There are a lot of astronomy picture books on the market, all featuring wonderful photographs. The Invisible Universe is simply THE most beautiful book in that genre that I've ever seen, inside and outside. David Malin is the best-known astronomical photographer in the world, and his work already appears in just about every astronomy book published this decade. This particular volume compiles much of his finest work in a big 14-by-16 format, laced with artwork of the sky and the constellations, strong scientific content, and well-written prose. A few years back, Malin put together a masterpiece called A View Of The Universe; this book is bigger and even more beautiful.

There's something for every reader in this book. Each photograph takes up a full page, so you get its full stunning beauty. Short, readable descriptions written by Malin give very understandable and jargon-free scientific background to the astronomical phenomena in the pictures. The drawings of the sky and the constellations are also accompanied by prose laced with mythology and history. The book is pleasant to read as well as visually unmatched -- a wonderful combination.

Whether you want a beautiful and well-written introduction to the wonders of the heavens, a collection of some of the finest astronomical photos ever taken, or even just a pretty book for your coffee table, I heartily and unreservedly recommend this book. It's all of the above.

Perhaps the most superb collection of astronomical and cosmological photographs I've ever seen in one collection. If you have even the faintest interest in astronomy or cosmology, do yourself a kind service and buy this book. You will never look at the stars the same way again. This book renders a perspective on the universe and our tiny place in it like no other.

As for the size, it is a little large but several of the photos demand it. The person who commented on the image quality certainly doesn't have a strong grasp of astro photography or he surely wouldn't criticize. This is a masterful work.

This book, in it's bountiful size and otherworldly beauty commands attention. It was in stock at a bookstore I used to work at, and I had to look at it every week. The photos inside are so lush and gorgeous that they will make you wish you had a larger print to hang up in your apartment. This photography book captures some of the most beautiful, mysterious forces known to us. From magnificent galaxies to nebulas daunting in their size colors, only a book of this size could begin to give the true essence of what is out there. A picture is worth a universe of words.