Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Random House (2010), Edition: First Edition, 608 pages
Description
Presents a chronicle of humanity's historical, mythological and scientific relationship with the sun, drawing on various world cultures to explore such topics as the religious beliefs of Ancient Egypt, Galileo's early discoveries of sun spots and the modern world's efforts to address global warming.
User reviews
LibraryThing member pierthinker
Richard Cohen brings huge amounts of commitment, passion and verve to his subject and this shines through on every page. He has researched and written about every aspect of the Sun - historical, artistic, literary, scientific - and has ensured none of his research has been left out of this
Reading Chasing the Sun is like reading every web page ever written in one Wikipedia article. There is interesting information on every page and we are often taken down little off-piste runs that are just too fascinating to miss. Cohen wants to tell us everything and give his view on it, but he is definitely stronger on the arts than the sciences.
I think this bok ultimately tels us more about Cohen and his slightly mad obsession than it does about the subject. This is a fascinating and informative read, but eventualy overpowering if you sit in its glare for too long. Just like the Sun.
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book.Reading Chasing the Sun is like reading every web page ever written in one Wikipedia article. There is interesting information on every page and we are often taken down little off-piste runs that are just too fascinating to miss. Cohen wants to tell us everything and give his view on it, but he is definitely stronger on the arts than the sciences.
I think this bok ultimately tels us more about Cohen and his slightly mad obsession than it does about the subject. This is a fascinating and informative read, but eventualy overpowering if you sit in its glare for too long. Just like the Sun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member j3745
Interesting framework and a broad reach of ideas that is enjoyable to read.
LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
An epic story indeed. This book was too big for bedtime so I left it in the living room and read a chapter or a few pages when I felt like it. The best chapters were brilliant - and I can imagine that all the chapters were good but that for each individual different chapters might be the ones to
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spark the imagination because it covers so many different areas - science, history, culture, art, religion (to name a few!). Show Less
LibraryThing member mbmackay
This is an odd book. It sets out to tell about the sun and its effects on the earth - a grand objective, but one that is fulfilled more in the form of a catalogue or an extended index, than as an enjoyable and informative read.
Cohen is comprehensive to a fault, but at the end it was strange to
The author includes some vignettes of his researches, such as seeing sunrise from Mt Fuji on the summer solstice, and these liven the text. Some seem to be a little forced - maybe the editor pushing the author? But there needs more of this to make the mountain of information more memorable and meaningful.
Read December 2014
Cohen is comprehensive to a fault, but at the end it was strange to
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reflect that I couldn't recall learning much in the way of new information. I must have come across new data, but it is telling that the passionless writing style left me thinking otherwise. The author includes some vignettes of his researches, such as seeing sunrise from Mt Fuji on the summer solstice, and these liven the text. Some seem to be a little forced - maybe the editor pushing the author? But there needs more of this to make the mountain of information more memorable and meaningful.
Read December 2014
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LibraryThing member lamotamant
To be honest, I wouldn't have naturally picked this up on my own steam. It was mentioned in a group here on GoodReads in a challenge thread and caught my eye. After looking into it a bit, I figured it might be right up my alley because it covers a wealth of subjects through the lens of it's
I think I was hoping for more author personality. It felt a bit like falling down a Wikipedia similar article hole at times though this was certainly better researched than most wikipedia pages. The information was interesting and I found that it answered some questions I'd had jangling and jumbling at the back of my head for ages. I just wish certain chapters (really any of the sections pertaining to the arts) had more flavor. There's certainly a time for frankness in such a book but when it's billed as a 'grand tradition of the scholar-adventurer,' I do expect a bit of the personal add-in. There is the odd anecdote here and there but it wasn't the norm.
All in all, Cohen's undertaking is impressive and there's enough interest to get through the book. But there is the dry spot amidst the so-called epic-ness and a heavy chance of the odd skim-through.
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specified solar theme and has the twist of "popular science" thrown in. I'm a pop science junkie. Let's blame Bill Nye. Or, you know, thank him. I think I was hoping for more author personality. It felt a bit like falling down a Wikipedia similar article hole at times though this was certainly better researched than most wikipedia pages. The information was interesting and I found that it answered some questions I'd had jangling and jumbling at the back of my head for ages. I just wish certain chapters (really any of the sections pertaining to the arts) had more flavor. There's certainly a time for frankness in such a book but when it's billed as a 'grand tradition of the scholar-adventurer,' I do expect a bit of the personal add-in. There is the odd anecdote here and there but it wasn't the norm.
All in all, Cohen's undertaking is impressive and there's enough interest to get through the book. But there is the dry spot amidst the so-called epic-ness and a heavy chance of the odd skim-through.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PDCRead
Well worth reading.
LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
An epic story indeed. This book was too big for bedtime so I left it in the living room and read a chapter or a few pages when I felt like it. The best chapters were brilliant - and I can imagine that all the chapters were good but that for each individual different chapters might be the ones to
Show More
spark the imagination because it covers so many different areas - science, history, culture, art, religion (to name a few!). Show Less
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
608 p.; 6.43 inches
ISBN
1400068754 / 9781400068753