Rating: 
Summary: Great for Beginners
Review: I received this book for Christmas last year, and I love it! I have to agree with the statement from a previous reviewer, though; beginners should read this before purchasing a telescope! True, some of the info is dated, but the descriptions of the telescope designs (their pros and cons, specifically) will help you to choose the instrument that will best suit your needs. Additionally, the book is easy to read, and not full of reams of undecipherable "techno-babble". I highly recommend that you buy this book if you are interested in amateur astronomy!
Rating:
Summary: The Backyard Astronomer's Guide
Review: I thought that this was an excellent book. When I got it I could not put the book down, read from cover to cover. It has alot of information delaing with jsut aboout everything that the beginner needs to know. It also has a chapter on how to set up your telescope and align it as well. Very good book.
Rating:
Summary: The Backyard Astronomer's Guide
Review: I thought that this was an excellent book. When I got it I could not put the book down, read from cover to cover. It has alot of information delaing with jsut aboout everything that the beginner needs to know. It also has a chapter on how to set up your telescope and align it as well. Very good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely useful and easy to read
Review: I'm a novice amateur astronomer who bought this book as a reference. When it arrived, I found myself reading every page, cover to cover. Whoa! Turns out to be much more than a reference after all. The authors aren't afraid to go out on a limb and <gasp> give their opinions, not just the facts. They cover every topic a novice would need, and do it in such a way as to make the reading extremely interesting. I can honestly say that this book has heightened my excitement about getting into amateur astronomy and I now feel well prepared to do so.Even if you aren't a "serious" hobbyist, buy this book if you buy nothing else on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: The best money spent on the hobby yet!
Review: I'm actually just starting in on the hobby, but I can tell that this book is going to be a MAJOR asset throughout my learning experience. As soon as I bought it, I came home and could not put it down at all, I was so drawn in to the amount of great info in it. I'm very grateful that I picked this up before I got any binoculars or a telescope. The chapter on buying equipment is worth the cost of the book alone! Two words: Buy It!!
Rating:
Summary: A Stellar Selection
Review: I've had this book for years now and wouldn't do without it. Whether one wants advice on what equipment to buy, or what to do with it once purchased, this book fits the bill nicely. I have many books on astronomy and telescopes--and this is the one I always come back to. If I had to pick just one book on amateur astronomy, this would be it.
Rating:
Summary: a solid introduction for novices to near advanced
Review: My only small gripe with this book is that it repeats verbatim several chunks of Nightwatch, Dickinson's first book. Overall, this book provides more depth to subjects like buying telescopes, lenses, and more detailed descriptions of what you can see. I didn't find the format as visually pleasing as the spiral bound Nightwatch. Still, the pictures are great, the information written in the same clear style as Nightwatch -- there's something here for everyone. Beginners have a lot to learn, but even the advanced sky enthusiasts will pick up new and useful information. A good overview.
Rating: 
Summary: Nightwatch is better than this dated tome.
Review: Nightwatch, by the same author, is better introductory reading. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide contains more detailed material, but it is very dated. The layout resembles a 70's highschool textbook. All photos are black and white. First published almost ten years ago, the book's telescope reviews deal very lightly with some of the newer technology. The book also lacks the excitement and immediacy of Dickinson's Nightwatch.
Rating:
Summary: Awsome for beginners and beyond
Review: Not knowing anything about astronomy I found Terence Dickinson's book to be an absolutle wealth of information. The book was a true pleasure to read and is filled with a wealth of charts, photo's and information every beginning stargazer needs. Terence Dickinson explanins astronomy in a way that is second to none.
Rating:
Summary: Beginners' Other Resource
Review: On par with "Star Ware" as an excellent beginner's source and resource for basic (+) information. Organized differently than Star Ware, but equally effective. See review of Star Ware and apply here.
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