Celestial mechanics : the waltz of the planets /

Celletti (Universita di Roma "Tor Vergata") and Perozzi (Telespazio, Rome) present a complicated subject in an engaging manner that is accessible to general readers. The writing is clear and authoritative, and the diagrams and tables help the nonexpert reader to visualize the key ideas without having to wade through the mathematics usually found in a book on this subject. Even experts in the field will be intrigued by the brief description of the politics and personalities that have played an important role in the development of celestial mechanics. There is a surprisingly rich array of topics, including the three-body problem, chaos theory (it is still not clear if the solar system will continue to be stable in the distant future), clever strategies for planetary probe trajectories, the wide-ranging role played by resonances in the solar system, and the bizarre dynamics of ring systems. The authors' expertise is demonstrated by their inclusion of a number of paradoxes and unsolved problems in a field that traditionally is thought of as dry and thoroughly understood. Each chapter begins with an unusual quotation, including one from Einstein that could be the theme for the book: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates. T. Barker Wheaton College (MA)