Special thanks to MasterBooks for providing a copy for review purposes.
Book Description:
The universe is an amazing declaration of the glory and power of God! Beautiful and breathtaking in its scale, the vast expanse of the universe is one that we struggle to study, understand, or even comprehend in terms of its purpose and size. Now take an incredible look at the mysteries and marvels of space in The New Astronomy Book!
About the Author:
Dr. Danny R. Faulkner has a B.S. (Math), M.S. (Physics), M.A. and Ph.D. (Astronomy, Indiana University). He is Full Professor at the University of South Carolina — Lancaster, where he teaches physics and astronomy. He has published about two dozen papers in various astronomy and astrophysics journals. He is also the author of Universe by Design. You can read more about Dr. Faulkner at his USC Lancaster faculty page.
Book Details:
Series: Wonders of Creation
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Master Books (September 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0890518343
ISBN-13: 978-0890518342
Retail Price: $16.99
Digital version also available
My Thoughts:
We had the original version of The Astronomy Book in our home library already, so I was eager to see how this updated version compared to it. The first thing that I noticed is that there is a completely different author for this book. The next thing that I noticed is that it has been updated to include the 3 levels of learning that you find in all the newer books in the Wonders of Creation series. Obviously, some of the data has been updated as there have been changes in astronomy since the publishing of the original book such as Pluto no longer being classified as a planet.
If you’re not familiar with the layout of the new Wonders of Creations series, it’s laid out in a manner that helps the student/reader cover the material according to their learning level. It has different color backgrounds for the different levels: level one – off-white background, level two – purple background, and level three – blue gridded background. It’s a quick and easy way to identify the knowledge level that goes from basic to upper level learning concepts. Everything is presented from a Biblical worldview where God is the creator of the universe.
Each topic has a quick look at the words/concepts that will be covered in the upcoming chapter. Throughout the chapters, there are little notes on the history of the race to space as well as people who have influenced the world.
I like that this book can be tailored to all ages and easy be turned into the basis for a unit study in astronomy. Because this is presented from a Biblical worldview, you’ll look into Biblical history as well as study what the Bible says about various aspects of astronomy. Full color images, charts, and graphics make the study come to life for readers. For those who enjoy studying the constellations, the book even includes images of the night sky for the four different seasons. Finally, the book includes a beautiful pull-out poster featuring our solar system.
The New Astronomy Book is a beautiful upgrade from the previous version, and I definitely recommend adding it to your collection even if you already have the old version.
