The advantages of using both eyes for astronomical observing are many and considerable, largely because of the way the human brain processes visual information. Binoculars – the usual kinds – are incredibly useful for wide-field observing, but "binocular astronomy" is much more than that, including binocular eyepieces that can be fitted to normal astronomical telescopes, and even giant binocular telescopes that are effectively two astronomical telescopes working in tandem.
This landmark study in the area of adult biliteracy shows precisely how Mexican immigrant workers-especially "illegal aliens"-use the alphabet to write down spoken English outside the classroom. Based on 4 years of intensive fieldwork in a rural community.
Tomás Kalmar's book is a charming combination of personal experience and erudite scholarship, written in an engaging fashion. The author's treatment of the politics of biliteracy, from the fruit-groves of the Midwest to the halls of academe, is both passionate and clear-sighted. The alert reader will also enjoy observing evidence of Kalmar's wide-ranging interests threading through the fabric of the book, notably his fondness for music and his fascination with mathematical and proto-mathematical thinking.
The Amateur Astronomer
by Patrick Moore
This 2000 Edition of Sir Patrick Moore’s classic book has been completely revised in the light of changes in technology. Not only do these changes include commercially available astronomical telescopes and software, but also what we know and understand about the universe. There are many new photographs and illustrations. Writing in the easy-going style that made him famous as a writer and broadcaster, Sir Patrick introduced astronomy and amateur observing together, so that his reader gets an idea of what he is observing at the same time as how to observe. Almost half the book is Appendices. These are hugely comprehensive and provide hints and tips, as well as data (year 2000 onwards) for pretty well every aspect of amateur astronomy. This is probably the only book in which all this information is collected in one place.
