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Performance Review: Mark goes to work for a friend. It’s a mistake. He’s given an ultimatum that is doomed to fail. After the performance review, he catches the owner’s wife having sex with the shop foreman. With nothing left to lose, he takes advantage of the situation and teaches her a lesson. Spank: Take a letter, Maria... office gossips make much of the frequency with which their company's vice-president calls lovely Maria into private conferences. If they only knew what goes on behind his doo ... Read more

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Binary systems of stars are as common as single stars. This original text provides a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to binary stars. The author combines theory and observations at all wavelengths to develop a unified understanding of binaries of all categories.Chapters review methods for calculating orbits, the Roche model, ideas about mass exchange and loss, methods for analyzing light curves, the masses and dimensions of different binary systems, and imaging the surfaces of stars and accretion structures. This volume offers advanced undergraduate and graduate students a thorough introduction to binary stars that will aid their learning of stellar astrophysics, stellar structure and evolution, and observational astrophysics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An Introduction to Close Binary Stars.
I bought this book then left it on the shelf for awhile. However, when I was teaching the mechanics portion of an introductory astrophysics course I pulled it down and found it very useful for its discussion of the spectroscopic determination of the masses and orbital parameters from observational data.It was just right for explaining to the students in the class how to calculate masses, eccentricities, and the other orbital parameters from data available in the literature.This wasn't quite possible from the other textbooks I used (including Carroll and Ostlie and the new textbook by Bradt) which covered the same material but didn't develop it as fully.I am working through the interacting binary part of the book now, but have found the book to be one of the ones I turn to when I need a decent explanation of the mathematics before hitting the technical literature.If you need to calculate it and not just get a synopsis this is your book.

Good book for serious amateur astronomers
If you are an amateur astronomer studying eclipsing binary star systems, and have some training in physics, this book by R.W. Hilditch is a goldmine of information about the interaction of binaries.His treatment is closely tied to observational data, so that you will be motivated to follow the analyses he provides of light curve shapes.The information content of spectroscopic studies and of pulsar and x-ray data are also covered.The book is about as clear as it can be considering the detail provided.Even if equations frighten you, you might find the graphical and pictorial information useful.

Not that much helpful for me
It is good for pure Astrophysics student but not that much helpful for Physics student ... Read more

Product Description
Double stars are the rule, rather than the exception: our solar system, having a single sun, is in the minority. Orbiting satellites, ground based observatories and interferometers have all helped discover many hundreds of new pairs - but this has left enormous numbers of wide, faint pairs under-observed or not observed at all.

This is where amateur astronomers can help. Bob Argyle, a professional astronomer at Cambridge University, shows where enthusiastic amateur observers can best direct their efforts. The book caters for the use of every level of equipment, from simple commercial telescopes to micrometers and CCD cameras.

Amateur astronomers who have gone beyond "sight-seeing" and want to make a genuine scientific contribution will find this a fascinating and rewarding field - and this book provides all the background and practical information that's needed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

wow! what a lot of information!
new books generally please by how far they exceed expectations: bob argyle's edited volume on double star observing pleased me quite a lot. it is really a symposium volume of chapters by a dozen amateur expert observers, each chapter brimming with historical, technical (mathematical, theoretical, computational) and instrumental (telescopes, interferometers, measurement and photography) information. other chapters discuss observing methods, how to record and publish results, star viewing projects, and contact addresses for binary star societies and clearinghouses worldwide. all the chapters have been intelligently edited and present the information clearly and efficiently. and if that isn't enough, extra materials are available from the publisher's web site ([...]).

i have many of the patrick moore practical astronomy titles and find the content quality from one book to the next to be somewhat uneven; argyle's compact reference is in my view among the best in the series. highly recommended.

Outstanding Source for Double Stars Observations
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying double stars.Not only does it provide some history on the study of doubles going back 100's of years, but it brings you up to date with the lastest information and methods for measuring double stars.

for the amateur astronomer
Argyle's book is useful for the amateur astronomer. Showing how even in these days of multimillion dollar observatories, you can still make a meaningful contribution to astronomy with quite affordable and modest equipment.

The text goes through elementary optics, that can be found in such standard texts as Hecht and Zajac. But it quickly specialises in details specific to observing binaries in the visual spectrum. With simple measurement techniques whose geometry you can readily grasp and apply.

All a beginner need to know about double stars
I have been a amateur asteroid hunter for a few years but lately my interest switch to double stars. I found that information found on the web is too "bits and pieces". This book give me (an beginner) all the information I need. It is the best $30 I have spent. ... Read more

Product Description
More than two centuries have elapsed since the story of theinteracting binary stars began with the rediscovery of the variabilityof Algol by John Goodricke and the interpretation he proposed forexplaining the regular periodic brightness variations which he found.Over this long span of time our knowledge about these systems has beengrowing, and we have now reached a fairly good understanding of thestructure and behavior of this interesting group of objects. This bookcontains a timely summary of our present knowledge of interactingbinary stars. The chapters have been written by distinguishedscientists who have done relevant research in the field of interactingbinary stars.
... Read more

Product Description
In recent years, significant advances have been made in the numerical simulation of mass-transfer processes of binary stars.This book is intended for specialists and graduate students in the fields of astrophysics, observational astronomy and stellar evolution.It covers background theory and sets out basic principles, giving many practical examples. ... Read more

Product Description

This book focuses on the formulation of mathematical models for the light curves of eclipsing binary stars, and on the algorithms for generating such models. Since information gained from binary systems provides much of what we know of the masses, luminosities, and radii of stars, such models are acquiring increasing importance in studies of stellar structure and evolution. As in other areas of science, the computer revolution has given many astronomers tools that previously only specialists could use; anyone with access to a set of data can now expect to be able to model it. This book will provide astronomers, both amateur and professional, with a guide for specifying an astrophysical model for a set of observations, selecting an algorithm to determine the parameters of the model and estimating the errors of the parameters. It is written for readers with knowledge of basic calculus and linear algebra; appendices cover mathematical details on such matters as optimization, coordinate systems, and specific models. While emphasizing the physical and mathematical framework, the discussion remains close to the problems if actual implementation. It begins with an overview of the problem and a discussion of the observational data that form the basis of any model. The treatment then turns to the direct problem (computing the light curve and other observables from the a given set of parameters) and then to the indirect problem (determining a best-fit set of parameters from the data). The book concludes with chapters on specific models and approaches and the authors’ views on the structure of future light-curve programs.

The second edition consists of corrections of errors. There a is new physics in light curve models mentioned. Inclusive are distance fitting and implications on T1. Other improvements within the 2E: third stars - dynamical effects, spot variation over various epochs and simultaneous fitting, new features in the WD program, new applications in astronomy and astrophysics, transits in extra solar planetary systems, planetary simulation work, GAIA project - analyzing huge amounts of data, light curve analysis for non-eclipsing binary star people, new interesting literature cases, Milone’s papers, other interesting papers, new (software) developments in the eclipsing binary community, PHOEBE, Binary Maker 3.0 and finally ephemerides from whole light and velocity curves.

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Binary Stars (Dover Edition)
Originally published in 1918 and completely revised in 1935, this book is still the "bible" in the field of double-star astronomy. It's author, a director of the famous Lick Obsrvatory, is widely recognised as the father of the modern study of binary star systems and, in this book, he sums up the results of centuries of research, including 40 years of his own work, and surveys the methods of observation and of orbital computation that have been developed.

The book begins with an extensive two-part historical sketch that covers various steps in the discovery and interpretation of binary stars and assesses the work of many of the major contributors. There follow chapters on observational method for visual binary stars; the orbit of a visual bnary star; the radial velocity of a star (written by Dr. J. H. Moore of the University of California); the orbit of a spectroscopic binary star; eclipsing binary stars; the known orbit of binary stars; some binary stars of special interest (Alpha Centari, Sirius, Krueger 60, 61 Cygni, Delta Equu lei, Capella, Algol, and others), and the origin of binary stars. Within each of these topics, the author emphasizes method, telling how to plot orbits, where to locate important data and how to use them in computations, how to measure and reduce spectrograms, when to use eyepieces in observations, and so on. This practical material is truly unique, and it should prove especially useful in classroom instruction, to astronomy students, and to advanced hobbyists.

Each chapter ends with a bibliograohy and there is additional, up-to-date bibliographical material in the notes to this new addition byProfessor J. T. Kent. Professor Kent has also revised and corrected the text. Now, more than ever, this book is an unequalled source of information on methods of study and as a thorough summary of essential binary star material.
--- from book's back cover ... Read more

Product Description
Twin brother and sister struggle with large thematic questions ? different types of human love; the divine; the role of the visionary and the autobiographical in artistic expression; and all kinds of everyday challenges. The book is written in that very special style of its author, a Professor of English at Bellevue University, in Bellevue, Nebraska. He was a Fulbright Fellow to Rwanda, Africa, in 1989-90. He is the author of a collection of poems From the Dead Before. He has won two Academy of American Poets awards, a First Place Award in Poetry from Writers? Journal, a First Place Award in Poetry from the Midwest Writers? Conference, as well as awards from Plainsongs and SPSM&H. His poems have appeared in numerous magazines in the United States and England. He has been married for 28 years to his wife Laurie, and together, they are the parents of three children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Just reread this book
I just reread this book recently and I still love it. It would make a great Christmas present!

Star First Novel
Dr. Mason's novel is as beautiful as his poetry.(Which, if you have not, you should most certainly read!)He manages to create imagery that is jarring and fluid; surreal and tangible--all without feeling paradoxical or false to the reader.His larger-than-life characters never seem out of place in the haunting prairie home he creates for them.Deftfully using humor, magic realism, and a unique prose-poetry style, Dr. Mason's first novel does not disappoint. Further, his ability to personify all aspects of human emotion is unmatched.I sincerely look forward to reading his next novel.

Darin, Darin, Bo Barin...
Mr. Jensen, how can we take your review too seriously when you can't even spell properly or apply the correct punctuation?I KNOW for a fact that you had a terrific English professor, so where exactly did you go wrong? At least you got to slip in the words coterminous and mimetic--you've been keeping those in your back pocket for awhile, haven't you?And the day has finally come when you are able to utilize them--kind of like high school calculus (and equally as innocuous).
At any rate, Dr. Mason's novel is a terrific example of magic realism being used to create a heightened sense of reality and eventually help us to care more about the characters than we would if told the same story in a realistic manner.Binary Star is a lush and lovely tale told by a genius, signifying a great deal.

A book searching for answers to life
"Binary Star" by Clif Mason is an intriguing story filled with vivid descriptions of the everyday life and the mysteries surrounding "twins". A story in search of the meaning of life.

A wonderful effort by Cliff Mason!

A bright first
Clif Mason's novel, `Binary Star', is full of vivid and startling images.This is a powerful and humorous first novel.There are many lucid passages that border on becoming a prose poem that whisks the novel along at an amazing pace.Some would say that `Binary Star' is a novel filled with magic-realism.Contained within its' pages are the White Buffalo, holy and sacred to the Sioux people, appearing again and again to the main characters, there are tornadoes that take combine and rider for a wild jaunt, and many more strange things that shouldn't be ruined here.Dismissing this novel as simple magic-realism or as South American magic-realism would be a mistake though.Clif Mason uses fantastical images to stretch the bounds of perception for the characters in the novel.The violent and the closed minded characters are only able to see in narrow bands of reality that are coterminous with their limitations.Mason does an excellent, if unsettling job, of presenting the fantastic as ordinary.There is no build up to an amazing event, it is just part of life for the protagonists.Mason does a good job in resisting the temptation to over-dramaticize the incidents.

This book would be worth it alone for Big Bill, Mason's personification of the crows and his well-developed mimetic ability that ranges much further than a typical contemporary American author.The narrative is strong too, even if the dialogue sounds, at times, a little false in the ear of the reader.The book and Mason are at their best in the sections of the book that deal with the natural world and supernatural world of the main characters.The book's tragedy and resolution seem a little rushed and left me with a strong desire for some of the more salient characters to be better defined and foiled against the protagonists.Possibly though, I just wanted more of the novel.I finished it in two sittings and was more than a little impressed when I set it down. ... Read more

Product Description
Classical stellar evolution theories have undergone somedrastic changes in recent decades. New insights into the developmentof stellar interiors were obtained from studying stars in variousstages of their lives, as well as with the help of fast computers,which gave a boost to the branch of numerical modelling of stellularstructure and evolution.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with thegeneral aspects of stellular structure and evolution including achapter on numerical modelling. The second part deals with specificevolutionary aspects of single and binary stars with a variety ofmasses. The last chapter gives several models of stars with specificmasses.
The book is intended as an introduction for students, as well as areference for researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
More than half of all stars in the universe formed and evolved as binary systems and their study is essential for understanding stellar and galactic evolution. The six lectures in this book give both a readable introduction and an up-to-date review of nearly all aspects of  research into binary stars, including the range from common binaries to more exotic systems composed of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. ... Read more

Product Description
In the two decades since the development of the first eclipsing-binary modelling code, new analytic techniques and the availability of powerful, sometimes dedicated computing facilities have made possible vastly improved determinations of fundamental and even transient stellar parameters. The scale of these developments, of course, raises questions about modelling tools, techniques and philosophies, such as: Who will maintain and upgrade the codes? Will the codes be open to improvement by outsiders, and if so, how? And, indeed, what should be the goals of a modelling program? Such questions had not been aired for a long time and, for this reason alone, deserved to be discussed in as general a forum as the community provides. This volume contains material presented by Comission 42 (Close Binary Stars) duiring the International Astronomical Union's XXI General Assembly in Argentina, July 1991, and during IAU Colloquium 151, Cordoba, Argentina, August 1991.The techniques discussed include simulations of stellar bright and dark spots, streams, partial and complete stellar disks, prominences, and other features characterizing active stars; modelling of polarization parameters; models that use radial velocity field variation across stellar disks; the weighted effects of brightness asymmetries; and models for translucent eclipsing agents such as stellar winds. ... Read more