Hi EuR0Pa,
If you would prefer, I will highly recommend borrowing astronomy books written by Seymour Simon. They can be found at the 1st Level of Tampines Library. To play safe, do look out for newer editions of the books if they do already exist (you will know why later). Just a little review of his books, although all his books are targeted mainly for children, details in facts, figures and the essentials are well encapsulated with great clarity and consistency. The generous font size makes it all the more easier to grasp and retain core concepts, and more so for the reader to connect with the topic of interest. One strong point about Simon's books are that they are richly filled with superb quality colour images and he has this uncanny ability to communicate with his readers through his books, bringing them on an out-of-this-world journey through space much the same way a videographer probably would. Though, if you are looking out for more advance in-depth topics on deep space like Novas or Quasars for example, you will be disappointed as the books cover only the basics. So if you are just down to the fundamentals, then these are the books you will definitely want to read. Included in his astronomy series are books dedicated to each of the nine planets, comets and the like, stars, galaxies, etc. Other than Astronomy, you can easily find the same authored books ranging widely from Natural disasters to Human anatomy to Animals if you are interested.
I have to admit that his books were so inspirational that the Tampines Library had practically become my 'Reading Territorial Base' as I was proned to sweeping every single one of his books I saw off the shelves and running off elsewhere with the whole collection.
Thankfully for the other readers, all these frenzy ended nearly a decade ago as I completed the series and eventually outgrew his books. In fact, I think the main reason for my interest in Astronomy being kept alive until this day can be traced right back to Simon’s books. It’s that good, good enough to ignite your passion and possibly keeping you burning for years after your first read.
Finally, if you are a Type A and want to get the most out of Astronomy within the shortest time possible, another recommended read would be ‘Astronomy, The Definitive Guide’. This book covers a broad range of topics ranging from Theoretical Astronomy to Equipments to Practical Astronomy. Coupled with tons of colour images/sky maps along with clear, concise explanations of detailed complex concepts, this book is definitely a powerful tool for the aspiring astronomer.
(*Note: This book may not be available in the Tampines Library.) More reviews on this book can be found here:
http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php?t=3597
You may wish to consider purchasing the book from Chris. At 19 bucks, I think it’s well worth every cent of it. A sure good investment for the subsequent years!
Happy Reading!
Cheers,
- ALPiNe