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The World's Easiest Astronomy Book

4.53 of 5 stars 4.53 · rating details · 19 ratings · 12 reviews

Can we live on the moon? Can we travel to the future? Why is the sky blue? Questions we all ponder are answered in The World's Easiest Astronomy Book, written by a former Aerospace Development Specialist turned high school teacher, Hitoshi Nakagawa. Hitoshi takes us through the difficult-to-understand subjects of space and the universe beyond with simple, easy-to-understan...more

Paperback, 117 pages

Published September 15th 2009 by One Peace Books

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May 06, 2010 Leeanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

The World's Easiest Astronomy Book, by Hitoshi Nakagawa

If you've ever been curious about space, but turned off by books filled with formulas and scientific detail, "The World's Easiest Astronomy Book" is for you.

In 44 short chapters or lessons, the author answers many questions about life in space, space exploration, and the universe. Lessons include, "Why is the Sky Blue," "Could Mankind Live on the Moon," "Life on the Space Station - Language and Food," and "What is Outside the Universe?" Eac...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Jane Maritz rated it 4 of 5 stars

What I Liked: This book covers complex topics in an extremely easy-to-understand format. It would make a sweet homeschool textbook for a middle grader, with each of its short 44 chapters the basis for a separate unit study. Or it would be a good overview/introduction to astronomy – as it’s simple and entertaining enough to read through in a couple of sessions. It’s full of straightforward answers to questions that I’ve forgotten having.

Some of the chapters I enjoyed included A Bird in an Airplan...more

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Nov 07, 2009 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book
Author: Hitoshi Nakagawa
Publisher: One Peace Books, Inc.
USBN: 978-0-9785084-4-9
Reviewed by: Karen Cioffi, a reviewer for BookPleasures.com

Many children and adults are interested in space. We may think of outer space as the Heavens, or a source of exploration with infinite possibilities, or a place where discoveries are waiting to be made. According to Space.com: “Astronomy is defined as the scientific study of matter in outer space; particularly the posit...more Title: The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book
Author: Hitoshi Nakagawa
Publisher: One Peace Books, Inc.
USBN: 978-0-9785084-4-9
Reviewed by: Karen Cioffi, a reviewer for BookPleasures.com

Many children and adults are interested in space. We may think of outer space as the Heavens, or a source of exploration with infinite possibilities, or a place where discoveries are waiting to be made. According to Space.com: “Astronomy is defined as the scientific study of matter in outer space; particularly the positions, dimensions, distribution, motion, composition, energy, and evolution of celestial bodies (planets, stars) and other phenomena.”

The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book is a must have for anyone whose imagination is peaked by the universe. It is especially a must for those with children or grandchildren. Nakagawa covers a number of topics including: do aliens really exist; living at light speed; temperature in space; is there wind in space; the centrifugal force of the earth; and so much more. And, he explains the topics with easy to understand content.

This 111 page book is jammed packed with tidbits of information about space. Information that I find fascinating and I know my very young grandsons, when they’re a bit older, will enjoy learning about also. One of the most interesting topics, to me, was, Everything We See is in the Past. The author explains that: “The speed of light is 300,000 km (186,000 miles) per second, meaning that light could circle the Earth seven and a half times in a single second. Even at this incredible speed it still takes light from the Sun 8 minutes to reach the Earth.”

So, how does this relate to the title of the topic? Well, according to Nakagawa: “Light is reflected by objects, and shortly afterwards arrives at your eyes allowing you to see it. The same is true even for this book. Hold this book 12 inches from your eyes and you’re looking at an image of this book 0.000 000001 seconds in the past.”

Nakagawa also touches on man-made space debris and space station garbage. It appears we are not only polluting the Earth, but we’ve managed to bring pollution above and beyond. The debris from satellites and launching rockets is not only littering the heavens, it can also be problematic for spacecrafts and satellites. Debris between 1 cm and 10 cm can do damage to a spacecraft if it hits. Fragments larger than 10 cm are even more dangerous and are tracked by The Space Control Center, part of United Stares Strategic Command.

The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book sheds light on some very complex subjects with easy to understand explanations. While one or two topics, at the most, could have used a bit more clarity, and the book does not have an index, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it.

About the author: Hiroshi Nakagawa is a former JAXA space exploration officer. After studying in America he returned to Japan and taught in an American university before assisting the Japanese space development program. He now lives in Osaka and teaches at a High School.

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Nov 02, 2009 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The World's Easiest Astronomy Book" by Hitoshi Nakagawa is a wonderful little book that answers questions like "Why is the sky blue?" and "Is there wind in space?" in easy to understand language appropriate for middle school age readers and above. The information is presented in 44 short lessons with cute illustrations drawn in crayon and gives the basic knowledge to satisfy the reader's curiosity.

Even though this book was probably written for a younger audience, I really enjoyed it and learne...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Angela Simmons rated it 5 of 5 stars

“The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book”, is your one stop book for all you need to know about the universe as well as the world you live. Broken down in kid friendly language “The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book”, is one book that both parents and teachers should have on hand. Chocked full of interesting lessons with titles such as “How Far Is Space”, “Do Aliens Really Exist”, “Can You Hear Sound In Space”, “Meteorite”, “Is There Wind In Space”, and many more exciting topics. Hitoshi Nakagawa has al...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: kids and teens who love science and astronomy

Shelves: non-fiction

Okay, so science wasn’t my forte in high school, but I always wanted to understand the mysteries of the universe—the simple way. If you’re nodding your head in understanding, you will love The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book, a little gem of a book that lives up to its name. Although written for young teens or astronomy-loving middle graders, I would certainly recommend it for all ages.

Hitoshi Nakagawa, a former JAXA space exploration officer and current high school teacher, has the amazing talen...more Okay, so science wasn’t my forte in high school, but I always wanted to understand the mysteries of the universe—the simple way. If you’re nodding your head in understanding, you will love The World’s Easiest Astronomy Book, a little gem of a book that lives up to its name. Although written for young teens or astronomy-loving middle graders, I would certainly recommend it for all ages.

Hitoshi Nakagawa, a former JAXA space exploration officer and current high school teacher, has the amazing talent of explaining the wonders of space and its possibilities in easy, simple terms. Such things as universal gravitation, the theory of relativity, and the centrifugal force are no longer so complex to comprehend. They are simplified and easy to understand, as if you were listening to a knowledgeable friend whose love of the universe shone through his words as he sat and chatted with you.

The book is composed of 44 short lessons rather than chapters. Once you read the first one you will quickly want to read the rest, as your curiosity will be piqued. Nakagawa adds all sorts of tidbits about living in space and what that entails. What happens to the human body when it is in zero-gravity? And what about a flying bird? Or a lit candle? Ever heard of moon face? What’s the temperature and environment like in space? On the planets? Is time travel possible? And what is a shooting star anyway? Answers to such questions render this book fascinating.

I handed the book to a 10 year-old science-loving friend, who began reading it immediately. His observations were that although some parts of the book were a little hard to understand, he learned a lot of new things. He especially liked the short lessons as it kept the topic from getting boring, as some science books tend to do. He also found the illustrations cute.

Although this book makes no mention of God as Creator, but rather advocates the theory of evolution, it definitely made me appreciate my belief in God, the Greatest Scientist and Mathematician. The calculation of the number of stars in Lesson 21 shows the staggering, almost infinite number to be 20 billion trillion (that’s 20 followed by 21 zeros), making me instantly think of Psalm 147:4, where it speaks of God “counting the number of the stars; all of them he calls by their names.” Astounding! The author does such a marvelous job of showing us just how beautiful, calculable and mind-boggling complex the universe really is that it dispels any notion and is illogical to think it all came about by…chance? How could something as grand as the universe, which required immense energy to form, come from nothing?

Many experts in various scientific fields perceive intelligent design in nature, such as Byron Leon Meadows, who works at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the field of laser physics and states, “I find clear evidence that everything I observe has a cause. I believe that it is scientifically reasonable to accept that God is the original cause of all things in nature.”

In Lesson 12, in speaking of the definition of the universe, which comes from the Greek word cosmos (meaning an ordered system), the author concludes by stating, “Research into the structure and origins of the universe is deeply linked to a deeper understanding of the question of where we came from and where we are going.” Of course.

This well-translated version of the original Japanese bestseller is a unique book in that it introduces the marvels of the universe to young ones. The notion that “the time will surely come when countless people are born, grow up, and spend their whole lives in space” as Nakagawa concludes, may sound far-fetched to some. For me, it is forgetting that mankind’s physical, emotional and intellectual make-up thrives on this beautiful Earth, the only planet with absolutely everything in it to sustain life and most importantly, to make it enjoyable.

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May 14, 2012 Kenny Li rated it 5 of 5 stars

The World's Easiest Astronomy Book. The title fits exactly right with this book. No doubt about it, astronomy is an extremely hard subject. But, this book makes it look like 7th grade math.

This book goes into many questions and themes that regular humans think about in astronomy. This book is definitely a must read for anyone new to astronomy or just wanting to learn more. I guarantee that at least 1 thing will be learned from this book. You will learn about - if aliens exist to shooting stars a...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a perfect bathroom book.

Hitoshi Nakagawa is amazingly able to answer difficult astronomy questions thoroughly without going into detail. It was actually too easy.

The questions are interesting and I enjoyed learning a few new things. The answers often seemed too brief, though he does give wonderful examples.

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May 21, 2010 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's pretty cool that
1. when I am reading I am actually looking 1 nanosecond into the past.
2. if the Earth rotated once every 84 minutes we could all become satellites.
3. light travels on the shortest path, but this isn't necessarily a straight line. Gravity warps time and space.

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Jan 20, 2013 Tasia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reference

Really excellent reference for people just delving into the world of astronomy. How does zero-gravity work? Can we time-travel? What is centrifugal force? Can we send garbage into space? There are so many concise, insightful answers in this book. I can see how this is a Japanese Bestseller.

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Apr 17, 2013 Trey Nowell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very cool, made basic for people wanting to learn astronomy, advise it to anyone wishing to learn more.

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Mar 14, 2010 Karla rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's perfect for someone like me who has the attention span of gnat.

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Apr 24, 2013 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mar 16, 2013 Damon Gubler is currently reading it

Mar 13, 2013 Jessica C marked it as to-read

Mar 13, 2013 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jan 12, 2013 Chaimae Baaji rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nov 16, 2012 Nan Suphaphorn marked it as to-read

Shelves: astronomy

Aug 03, 2012 Anna added it

Apr 24, 2012 Jimmy B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 27, 2012 Sharlene marked it as to-read

Mar 18, 2012 Hessa Al-Mutawa marked it as to-read

Jan 23, 2012 Staci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 02, 2011 Carmen marked it as to-read

May 08, 2010 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nature, cosmic, non-fiction, science

Feb 11, 2010 Regina Hunter marked it as to-read

Feb 11, 2010 Kelly Beltz rated it 5 of 5 stars

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