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Moon: A Brief History

by Bernd Brunner

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793336,726 (2.64)1
Werewolves and Wernher von Braun, Stonehenge and the sex lives of sea corals, aboriginal myths, and an Anglican bishop: In his new book, Moon, Bernd Brunner weaves variegated information into an enchanting glimpse of Earth's closest celestial neighbor, whose mere presence inspires us to wonder what might be "out there."Going beyond the discoveries of contemporary science, Brunner presents an unusual cultural assessment of our complex relationship with Earth's lifeless, rocky satellite. As well as offering an engaging perspective on such age-old questions as "What would Earth be like without the moon?" Brunner surveys the moon's mythical and religious significance and provokes existential soul-searching through a lunar lens, inquiring, "Forty years ago, the first man put his footprint on the moon. Will we continue to use it as the screen onto which we cast our hopes and fears?"Drawing on materials from different cultures and epochs, Brunner walks readers down a moonlit path illuminated by more than seventy-five vintage photographs and illustrations. From scientific discussions of the moon's origins and its "chronobiological" effects on the mating and feeding habits of animals to an illuminating interpretation of Bishop Francis Godwin's 1638 novel The Man in the Moone, Brunner's ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and will change the way we view the nighttime sky.… (more)
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Showing 3 of 3
A scrap heap of fact, fancy, legend, history, use and misuse. There will be many things you know in here and some you don't, and some are interesting. The telling varies from confusing to engaging to dull to trite. It can be skipped with no real loss. ( )
  quondame | Jul 14, 2020 |
This is an OK book - a quick read and some nice illustrations.

As for the text, the author introduces themes and then doesn't really develop them (though, to be fair, the subtitle is A Brief History), it is rather Eurocentric and seems to dwell inordinately on attitudes towards the moon from the 1600s onwards. Yes, there is mention of ancient moon-lore, but this is often from the perspective of more recent times.

Overall, it was interesting, but not as much so as it might have been. ( )
  Michael.Rimmer | Mar 30, 2013 |
A nice introduction to the history of man's relationship with the moon, in culture, folklore, and scientific history. I am a bit disappointed in how superficially the subject is covered, this is an introductory text for a general reader. It's a bit surprising that a university press would have released this. However, it does bring the reader in and encourage further exploration of the topic, the annotated bibliography is an excellent addition and I would like to see that in more scholarly works. ( )
  waitingtoderail | Sep 16, 2011 |
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The light of the sun is our essential source of energy.
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Werewolves and Wernher von Braun, Stonehenge and the sex lives of sea corals, aboriginal myths, and an Anglican bishop: In his new book, Moon, Bernd Brunner weaves variegated information into an enchanting glimpse of Earth's closest celestial neighbor, whose mere presence inspires us to wonder what might be "out there."Going beyond the discoveries of contemporary science, Brunner presents an unusual cultural assessment of our complex relationship with Earth's lifeless, rocky satellite. As well as offering an engaging perspective on such age-old questions as "What would Earth be like without the moon?" Brunner surveys the moon's mythical and religious significance and provokes existential soul-searching through a lunar lens, inquiring, "Forty years ago, the first man put his footprint on the moon. Will we continue to use it as the screen onto which we cast our hopes and fears?"Drawing on materials from different cultures and epochs, Brunner walks readers down a moonlit path illuminated by more than seventy-five vintage photographs and illustrations. From scientific discussions of the moon's origins and its "chronobiological" effects on the mating and feeding habits of animals to an illuminating interpretation of Bishop Francis Godwin's 1638 novel The Man in the Moone, Brunner's ingenious and interdisciplinary explorations recast a familiar object in an entirely original and unforgettable light and will change the way we view the nighttime sky.

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