Children of the Stars

Daniel R Altschuler, an experienced researcher, educator, and science administrator, is director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center's Arecibo Observatory and a member of the faculty of the Physics Department of the University of Puerto Rico, at Rio Piedras.

• Preface; 1. Cooking the elements; 2. The fertilization of space; 3. The birth of planets; 4. Mother Earth; 5. Life; 6. Close encounters of many kinds; 7. Other worlds; 8. The dark crystal ball; 9. Epilogue; Appendix A. Some numbers; Appendix B. World scientists' warning to humanity.

'With its combination of straightforward clear explanations and excellent and well-produced illustrations, all in colour, this is a concise exposition of the Earth story [and] its likely endings. Altschuler uses a wealth of quotations, bringing to life the histories he relates and keeping the text alive … He has a strong bias towards the issues that affect life today: the climate debate, the ozone problem, impacts and viruses. Because of this, the book will benefit from a wider circulation that among those interested in astronomy, geology and planetary science alone.' Sue Bowler, Astronomy and Geophysics