Our Planetary System (Isaac Asimov's 21st Century Library of the Universe: Near and Far)

Grade 4-6?Asimov's "Library of the Universe" is now the "New Library of the Universe" in these revisions of titles from the 1988 series. The basic texts and many of the illustrations remain the same, but the layout has been altered. The pictures are larger and the color is brighter. Sentence structure has been simplified, with long paragraphs broken into shorter ones. Newly available photographs of Uranus, Neptune, and Triton replace artists' renderings. In Our Planetary System, the section on "cosmic debris" shows the most extensive rewriting, with some new material added. The change from solar system to planetary system is the other major revision. Mysteries shows fewer overall text changes. There is new information on black holes, but other revisions are primarily those of format common to the series. Neither book has significantly updated the suggestions for additional reading. The places to visit or write for additional information now include Australian addresses. Overall, there is not sufficient new material here to warrant purchase if your originals are still in good condition. The books are informative if brief, and can be used for reports as well as for browsing.?Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
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