Minding the Heavens - book review

In the future I will try to post book reviews on books I've read. At least during the summer time when the nights are so light that observing is pretty much out of the question. The first review is about "Minding the Heavens" by Leila Belkora.

The book tells the story about the individuals who have made an impact on our understanding of the Milkyway. The story is told as a timeline of increasing awareness of our place in the universe through the lives and discoveries of Thomas Wright, William Herschel, Wilhelm Struve, William Huggins, Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley and Edwin Hubble. I might even say that the book is composed of short biographies, but interestingly the lives of the people mentioned in the book are always somehow intertwined.

The book is well written and interesting. It does not contain techno babble or anything like that, but is told in "layman" terms in an easy to follow way.

I can recommend this book for those interested in the history of astronomy.

The book is available through Amazon.com in paperback.