David H. Levy, the science columnist for PARADE magazine, who took over Carl Sagan's post, is one of the world's foremost astronomers and a contributor to ASTRONOMY magazine. He has discovered 22 comets, including Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with Jupiter and made news around the world. In this easily understood book, he takes the armchair reader around the cosmos, introducing the major subjects studied by astronomy students in a manner non-students, and ageing ex-students can understand. Accompanied by b&w illustrations and a color section of important discoveries and maps, this book is the place to start for anybody who wants an introductory course or refresher course in a subject of extraordinary scope.