The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-01
-Dietz on Science
BOOKS FAVORED
FOR FOLLOWERS
OF ASTRONOMY
Large and Small Volumes
Available: Pictures
Abound in One.
BY TAVID DIETZ
geripps Howard Science Editor

scripps- Howard Science Editor
A reader asks for a list Of good
books dealing with the subject OF
astronomy. The past year has seen
the publication Of Sir Arthur Ed
dington's The Expanding Universe,
an excellent book which undertakes
to explain this latest theory OF the
universe makers.
But to answer the question l must
go back over the publications OF the
last few years. Good books on as
tronomy are not published with the
frequency Of novels. On the otner
hand, they are not as ephemeral as
many novels.
While new theories are being ad-
vanced constantly, book published
three or four years ago is sufficient
" up-to-date for all practical pur-
poses. for the great mass OF estab-
Ished astronomical knowledge does
not change.
An excellent little book, telling
how astronomers arrived at their
present knowledge Of the universe,
was published last year. 1t is THE
Universe Unfolding" by Dr. Robert
H. Baker. professor of astronomy IN
the University of Illinois. CThe
book is published by Williams &
wilkins at SD
General Book Cited
A popular general astronomy is
THE Pageant of the Stars" by Will
liam J. Luyten, assistant professor
of astronomy at Harvard university.
1t was published in 1929 by Double
day. Doran 81 Co. 1t is written
simply enough to provide splendid
introduction to the subject OF as
tronomy.
Another fine book is Man and
the Stars by Harlan True Stet-
son, director of the Perkins observa-
tory of Ohio Wesleyan university.
It was published in 1880 by Whit
tlesey House at $3.50.
DR.. Stetson has written his book
from the historical point OF view,
stressing the lives and achievements
of the astronomers of the past. But
he dealt also with the modern
knowledge Of the subject and in the
closing chapters of the book departs
from conventional paths to discuss
in detail three interesting questions,
namely: rs there life on other
planets?" Has life any cosmic sig
nifcance?' and Has science dis
placed religion?"
Covers Wide Field
An attempt to trace the organiza-
ton of the universe from the cleo
tron to the super-galaxy will be
found in Flights From Chaos, by
DR.. Harlow Shapley, professor OF
astronomy at Harvard university
and director of the Harvard college
observatory. The book was pub
lished by Whittlesey House in 1880
DR.. Shapley traces each step from
the confusion of chaos to the order
illness of an organized universe-the
lssrertron, the atom, the molecule,
the crystal, the meteor, moons and
stars
A small book, interesting to those
who wish to keep abreast OF the
latest developments il big tele-
scopes and in the study Of the sun
is Signals From the Stars by DR..
George ElIery Hale. director emer-
titus of the Mt. Wilson observatory.
The book was published in 1881 by
ScribnerS.
Instructs With Pictures
"Alice in Wonderland asked:
what is the use of a book with
out pictures?'
Evidently the editors of "Splen-
dor of the Heavens" agreed with her,
for while the text of this book was
contributed by a group OF Eng
lands beSt-known astronomers, 1t IS
essentially a picture book OF as
tronOmy.
The book is a big one, a quarto
volume of 976 pages. There is to-
tai Of l .104 illustrations in black and
white and twenty-five in color. 1t
was published by Mcbride in 1881
at $3.50.
This list would not be complete
without some of the books by Jeans
and Sir Arthur EddingtOn. I have
already mentioned the latter's The
Expanding Universe An older
book of his stars and Atoms pub
lished by the Yale University Press
in 1927. Jeans is the author of a
new book this year, The New Back
ground of Science" dealing with
theoretical physics, but applying to
the field of astronomy in many
ways.
In conclusion. perhaps the reader
will not think me too forward If 1
mention my own book, The Story
of Science" published in 1881 by
Sears. and now about to enter its
third edition. About one-third OF
the book deals with the subject OF
astronomy.