Advance praise for Philip Plait s Bad Astronomy
"Bad Astronomy is just plain good Philip Plait clears up every misconception on astronomy and ... read full description
"Bad Astronomy is just plain good Philip Plait clears up every misconception on astronomy and ... read full description
reviews
Aug 21, 2011
Maggie
rated it: 
where this book is good, it is very good. where it isn't great is when he's preaching to the choir. evidently he hasn't figured out that folks reading this book are already NOT creationists and he seems bent on convincing us (too many words by far!!) why and how creationism is pseudo-science. okay. we sorta already know that now could you get back to filling us in on the astronomy details that we actually want better information on, please (and thank you). the best chapter was on correcting mis-
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Jan 21, 2010
Chris
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What do you think you know about astronomy? For example, what causes us to have seasons? If you said that it's our distance from the sun - sorry, you're wrong. Or how about why the sky is blue? If you think it's that the sky reflects the sea, nope. Wrong again. Or perhaps you think that the moon's tidal effect makes people crazy, or that an egg can only stand on end if it's the Vernal Equinox or that an alignment of the planets will cause a terrible buildup of gravity that will kill us all!
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Nov 03, 2011
Andreas
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Subtitled ‘Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing “Hoax”‘, this book discusses misconceptions related to astronomy. For example, various false explanations to why the sky is blue are talked about. The first part is about things like tides, eclipses. Then the book moves on to things like astrology and the purported Moon landing hoax. There is also a section on bad astronomy in films.
Philip Plait is an astronomer who also runs the excellent Bad Astronom More...
Philip Plait is an astronomer who also runs the excellent Bad Astronom More...
Jan 01, 2011
Andrew
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A collection of essay by Plait, drawn from his experience writing the "Bad Astronomy" website. Not as interesting a read as his subsequent book, "Death from the Skies", but that may largely be due to the range of articles. They include some pretty banal topics: eggs and the equinox; why seasons change; why stars appear to twinkle; the great planetary alignment of 200.
Other essays display his skill as a scientist and skeptic, including a debunking of hoaxers ar More...
Other essays display his skill as a scientist and skeptic, including a debunking of hoaxers ar More...
Jan 16, 2012
Michaela
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Others have done a good job of explaining what this book is about, so here's an opinion!
It's been years since I finished this book for the first time, but I'm still going back to it to resolve arguments and clear up my own misunderstandings. The writing is extremely entertaining and accessible (I first read it when I was fifteen and nothing confused me or had me out of my depth), while also being rigorous, and Plait avoids oversimplifying things, which is a huge pet hate of mine in More...
It's been years since I finished this book for the first time, but I'm still going back to it to resolve arguments and clear up my own misunderstandings. The writing is extremely entertaining and accessible (I first read it when I was fifteen and nothing confused me or had me out of my depth), while also being rigorous, and Plait avoids oversimplifying things, which is a huge pet hate of mine in More...
Jul 25, 2010
A
rated it:
This is a great read. This book is a sound debunking of various astronomical conspiracy theories, from the Moon Landing to the face on Mars. Plait keeps things simple, and doesn't bog everything down with scientific jargon. He's also very professional in his writing, never personally attacking the people behind these theories. (Which is really amazing, since you can read transcripts of radio shows he's appeared on with these people on his website, and they are always launching personal attacks a
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Aug 01, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Fun read. I thought that I'd know most of the things that he covered, but I learned a lot from this book, including why the moon looks bigger on the horizon (I never did buy the whole "We compare it to the trees" theory). I enjoyed reading this one--the author has a nice sense of humor (a few groan-worthy puns notwithstanding).
Recommended for everyone. He uses clear comparisons and analogies. Most of the subject is directly related to things that everyone knows about and unde More...
Recommended for everyone. He uses clear comparisons and analogies. Most of the subject is directly related to things that everyone knows about and unde More...
Aug 09, 2008
Peter
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I have a bit of an interest in astronomy and astrophysics and such like, although not enough to really get into the weighty material on the topic. This book was good because it is written largely for folks like me, whose technical knowledge of the subject is quite limited, but who want to learn a bit more.
There's a good number of chapters on various interesting things which I didn't understand or which I misunderstood, such as water swirling down a drain, and why the sky is blue and More...
There's a good number of chapters on various interesting things which I didn't understand or which I misunderstood, such as water swirling down a drain, and why the sky is blue and More...
Nov 11, 2011
Lafcadio
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So many times I've wanted to shove this book into someone's hands. The standing the egg on end on the equinox thing is among the misconceptions that gets me sputtering the most. On The West Wing, Toby's argument is that you can't stand an egg on end ever, but really the argument should be that you can stand an egg on end whenever you have the patience to try. The fact that people only try on the equinox is silly.
Also, coriolis effect in your toilet? Dumb.
Also, coriolis effect in your toilet? Dumb.
Apr 24, 2011
Sijmen
rated it:
A fine book but a bit of a letdown after reading Death from the Skies first, the latter being a much more in-depth and engaging read. I found myself skimming over parts of this book, as I was looking for more interesting things about astronomy instead of more debunking – of which this book has a lot.
Plait’s writing is still really fun though, and the book doesn’t fail to stir up excitement for astronomy and it’s a great introduction to this fascinating field of science. I wish I had More...
Plait’s writing is still really fun though, and the book doesn’t fail to stir up excitement for astronomy and it’s a great introduction to this fascinating field of science. I wish I had More...
May 03, 2011
terpkristin
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Let's be honest. If there was anything in this book that I didn't know, I should be calling UMd and returning my degrees. I didn't listen to this book to find out what science/astronomy misconceptions I've been harboring; I listened to it to find out what misconceptions are out there. Some I've heard before. Some I hadn't. I think the most interesting part of a book like this is learning what misconceptions are out there and learning how to respond in a down-to-Earth manner. I enjoyed it.
Aug 09, 2010
Sophie
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This was a fun read. It taught me some stuff I didn't know, and clarified some concepts I only vaguely knew about. But in the end I think I prefer Plait's website. The stuff I really like--the debunking of movie "science"--was only a short chapter in the book, and there's much more of that at the blog.
Also, something that happens EVERY SIX MONTHS (such as an eclipse) is not a "rare" event, Mr. Plait. *glare*
Also, something that happens EVERY SIX MONTHS (such as an eclipse) is not a "rare" event, Mr. Plait. *glare*
Jan 10, 2010
Andrew
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A very nicely done series of essays by a most earnest astronomer concerned about getting things right. He may not be very nice to astrologers, but that's how science is. His website is terrific and his work re the supposed moon-landing hoax is among the best. Definitely worth a look,and not a difficult or overly technical read.
Aug 31, 2011
Barbara
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The average American knows more about what Julia Roberts eats for breakfast than what the Coriolis effect is, and Dr. Plait thinks that should change. I think this book should be mandatory reading for anyone remotely interested in astronomy and/or science fiction. His website is just as informative.
Aug 04, 2011
Olivier
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Just finished this one. Full of common misunderstandings juxtaposed by scientific fact explained in clear terms that can be understood by any layman. Specked with a good dose of humor, it was both fun and interesting to read. I especially found the part about light and the tides very interesting.
Jun 16, 2010
Paul
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An excellent and well-written account of how tv and the movies manage to get most of the 'facts' about space wrong. Plait also clears up some common misunderstandings, such as whether you really can have a star named after you, and what would happen if your named star should drop out of the sky.
Dec 03, 2010
Jason
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As a skeptic and something of an astronomy buff, I really enjoyed this book. Some of the material is fairly basic for someone with a background in science, but Plait does a marvelous job of debunking common myths, misconceptions, such as astrology and the non-event of planetary alignments. Most importantly, he convincingly explains why science is not just a point of view on equal footing with pop philosophy and pseudoscience.
May 24, 2011
Sesana
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I don't think you really need to be an astronomer to realize that what people normal believe about the skies... Well, it doesn't necessarily match reality. To say the least. That's where Bad Astronomy comes in, to show exactly where we've gone wrong. The targets vary widely, from the simple fact that starships don't woosh to exactly why astrology is so silly. And, as the cover and title both suggest, the idea that the moon landing was hoaxed. Obviously, it's a light, popular science read. And it
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Jan 07, 2011
Westerville
rated it:
"The author clears up some common misconceptions in astronomy in a humorous way." - Jess, Adult Services Librarian
Reserve a library copy!
Reserve a library copy!
Jan 15, 2011
Ann
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I picked this up after seeing "Bad Universe" on the Discovery Channel, and was not disappointed. I learned a lot...though I doubt I'll be able to remember everything. Well written, though a few of the essays were a little more complex than I could handle half-asleep before bed. (They made MUCH more sense to me in the morning)
But one thing that I really appreciate about Phil Plait is that he admits mistakes. This whole book is about clearing up misconceptions, and Phil i More...
But one thing that I really appreciate about Phil Plait is that he admits mistakes. This whole book is about clearing up misconceptions, and Phil i More...
Jun 30, 2011
Fred
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Great skeptic tome, although it doesn't flow together very well. It's much better as a one-at-a-time lookup of specific things that you want to debunk. And he does a very good job of debunking lots of nonsense and pseudoscience.
Apr 13, 2011
Keith
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Phil Plait is just plain fun to read. Informative, yes, but ginormously fun as well. I read Death From the Skies! first (and didn't realize this book existed for a long while - I thought "author of Bad Astronomy" referred to his long-running blog currently hosted by Discover).
"The Bad Astronomer" is my favorite blogger - I check in every day for spectacular astral vistas and objects and events, engaging commentary and a generally fun community is to be found in th More...
"The Bad Astronomer" is my favorite blogger - I check in every day for spectacular astral vistas and objects and events, engaging commentary and a generally fun community is to be found in th More...
Nov 10, 2011
Olga
rated it: 
It is a good book, with chapters describing why the sky is blue or why the stars flicker, but it is written in such a simple way, i felt like it was written for children. Or just maybe I knew already much of the stuff described there and I didn't felt learning something new. Anyhow, if you don't know much about astronomy, this book is good for you!
Sep 05, 2011
Kara
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I consider myself very science-y, but there was still a lot to learn from this book. Each section starts with very basic descriptions that any layman can understand but then progresses into deeper scientific understanding of the phenomenon. It's handled so deftly that you get carried along until you are reading about comets and the complex dance between the earth, the moon and the sun.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Apr 10, 2009
Kalei
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This book was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. It got me interested in astronomy again (I got an A in it way back when ;0), and it opened up a possibility of another interesting hobby for me in the future.
Aug 28, 2011
Todd
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Mostly interesting, but Bad Astronomy covers some fairly stale topics such as the moon landing hoax and astrology. I know people still believe this stuff and Phil may want to set them straight, but I'm pretty sure most of them can't read.
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Jul 08, 2011
Don
rated it:
As part of my recent interest (or infatuation, who knows) with science, and particularly astronomy, I took up this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Plait has an easy to read writing style, and while I was not guilty of most of the misconceptions, it was still enlightening to know the actual reasons certain ideas are just false (like being able to stand an egg up only on the equinox), as well as have a few of my own misconceptions corrected. Informative, interesting read.
Jul 18, 2010
Stewart
rated it:
A cool book, and well worth a read...
Before you read it, go to www.youtube.com and listen to Phil talk about something he's passionate about. Then, when you're reading it, the little voice in your head narrating, will be that of Phil's, with the same passionate intonation....
Before you read it, go to www.youtube.com and listen to Phil talk about something he's passionate about. Then, when you're reading it, the little voice in your head narrating, will be that of Phil's, with the same passionate intonation....
Nov 13, 2009
Jen
rated it:
I love this guy! It's like listening to an old, favorite science teacher. The one that always encouraged you to go outside and apply what you've learned.
Aug 11, 2011
Surprising book. I had some misconceptions, that were Bad Astronomy, which was unsettling, to say the least :)
