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This is an excellent, detailed survey of the underlying physics and astrophysics that allow astronomers to derive ages for stars and stellar populations. Salaris (Liverpool John Moores Univ.) intended this book more as a supplement than a traditional textbook, and it is indeed full of detailed history and references. The text offers a great introduction to many fields and methods that make it possible to derive the ages of stars, and to ways of using the resulting knowledge. Salaris includes some biographical elements throughout, especially in chapter 1 ("You Must Be Crazy"), which serve to remind readers of the important idea that science is done by scientists, and that their stories are as important as those of the subjects they study. The references include the well-known authors of important works on stellar astrophysics, but Salaris takes care also to make sure that other contributors to the field who are not as frequently acknowledged also receive credit. Each chapter includes a helpful glossary, and the appendix explains certain essential but more technical concepts (e.g., mass-energy equivalence, spectroscopic parallax, mass, radius, and distance of stars in eclipsing binary systems). This is a well-written book that will be a valuable reference for scholars of stellar astrophysics at all stages of learning.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. Students in two-year technical programs.

Humankind has been charting stars for centuries, but we have only been keenly aware of asteroids since 1801, beginning with the discovery of Ceres. Cunningham navigates readers through the distinguishing characteristics of asteroids, the history of their discovery, and the details of their naming and various historical locations, before examining contemporary scientific efforts to capture and/or land on an asteroid, which include plans for mining asteroids to obtain raw materials. The text is concise and engaging--and the reader need not have any initial interest in asteroids to enjoy this compact work. Once the first page is turned, the last one will be there all too soon. Fortunately for the captivated reader a list of websites for further discovery is provided. It is widely believed that an asteroid was responsible for the global catastrophe that wiped out the dinosaurs. Given that humans have become scientifically proficient enough to study objects in near and outer space, we can potentially prevent another such global catastrophe from originating outside the atmosphere. Works like the book under review, i.e., works that inform, engage, and also create curiosity about what might be, are exactly what we need to nurture human abilities to go after new knowledge, and ultimately to create a better tomorrow.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

Elvis is an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who has researched X-ray astronomy, black holes, quasars, and now asteroids. Here, he discusses three possible motives for studying asteroids: love (of knowledge), fear (that they can strike the Earth), and greed (for the valuable raw materials that could potentially be mined). Each motive is discussed in authoritative detail in a text that includes an explanation of the author's original research and calculations. The discussion is up-to-date and is supported by 34 pages of endnotes. Yet, the writing style is breezy, clear, and at times humorous: "astronomy is often called the second oldest profession (after accountancy)." The book concludes with three fascinating chapters on the future of space exploration and the commercial potential of space. Regrettably, the volume features only a few illustrations, and they are rendered as black and white. The book should appeal to a wide audience, including not only astronomers but also engineers, entrepreneurs, and even lawyers (as space law is still quite literally a wide-open field). It is a strong candidate for acquisition by all libraries.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.