What"s going on out there? Get the skinny on the Great Beyond with The Scientific American Book of Astronomy. Fifty-four prominent researchers and writers contribute articles on everything from the climate on Mars to the ever-changing theories of dark matter, each in the classic, highly enjoyable Scientific American style. Well- and carefully chosen illustrations guide the reader through the reviews of our understanding of far-out topics, and the authors--David Levy , Shannon Lucid, and Vera Rubin among them--are perfectly suited to presenting their material. Most of the articles are from the last few years of the 1990s, though a few classics reach as far back as 1984. With sections ranging from the tiniest topics ("Rays, Waves, and Particles") to the indescribably large ("The Universe"), the book has everything and all readers should find something engaging within. Reports on the Hubble Space Telescope and Mir provide updates on our search for better tools to probe more deeply, while theoretical articles on black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and more keep us on our toes about what we think we already know. Great for browsing or for reference, The Scientific American Book of Astronomy brings the farthest reaches of the universe a little closer with each reading. --Rob Lightner