Comet dirt, magma oceans, meteorites from Mars--all the extraterrestrial grit and goop that geologists love--brought wittily down to earth. McSween (Geological Sciences/Univ. of Tennessee) picks subjects that might ordinarily numb most readers--the regolith, or loose mantle of rock and dust on the moon; volcanism on the Jovian moon of Io, etc.--and then proves that a dash of humor, a pound of anecdote, and a ton of crystalline explication can turn lead into gold. He notes, for instance, how books about the solar system are usually organized, either by planetary size or distance from the sun, and then ferrets out more unusual possibilities: Why not by temperature (Uranus is mysteriously cool) or shape (Saturn has a strangely rocky core) or density (``Saturn would float in water, if you could find a big enough bathtub'')? With similar panache, McSween uses a corker from Yogi Berra (``you can observe a lot by just watching'') to sum up the history of our understanding of geologic time scales on the moon. The Giotto spacecraft's flyby of Halley's comet (a ``sixteen-by-eight-by-eight kilometer potato'') raises the question ``Could you eat a comet''? The answer is no- -comets are indeed ``dirty snowballs,'' but too dirty for consumption. McSween's froth never obscures his lessons, each of which delivers key facts and concludes with an annotated bibliography. Also covered are the mysteries of volcanism on Neptune's moon Triton (the latter, as the coldest object in the solar system, is an odd place for volcanoes); the creation of diamonds in supernovas; the core composition of Earth-like planets; the fate of Mars's once-abundant water (locked into permafrost and the polar caps); the mineralogy of asteroids and planetary rings; and the origins of life on Earth (McSween plumps for the organic soup theory). As energetic as Sagan, without the pontificating; once McSween finds a richer theme, the moon's the limit. -- Copyright �1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

19,000 books and growing. General stock with many signed books. Also nice runs in literature, magazines, horror, and science fiction.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Biblio Pursuit
PA, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Abebooks web sites. If
you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the
order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery
date. If you've changed your mind about a book that you've ordered, please use the Ask
Bookseller a question link to contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.

Shipping Terms

Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 6.72	US$ 15.97

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.