Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe (3rd Edition)

This introductory textbook by Chaisson (Tufts U.) and McMillan (Drexel U.) has some of the best explanations of light and matter I've seen in a textbook for non-science majors particularly good are the sections on spectral analysis. The third edition incorporates new information about recent discoveries: e.g., the reported detection of neutrino oscillations and its relevance to the solar neutrino problem; new H-R diagram based on Hipparcos data on nearby stars; and discussion of recent spacecraft missions to Mars and the NEAR mission to asteroid Eros. Chapters follow the earth-out approach: from the Earth and its moon to galaxies and cosmology. The CD-ROM includes an electronic version of the text and 56 videos with voiceovers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)