Moon: A Brief History - Softcover

Brunner, Bernd

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300177690 ISBN 13: 9780300177695

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2011

Synopsis

An entertaining, often surprising cultural examination of Earth’s moon, through history, science, and literature, from ancient times to the present

Werewolves and Wernher von Braun, Stonehenge and the sex lives of sea corals, aboriginal myths, and an Anglican bishop: In his new book, Moon, Bernd Brunner weaves variegated information into an enchanting glimpse of Earth’s closest celestial neighbor, whose mere presence inspires us to wonder what might be “out there.”

Going beyond the discoveries of contemporary science, Brunner presents an unusual cultural assessment of our complex relationship with Earth’s lifeless, rocky satellite. As well as offering an engaging perspective on such age-old questions as “What would Earth be like without the moon?” Brunner surveys the moon’s mythical and religious significance and provokes existential soul-searching through a lunar lens, inquiring, “Forty years ago, the first man put his footprint on the moon. Will we continue to use it as the screen onto which we cast our hopes and fears?”

Drawing on materials from different cultures and epochs, Brunner walks readers down a moonlit path illuminated by more than seventy-five vintage photographs and illustrations. From scientific discussions of the moon’s origins and its “chronobiological” effects on the mating and feeding habits of animals to an illuminating interpretation of Bishop Francis Godwin’s 1638 novel The Man in the Moone, Brunner’s ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and will change the way we view the nighttime sky.

About this title

About the Author:

Bernd Brunner is a freelance writer. He is the author of other successful works intersecting history, science, and literature, including Bears and The Ocean at Home.

Review:

"[An] elegant cultural history. . . .Brunner ably dispatches recent science . . . and takes us on a lively tour of lunar folklore and speculative fiction."—The New Yorker (The New Yorker 2011-01-03)

“. . . a nimble, fast-moving survey of the silvery moon’s impact upon us and our world. Brunner looks at the moon’s influence upon tides, of course, and also its place in early psychology, the occult, popular culture and as a necessary first step on humanity’s journey to Mars.”—Nick Owchar, Los Angeles Times

(Nick Owchar Los Angeles Times 2011-03-09)

"Astronomers, geologists, rocketeers and space jockeys all have a practical interest in the Moon, but earthbound mortals look up and project all their fears and fantasies on to its pale surface. Without it our tides would not ebb and flow, our poetry would be the poorer, our nights would be dark and we would not believe in werewolves baying in the fullness of its face. We know perfectly well that the Moon is a cold, rocky, lifeless little satellite, but where’s the romance in that? Brunner shows how it has shone silver through our dreams and destinies. It is the inspiration for myths and marvels and may be a kicking-off point for a further jump into space."—Kate Saunders, The Times (London) (Kate Saunders The Times (London))

Read the New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/science/28scibks.html?scp=1&sq=brunner&st=cse)

See the New York Times slideshow (http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/12/21/science/20101221-Moon.html)

“Brunner encapsulates this sense of mystery about the moon in a relative short and accessible work. A useful introduction to its cultural history.”—Roger Launius, Senior Curator, Division of Space History, National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution

(Roger Launius 2010-01-30)

"Eclectic, entertaining and sometimes esoteric!"—Sean Johnston, author of History of Science, A Beginner's Guide

(Sean Johnston 2010-06-30)

“Moon is an enjoyable romp through the various fields of lunar lore, including its history as an object of curiosity, worship, and study.  Fun and fast-paced!”—Dr. Paul D. Spudis, author of The Once and Future Moon

(Paul D. Spudis 2010-07-16)

"An intriguing literary expedition to our nearest neighbor in space."—Patricia Fara, author of Science: A Four Thousand Year History

(Patricia Fara 2010-07-16)

'Brunner's perky cultural history - of the Moon in superstition, song, and indeed science - encompasses many wonderful things both imaginary (inhabitants including man-bats or cat-women) and actual (strange lights known as "lunar transient phenomena", or the burial on the Moon of an American geologist's ashes).' — Steven Poole, The Guardian (Steven Poole The Guardian 2011-03-19)

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0300177690
• ISBN 13: 9780300177695
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 303