The Book of The Moon: A Guide to Our Closest Neighbor — By Maggie Aderin-Pocock

The Book of the Moon: A Guide to Our Closest Neighbor is a delightful and informative love letter to the Moon.

Whether you're a casual viewer of the night skies or a dedicated observer, join lunar fanatic Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock in this unique introduction to and celebration of our phenomenal Moon.

The Book of the Moon was published in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing by Apollo 11. 

Have you ever wondered if there are seasons on the moon or if space tourism will ever become commonplace? So has Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock. In fact, she earned her nickname “Lunatic” because of her deep fascination for all things lunar. And she is widely recognized in the United Kingdom as "the face of space" because of her popular BBC show about astronomy, "The Sky at Night".

In her lucidly written, comprehensive guide to the Moon, Aderin-Pocock takes readers on a journey to our closest celestial neighbor, exploring folklore, facts, and future plans.

She begins with the basics, unpacking everything from the moon’s topography and composition to its formation and orbit around the Earth.

She travels back in time to track humanity’s relationship with the moon — beliefs held by ancient civilizations, the technology that allowed for the first moon landing, a brief history of moongazing, and how the moon has influenced culture throughout the years — and then to the future, analyzing the pros and cons of continued space travel and exploration.

The Book of the Moon is divided into four main sections, after an introduction about "Why Be a Lunatic?":

• Moon 101: The Basics - A description of the physical properties of the moon, its environment, and how it formed.
• Moon Past: The Moon in Our Culture - This was easily my favorite section. Topics here are broken down into refreshingly varied groups of five. Five people, five places, five poems, five works of art, and more. 
• Moon Present: A Sharper Focus - Tools and techniques for observing the moon accompanied by a description of our recent past involving the moon from, the beginning of the Space Race to present.  
• Moon Future: What Lies Ahead? - An enlightening discussion of the future of science, commerce, and settlement on our moon.

Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock's passion for the Moon comes through on every page of The Book of the Moon; Her writing is clear and engaging, and the diagrams provide useful visual guides to the concepts she conveys.

Throughout the book are sidebars, graphs, and charts to enhance the facts as well as black-and-white illustrations of the moon and stars.

And, in the upper, right-hand corner of each page is an illustration that depicts the various phases of the moon that will evolve as you move from page to page.  

This small, beautiful hardcover book is absolutely packed with figures and data that all fascinate and delight all, and it also explores the deep connection that humans have had with the Moon from our earliest days.

It is a wonderful homage to the Moon written by an adoring fan, accomplished space scientist, and talented communicator who, like Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson, has the gift of making you a want to lean in to learn, be awed and amazed, and leaves you wanting more!

The Book of the Moon makes a great gift, and it is the perfect size and companion for Moon gazing nights — wherever you are!

 THE DETAILS

Format / Condition: New, Hardcover

Published: April 9, 2019

Publisher: Abrams Image

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3849-4

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 5" inches x 7.75" inches

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock is an Honorary Research Associate in University College London’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. She is widely recognized as the BBC’s “face of space,” presenting the The Sky at Night to nearly 500,000 weekly viewers.

With a degree in physics from Imperial College and a PhD in mechanical engineering, she has worked as a space scientist and astrophysicist for many years and now tours the UK speaking to inner-city schools and inspiring the next generation of physicists.

In 2006, she was one of six “Women of Outstanding Achievement” winners with GetSET Women.

Here's a wonderful story about Dr. Aderin Pocock being a dyslexic young girl in London who loved looking up at the sky and the stars.