Sunday, March 2, 2008

blog #059 >> Book of the Week:
Our Wonder World Vol.1


This is Vol. 1, The World and Its Peoples from a marvelous set of old encyclopedias from back when the world was wonderful and there was still some mystery about things. But I only have Volumes 1, 3 and 8. This week I'm featuring chapter 1, The Open Book of the Heavens. This chapter is all about space. And it includes: different stories about the creation of the world, why the earth isn't flat, a study of the planets (up to Neptune), how the tilt of the Earth causes seasons, Jupiter's Great Red Spot, how to use a sun dial, how to find "The Man in the Moon," telescopes, sun spots, how someday man will travel into space in airplanes, and about the "canals" on Mars. And I love that the picture of Earth from space has no clouds. It must have been a really clear day.

©1914-1927 Geo. L. Shuman & Co.






Interesting side note: The speed that these times were calculated by is "the terrific speed of 2 miles a minute" which is also 120 miles per hour. A space shuttle travels between 190-330 miles per hour. And Apollo 11 reached the moon in about 3 and a half days.



1 comment:

Diego said...

I just obtained the 10 volume set with the guide. I know it was first published in 1914 to 1918 but I'm sure my copies where made much later. I was curious to know if the books were updated with the info of when the books were reproduced or if the information is from the early 1900's