On a summer's day in June 1761; astronomers all over the world cast their eyes to the sky to witness a rare astronomical event: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. It was one of the most important collaborations of scientific history; as by racing to different points around the world and comparing results; these men hoped to unlock the key to one of the most pressing questions of the Enlightenment: the distance between the earth and the sun; which would allow them to calculate the dimensions of our solar system. For the first time; scientists from across the globe came together - despite politics; wars; trade disputes; terrible weather and bitter rivalry - to measure the universe. Transits of Venus come in pairs; eight years apart - the next one will be June 2012; and won't occur again until December 2117. We will therefore be the last people for more than a century to see a phenomenon that inspired scientists from all over the world to work together for the first time in the history of mankind. A thrilling adventure story; an inspiring tale of Enlightenment science; and a hugely informative slice of intellectual history with Britain at its centre; "Chasing Venus" is going to be this decade's Longitude.
#86700 in Books 2010-01-22Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.32 x 6.93 x 9.85l; 2.69 #File Name: 0415991404688 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Superb!By Lisa A. WalterThis is a text book for a (master's degree level) class I'm taking on problems that face human service providers. The readings are eye-opening! As I read; I am confronted by my own hidden 'prejudices'; ideas about groups or individuals that I didn't know I had. I challenge anyone who believes they have no biases to read this book; it will bring many of your own biases and beliefs to the surface for you to grapple with. This should be required reading in every American high school where it would really impact young people's thinking and perhaps change the face of discrimination.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book with many outlooks.By CoolGrammaThis book has many; many different stories and articles on diversity that cover almost every cultural group that is in the United States right now. It is well written and edited and I would highly recommend it to anyone studying diversity in psychology or sociology fields. Be careful though if you are being taught from an older edition. This one is the 2010 edition; right up to date and has new articles in it but some articles from older editions are not included. It's a great book and you needn't be a seasoned reader with tons of psycho-jargon in order to understand a single article. I can't recommend it enough.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I receive the book Blaming the victim last week on ...By CustomerI receive the book Blaming the victim last week on the promise date that was listed when I ordered it thank you. I appreciated.M.A.
