About the Author

Timothy Ferris, called "the best popular science writer in the English language today" (The Christian Science Monitor) and "the best science writer of his generation" (The Washington Post), is the author of ten books, including the bestsellers The Whole Shebang and Coming of Age in the Milky Way. He has won the American Institute of Physics prize (twice), the American Association for the Advancement of Science prize, and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he lives in San Francisco and stargazes from his personal astronomical observatory on Sonoma Mountain in California's wine country. Visit his Web site at www.timothyferris.com.

Reviews

Discover Ferris takes readers on a grand tour of the known universe, from nearby planets to distant galaxies, in a sweeping, elegantly composed narrative rich with historic and scientific detail.

Entertainment Weekly If it's his skills as a scholar that allow Ferris to present amateur astronomy as lively and exciting, then it's his gift for expressive prose that makes these nocturnal pursuits seem gripping and romantic.

Scientific American A delightful look back down the telescopes of some of the world's most accomplished citizen astronomers....A refreshing perspective.

The New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice: One of the year's best books.

The New York Times Book Review This is a beautiful book....Seeing in the Dark is even more delightful and successful because Ferris has so artfully pinned its organization to the human experiences of observers past and present.

The Washington Post Entrancing and beautifully written, this latest work by Ferris, the writer laureate of astronomy, will be treasured by generations of stargazers to come.

Amateur astronomers are the heroes of this latest opus from one of the country's best-known and most prolific science writers. Ferris (Coming of Age in the Milky Way) has a special place in his heart for these nonprofessionals who gaze into space out of wonderment and end up making discoveries about comets, the moon and the planets that change our understanding of the galaxy. Ferris recounts how he, as a boy growing up in working-class Florida, was first captivated by the spectacle of the night sky. He then looks at the growing field of amateur astronomy, where new technologies have allowed neophytes to see as much of the cosmos as professionals. The book introduces readers to memorable characters like Barbara Wilson, a one-time Texas housewife who turned to astronomy after her children were grown and has since helped found the George Observatory in Houston (where a number of new asteroids have been discovered) and developed a reputation as one of the most skilled amateur observers. Ferris also takes stock of what we know today about the cosmos and writes excitedly about the discoveries yet to come. With a glossary of terms and a guide for examining the sky, this book should turn many novices on to astronomy and captivate those already fascinated by the heavens. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Discover Ferris takes readers on a grand tour of the known universe, from nearby planets to distant galaxies, in a sweeping, elegantly composed narrative rich with historic and scientific detail.
Entertainment Weekly If it's his skills as a scholar that allow Ferris to present amateur astronomy as lively and exciting, then it's his gift for expressive prose that makes these nocturnal pursuits seem gripping and romantic.
Scientific American A delightful look back down the telescopes of some of the world's most accomplished citizen astronomers....A refreshing perspective.
The New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice: One of the year's best books.
The New York Times Book Review This is a beautiful book....Seeing in the Dark is even more delightful and successful because Ferris has so artfully pinned its organization to the human experiences of observers past and present.
The Washington Post Entrancing and beautifully written, this latest work by Ferris, the writer laureate of astronomy, will be treasured by generations of stargazers to come.