Linda Goodman's Sun Signs (1968)

That is kind of a nostalgic tip of the hat four stars there, because I appreciate Linda's Aries nature and the way she threw open the doors for a generation of astrologers and people in search of a bit more insight than just that newspaper column promising a tall dark stranger on Tuesday. And the Alice in Wonderland framework of Sunsigns was cool, particularly to the children of the 60's, our long hair trailing, our embroidered gowns catching the light.

But this book was also the first one to make me realize that in all fairness (yes, I'm a Libra by sunsign) astrologers and writers on astrology should be required to give you their charts first. Or at least to admit to their biases. Aries Linda had trouble with the Libra people and didn't quite capture us in all our glory.

It's a fun read, though, and a nice introduction to the art. Just don't take it too seriously, okay? ( )

astrologische karakterschetsen ( )

Written with such warmth, humour and love that it doesn't matter if you believe in astrology or not, you'll still be charmed by the bits that sound just like you. The Alice in Wonderland quotes are inspired. ( )

Sub title: "How to really know your husband, wife, lover, child, boss, employee, through astrology". A classic work, now it seems very old-fashioned. ( )

Whether legitimate or not, whether weird or not, this book has shaped so many of my opinions about myself and about other people. I don’t think astrology is necessarily the ruling force in the universe, but I think it has some kind of significance, and Linda Goodman is its original genius. In the book, each of the twelve sun signs is broken up into five sections: a main overview, the male, the female, the boss and the child. She describes each sign with anecdotes, quotes and stories that either have either have personal relevance for her or cultural relevance for the reader. Although written in the sixties, Goodman’s book is still appropriate in today’s world, and I’ve yet to find a better guide to the signs. ( )