BOOKSHELF

Natural History, March, 2001

The 23rd Cycle: Learning To Live With a Stormy Star, by Sten Odenwald (Columbia University Press, 2001; $27.95)

Tracing the recent history of the Sun's destructive power, astronomer Odenwald warns us about the coming cycle of solar flares and storms, which may cause blackouts, satellite malfunctions, and other kinds of havoc.

Cosmic EvoLution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature, by Eric Chaisson (Harvard University Press, 2001; $27.95)

"From galaxies to snowflakes," writes astrophysicist Chaisson, "from stars and planets to life itself, we are beginning to identify an underlying, ubiquitous pattern penetrating the fabric of all the natural sciences."

The Neptune File: A Story of Astronomical Rivalry and the Pioneers of Planet Hunting, by Tom Standage (Walker, 2000; $24)

Neptune was "discovered" in 1845 by mathematical calculation (not with a telescope), setting a precedent for a method of extrasolar planet hunting that has, to date, turned up more than forty.

Spacefaring: The Human Dimension, by Albert A. Harrison (University of California Press, 2001; $27.50)

A psychologist offers an overview of humans in space, covering such topics as motives for leaving Earth, group dynamics, and habitability of spacecraft.

Designs on Space: BLueprints for 21st Century Space Exploration, by Richard Wagner, illustrated by Howard Cook (Simon & Schuster, 2001; $24)

Elucidating blueprints for rockets, robotic arms, solar sails, and the $30 billion International Space Station, science writer Wagner shows us the equipment we'll be using to investigate the neighborhood of planet Earth.

A Thin Cosmic Rain: Particles From Outer Space, by Michael W. Friedlander (Harvard University Press, 2000; $29.95)

A physicist explains the phenomenon of cosmic rays and reveals what they tell us about the universe, the solar system, and Earth, as well as their role in the discovery of subnuclear particles.

Stardust: Supernovae and Life--The Cosmic Connection, by John Gribbin with Mary Gribbin (Yale University Press, 2000; $24.95)

The Gribbins discuss the formation of chemical elements--how they are processed inside stars, scattered across the universe in great stellar explosions, and recycled to become new stars, planets, and parts of ourselves.

Einstein's Unfinished Symphony: Listening to the Sounds of SpaceTime, by Marcia Bartusiak (Joseph Henry Press, 2000; $24.95)

Science writer Bartusiak explains how sophisticated instruments allow scientists to hear gravity waves--vibrations in space-time first postulated by Einstein.

The books mentioned are usually available in the Museum Shop, (212) 7695150, or via the Museum's Web site, www.amnh.org.