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MartyA

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2024
163
551
75
Iowa
A couple of books I've read recently...
First, "Astronomy for Young Folks" by Isabel Martin Lewis, 1928.
Amateur astronomy has made my life better for most of my 75 years, and the naked eye sky and constellations are my first love. The first half of this book gives a very enjoyable overview of the sky. Written for kids, but the same sky is there for everyone.
The last half of the book is mainly out of date science, and I just skimmed most of that.
 

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MartyA

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2024
163
551
75
Iowa
I followed it up with Patrick Moore's "Naked Eye Astronomy," from 1966.
More up to date scientifically, and more advanced, but again concentrating on what one can see with the naked eye. A wonderful book.
 

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zanxion

Might Stick Around
Jul 26, 2025
58
247
Greece
Nice!
And the translator of this edition is also a pipe smoker (and a Medical Doctor): Eleftherios Anevlavis is his name.
As for myself, although I have the book (Ulysses) since many many years, I've tried several times, defeated all of them...

View attachment 428799
I still recall the first couple of tries to read the book. I was torturing myself into reading it. It is so dense, and implies so many that one must devote hours of focused reading over it. I also recall the relief finishing reading it long ago. Now, with a more matured mind (?), and already knowing my whereabouts in this book, I find it easier and pleasant reading it.
(A downside while reading this book is that the bowls go by one after the other. It depletes my tobacco stock quite rapidly. )
 

Phiredog

Can't Leave
Apr 13, 2024
313
6,414
60
East TN
Just finished “An Excellent Mystery,” a Brother Cadfael novel. It’s from a series of books about a Welsh monk who was formerly a Crusader in the 12th century (I think) who aids the sheriff in solving crimes in the city near his monastery. Currently reading The Early Church by Henry Chadwick and My Lady Nicotine by J. M. Barrie. I’ve got a P. G. Wodehouse book waiting on the side.
 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,921
48,216
Detroit
81fM328OzNL._SL1500_.jpg
 

MartyA

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 5, 2024
163
551
75
Iowa
"Maskelyne Astronomer Royal" Edited by Rebekah Higgitt 2014

There hasn't been a whole lot written about Nevil Maskelyne, the fifth astronomer royal. He came off as sort of the bad guy in the book and movie "Longitude" by Dava Sobel, and I didn't think much about it. I was prompted to read this book though, after reading other old biographies of astronomers of the time, since many of those old books often quoted entire letters. Maskelyne came off in his as a very nice guy who spoke much as one would speak in our own time.
Nevil Maskelyne wasn't what one might call a groundbreaking astronomer, but he was a great organizer and began publication of the Nautical Almanac. And he WAS a nice guy.
 

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Scottmi

Lifer
Oct 15, 2022
5,206
80,454
Orcas, WA
Just finished "Radio Life" by Derek Miller. A ~500 years in the future hard science fiction story of humans on earth starting to recover via discoveries of cached information following a solar flare induced apocalypse about 100 years in our future. HAM radio is a central feature. 5/5
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