s Copernicus’ Secret . I interviewed both authors about their books. You can listen to my Danielson interview here and my interview with Repcheck here . One book that I overlooked until recently is Uncentering the Earth by William T. Vollmann (released in paperback...

I interviewed physicist Sidney Perkowitz about his book Hollywood Science . This publication looks at more than 100 films throughout cinematic history that have covered scientific topics. Columbia University Press, the publisher, sums up the book as: Sidney Perkowitz questions how much faith we can put into Hollywood’s depiction of scientists and their work; how accurately these films capture scientific fact and theory; whether cataclysms like our...

With President Bush’s call for a return to the lunar surface, dozens of titles about the Moon have hit bookstores. From the volumes that have crossed my desk, most are nostalgic or historic accounts that showcase the people behind earlier lunar missions. Robert Godwin has assembled one of the more original books from this genre. The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook: A Pictorial History of Lunar Vehicles (Apogee, 2007) shows readers the designs for rovers...

Astronomy readers are familiar with Stephen James O'Meara through his column in our magazine and his books. O'Meara's observations convey the brilliance of our universe with amazing detail and keen recognition. Besides being an astronomer, Steve studies volcanos with his wife Donna. Together, the couple founded a research organization, Volcano Watch International, to uncover volcanic mysteries that might someday save lives. Through Cassell...

Regardless of your artistic ability, Space Art will help develop your ability to illustrate alien worlds. Watson-Guptill Publications One of the best ways to hone your skills as an amateur astronomer is to sketch the sky. Sketching the Moon, planets, and deep-sky targets on paper trains an observer to detect subtle detail in observations, helps keep the initial thrill from a first observing experience, and can bring back wonderful memories of an observing...

Many publishers have released books celebrating 50 years of space exploration since Sputnik's launch October 4, 1957. Among these pictorial collections, no one has done it better than Smithsonian Books. Edited by Smithsonian curator Martin Collins, After Sputnik: 50 Years of the Space Age presents the best pieces and images from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's spaceflight collection — some not currently displayed at the museum...