With her blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Longitude and Galileos Daughter, Dava Sobel used her rare and luminous gift f...
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Nov 25, 2008
Chelsea
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Dava Sobel manages beautifully and engagingly to bring these heavenly bodies as close as one's own backyard. With eloquent descriptions of their compositions, the reader is transported throughout the solar system from the scorching toxic surface of Venus to the seas of liquid metallic hydrogen underneath Jupiter's crushing atmosphere and beyond.
The chapters are organized by planet and they include discussions on history, mythology, geology, and the scientific community that has dis More...
The chapters are organized by planet and they include discussions on history, mythology, geology, and the scientific community that has dis More...
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Jan 27, 2009
Robertisenberg
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Sobel, surely one of the greatest science writers writing in the English language, has steeped just my cup of tea: "The Planets" is fun, clever, enjoyable, and exactly the kind of book I would write myself if I only felt more comfortable around science. Each chapter is illuminating and fun, and she achieves her mission, which is to inspire others to love the Solar System's quirky nature as much as she does.
At the same time, "The Planets" doesn't have much push to More...
At the same time, "The Planets" doesn't have much push to More...
Aug 11, 2011
David
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This is one of those wonderful books that is both informative and entertaining. Dava Sobel has a way of making scientific topics not just accessible, but engaging and delightful to read.
Sobel devotes one chapter to each planet, including the sun, the moon, and the earth, and interweaves cultural history and mythology with scientific background and facts. The result is much more than a brief education on our solar system...it is equally a survey of humanity's experience with and attit More...
Sobel devotes one chapter to each planet, including the sun, the moon, and the earth, and interweaves cultural history and mythology with scientific background and facts. The result is much more than a brief education on our solar system...it is equally a survey of humanity's experience with and attit More...
Apr 09, 2011
Bojan
rated it: 
I've read and been delighted by Longitude and Galileo's Daughter so when I came across "The Planets." I was intrigued and wanted to read it. I knew even before I bought the book that it would be nothing like the other two by Dava Sobel, but by now she has established herself as a great writer and I trusted her and her instincts. If she wanted to take an unorthodox trip across the Solar System, I was all too willing to buy a ticket for the journey. And it was a refreshingly new look at
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Mar 04, 2010
Bruce
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From http://flyingsinger.blogspot.com/2009/05...
Though I'm trying to save trees by buying most of my reading material in electronic form these days, I still have a thing for books, especially good books that are really cheap, like the $4.99 hardcover copy of The Planets by Dava Sobel that I found in a bookstore last week. I've known about this 2005 book for some time, but I thought of it as something of a collection of anecdotes that I'm probably familiar with anyway, so I never bothe More...
Though I'm trying to save trees by buying most of my reading material in electronic form these days, I still have a thing for books, especially good books that are really cheap, like the $4.99 hardcover copy of The Planets by Dava Sobel that I found in a bookstore last week. I've known about this 2005 book for some time, but I thought of it as something of a collection of anecdotes that I'm probably familiar with anyway, so I never bothe More...
Jul 12, 2009
Alan
rated it:
Wanderers ...
... synonomous with "planets" and rather descriptive of Dava Sobel's little book of the same name, The Planets.
The book is organized as a set of independent short essays, one for each planet plus the Sun and Moon. Describing the planets as "an assortment of magic beans or precious gems," Sobel addresses these essays to cultural themes, not solar system science. The result is quite a departure from the compelling and coherent historical na More...
... synonomous with "planets" and rather descriptive of Dava Sobel's little book of the same name, The Planets.
The book is organized as a set of independent short essays, one for each planet plus the Sun and Moon. Describing the planets as "an assortment of magic beans or precious gems," Sobel addresses these essays to cultural themes, not solar system science. The result is quite a departure from the compelling and coherent historical na More...
Feb 05, 2009
Sobel, author of best-selling Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, combines spare, poetic, and descriptive writing with facts worthy of a textbook. Readers will be familiar with some of Sobel's stories about Kepler, Galileo, and Halley, but lesser-known ones featuring Maria Mitchell or Clyde Tombaugh will fascinate neophytes. While Sobel cleverly makes each planet relevant to various themes, from women's issues to modern technologies, and never fails to entertain, critics agree that Planets is not
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Jan 14, 2009
Jack Kirby and the X-man
rated it: 
I was really looking forward to reading this book - having loved Longitude.
Unfortunately I was disappointed. Had I not had high expectations this may have made 3 stars, but having been disappointed it gets 2.
The first rumblings of discontent occurred on Pg 29 at the end of Genesis (The Sun), where Dava comments on the amazing coincidences that allow a total solar eclipse when viewed from Earth - "Or is this startling manifestation of the Sun's hidden splendour p More...
Unfortunately I was disappointed. Had I not had high expectations this may have made 3 stars, but having been disappointed it gets 2.
The first rumblings of discontent occurred on Pg 29 at the end of Genesis (The Sun), where Dava comments on the amazing coincidences that allow a total solar eclipse when viewed from Earth - "Or is this startling manifestation of the Sun's hidden splendour p More...
Nov 02, 2009
Jan
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Although her language is a bit overblown at times, I still greatly enjoyed Dava Sobel's The Planets, a lay man's guide to the solar system.
According to the jacket cover, much of Sobel's work is dedicated to making astronomy interesting for the common person. I think she does a very good job at this. Her book was easy to read without being dumbed-down. Even rather complex concepts were explained in a way that makes quick sense.
I learned a lot from this book. I felt excited More...
According to the jacket cover, much of Sobel's work is dedicated to making astronomy interesting for the common person. I think she does a very good job at this. Her book was easy to read without being dumbed-down. Even rather complex concepts were explained in a way that makes quick sense.
I learned a lot from this book. I felt excited More...
Aug 03, 2011
ttrygve
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I really wanted (and fully expected) to enjoy this. And while many parts of it were interesting and informative, I just cannot get over the baffling amount of serious attention she paid to astrology, going so far as to lament the fact that horoscopes for *NASA probes* weren't consulted as a possible way to have avoided certain misfortunes! This purports to be a scientific book, how in the world am I supposed to take this author seriously after that? She also briefly, but repeatedly, sidetracked
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Nov 16, 2010
Angel
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This is a nice pleasant book to read, but I don't think it is the author's best. I found Longitude and Galileo's Daughter to be better books overall. Part of the reason that I did not think as much of the book is the chapter on Uranus and Neptune where she uses a long letter as the way to carry the chapter narrative. The conceit went on for way too long to the point that I just skimmed it. Compared to the other chapters, the narrative on that chapter slowed the book down. For example, the chapte
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Apr 17, 2010
The author of this book is a former NYTimes Science writer and her writing is factual, lyrical and visual. Each chapter in this book focuses on a part of the solar system, beginning with the sun, the chemistry that formed it, the mythology behind it, the history of astronomy and determining that the sun was the centre of the system. She then works through each planet, Mercury onward, describing in vivid detail the respective climates/surfaces/qualities about these places. What is it like on Jupi
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Mar 17, 2010
Alice
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Believe it or not I picked this book up at the Dollar Store and I'm really glad that I did. Sobel does an incredible job of making what could be dry science into an exciting experience.
Each chapter in the book deals with a part of our Solar System- from the Sun to Pluto and beyond. She mixes science with math, mythology, history, music, art, astrology and more. Each chapter takes a unique look at what is in the sky around us.
While I've always enjoyed the planets in gene More...
Each chapter in the book deals with a part of our Solar System- from the Sun to Pluto and beyond. She mixes science with math, mythology, history, music, art, astrology and more. Each chapter takes a unique look at what is in the sky around us.
While I've always enjoyed the planets in gene More...
Jul 30, 2011
A mediocre stab at planetary survey. The narrative styles and accoutrement are certainly varied. Below average poetry accompanies the beginning planets' descriptions. Astrology is too prevalent among the whole, though it stops short of overwhelming the scientific material. Good part on the Cassini mission and the description of Saturnian moons.
My star rating attempts to represent the opinion of an average reader. If you love astrology, add one half or a full star to this rating. If you seek a w More...
My star rating attempts to represent the opinion of an average reader. If you love astrology, add one half or a full star to this rating. If you seek a w More...
Aug 05, 2011
Moonchyme
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I picked this up (on major sale), due to my recent infatuation with planets, and the moon especially. I enjoyed that she made each chapter centering around a different planet/celestial body, explaining the more mysterious aspects of each through anecdotes, centuries-old letters, a glossary, and, my favorite, a recap of the major points made from each chapter in the back. Nice for getting your basic facts about each planet, and nicer for their "weirdnity"~ things you wouldn't expect. Th
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Apr 16, 2010
Kimberly
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The way that the book was written is rather curious. I had to read this book for a summer project and I admit it was really interesting at first. But the chapters differed so much in how it was written I found myself bobbing my head awake in the next several chapters. Some chapters about some planets were interesting while others were not, but I managed to finish the book, so no complaints.
Anyhow, if you are highly interested in a little mythology, rockets, meteor dust, and science, I'm s More...
Anyhow, if you are highly interested in a little mythology, rockets, meteor dust, and science, I'm s More...
Mar 10, 2011
Cassandra
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I don't really understand the style of it all. Why write about something so haphazardly? It contains just enough science to I suppose be considered science. Yet she uses each chapter to tell one particular story relating to each of the planets in turn. The stories have no tie in. There seems to be little reason for each choice. There is also a terrible mixing in of non scientific information that also seems to be chosen at random and perhaps irrelevant. I guess the ordering of it is just not for
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Nov 30, 2008
Yosafbridg
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I just can't seem to stay away from those solar system books and this week's pick is The Planets by Dava Sobel (she of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter fame). Sobel writes in a lyrical style somewhat similar to Diane Ackerman (one of my favorite authors--who Sobel in her infinite wisdom quotes in her preface, further endearing herself to me), she makes her scientific subject sound like poetry. She has NOT resigned herself to mere boring descriptions of each planet but has given each its own indi
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May 19, 2008
Nicole
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Definitely a diet version of our solar system's history, but that didn't make it a bad book. Sobel clearly loves astronomy, and I felt the book was enthusiastically and lovingly written, probably with the hope of bringing more people into the fold. It fleshed out a lot of the personal side of astronomy, telling the stories of the astronomers who discovered planets and changed our understanding of space. It also generally picked topics that were both scientifically important and just plain int
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Jan 03, 2008
Ben
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This is the first book I have read in a long time that had me strongly tempted to abandon the journey fifty pages in. Although I know Sobel's writing style has garnered high praise from far and wide, I was not particularly taken with her approach to blending science, mythology, astrology, and religion. I find it all a bit contrived, even forced at times. I was always very conscious of the writer's presence, more so than I usually care to be. As a result, I felt like I never had a chance to reall
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Sep 16, 2010
Alex
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THE PLANETS BY DAVA SOBEL: This is another book I bought because of it's beautiful cover, especially in the hardcover edition, and one which, after reading, I thought had failed in it's job. I've read Sobel's Galileo's Daughter, which I really enjoyed with the mixture of history, science and story, so I had high hopes for The Planets. There was a chapter on each of the nine planets, along with one for the sun and the moon, and an intro and an epilogue. The book was under 300 pages and I felt did
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Oct 17, 2007
Ryan
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An interesting read overall. I can't say that it added a lot to my understanding of the planets, but it was a lot more fun to learn about them through Sobel's literary narrative than my astronomy text books.
I wouldn't recommend it for someone that is interested in the nuts and bolts of how we know what we know about the planets. Tim Ferris' "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" does a better job of that. For example, he delves into the formulae of Kepler's laws and how the AU (E More...
I wouldn't recommend it for someone that is interested in the nuts and bolts of how we know what we know about the planets. Tim Ferris' "Coming of Age in the Milky Way" does a better job of that. For example, he delves into the formulae of Kepler's laws and how the AU (E More...
Aug 04, 2007
Laura
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Beautifully written collection of facts, anecdotes, and personal musings about the planets. Sobel is a wonderful writer, and the real strength of this book is the beauty of the prose. After all, you can get most of the information offered here in a textbook or on Wikipedia. Each heavenly body (not just planets; the moon is included) gets its own chapter, and she approaches each one a bit differently. Some chapters are straightforward narrative, and she takes creative liberties with others. For e
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Aug 09, 2011
Ben
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There's some good info in The Planets if you don't mind an entire chapter dedicated to a talking Martian rock. Oh, and don't get me started on the tonal difficulties of reading a horoscope for the Jupiter probe. It's like, really? A horoscope? We're talking about a probe for crying out loud.
Where Sobel succeeds is in her research. She clearly knows her stuff. She's just going to give it to you in the format of the society pages - you know, served with like a magnum bottle of irony.
Where Sobel succeeds is in her research. She clearly knows her stuff. She's just going to give it to you in the format of the society pages - you know, served with like a magnum bottle of irony.
Jul 31, 2011
James
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Reading The Planets six years on is certainly an act of nostalgia. As with any book on astronomy, it rapidly becomes dated, as in 2005, spacecraft then just launched have since ended their missions, there was "not a drop of water" on the moon, and Pluto remained one of the nine (nine!) planets. But what does not change, and what Sobel manages to capture to perfection, is man's fascination with his nearest neighbors. Sobel's fantastic prose keeps what could be dreary scientific matter l
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Mar 16, 2011
Eva
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This is an interesting diversion to the study of astronomy. Sobel keeps the book short and to the point, each chapter (about a major body in the solar system) is told in a different style, meant to highlight different aspects of how humans relate to the heavens themselves. The book tried to relay information as well as an awe of the planets/solar system/galaxy/universe itself, and since it was such a quick read (with each chapter acting as an independent essay), it worked.
Jul 09, 2009
Daniel
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Reading this over the past two weeks has filled me with new electricity and excitement about the sky. Or rather, it's re-ignited a lot of my excitement about the cosmos. About the middle of my reading was the 4th of July, when apparently Jupiter and Neptune both are visible enough to see. And the same night four strange red lights hover high above us in the San Diego sky until sometime during the fireworks display. All these things and more now have a lot more weight now I've read this book and
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Apr 20, 2010
Terry
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Dava does it again. She is a very together writer and I love what she does with The Planets. She organizes the history of our growing knowledge of our solar system in a simple and loving manner. Precious at times, the book is very readable, moves quickly, and delivers a satisfying reward. I like what she does in writing some of the chapters from unusual perspectives - she doesn't quite pull it off but I applaud the effort.
Top-notch.
:)
Top-notch.
:)
Nov 04, 2011
Upom
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An intriguing tour of our solar system through a series of creative essays, from a viewpoint of mars from a meteorite to a correspondence with Caroline Herschell. Would have been good to have some pictures to clarify some of the more obscure points of the book, but it's an interesting jaunt through the solar neighborhood, but the colorful poetic language and the various pop culture allusions helps make it an enjoyable read.
Nov 16, 2011
David
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Talking book version. Started slow but better and more informative after the first disk. See how it pans out. Well that was then. By the end of the book I must say I found it disappointing. Too much padding and not enough solid fact. I don't mind a bit of astrology and very much enjoy Greek and Roman (and Scandinavian, and Indian) mythology but it just seemed sort of tacked on and over the top. A shame since Sobel can write very well.
