A Student's Guide Through the Great Physics Texts: Volume I: The Heavens and The Earth

This book provides a chronological introduction to the sciences of astronomy and cosmology based on the reading and analysis of significant selections from classic texts, such as Ptolemy’s The Almagest, Kepler’s Epitome of Copernican Astronomy, Shapley’s Galaxies and Lemaître’s The Primeval Atom.

Each chapter begins with a short introduction followed by a reading selection. Carefully crafted study questions draw out key points in the text and focus the reader’s attention on the author’s meth...