Rating: 
Summary: One of the best produced books for the absolute novice
Review: This is one of the great introductory books to Astronomy for the absolute novice. Mind-expanding and covers a good range of topics. After reading this book and following Dickinson's advice (more reading and observing, over time), you may find yourself to be a well-grounded amateur. Even if you're already well-grounded, the informative and almost joyful illustrations and text are a good read. I liked the soft-cover spiral former cover style better than the current hard cover spiral because the old style was easy to lay flat. Other than that, this book is a bargain and one of the most useful purchases a beginner could make. Once again, the other reviews here probably say it better than I could.
Rating:
Summary: First book you should buy
Review: This is the first book you should buy, followed immediately by The Backyard Astronomer's Guide. It covers all the basics, has nice pictures and sky charts, and a flexible binder which is essential if you want to use it while observing.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the Rookie and More....
Review: If you're as big of an idiot as I am, this book will come in handy. I am new to watching the stars and cannot put my copy down. The introduction is superb and does an excellent job in putting everything into perspective (historically and spacially). The rest of the book serves as an incredible manual to the stars with superb photos and descriptions. This book is a must!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great for Beginners
Review: When we bought our Meade telescope (see my review of that), we bought only two books: this one, and Turn Left at Orion (see my review of that). Both books were EXCELLENT.You'll never know about some of the fascinating night-sky objects if you don't get a book. This book has been a huge help in finding objects, understanding what we're viewing and appreciating to different objects in the sky. I strongly recommend Turn Left at Orion as well.
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