Watched from an observation station far out in space, Earth would seem one of the least exciting planets in our solar system.

Yet, as Patricia Lauber points out in this stimulating book, Earth is a very special planet because it supports human life. And Earth is our observation station from which we look at the other eight planets that share our journey around the sun.

Where did our sun and its planets come from? Do other planets circle other suns elsewhere in the universe? If so, do those planets support life?This book tells what astronomers have learned—and hope to learn—in answer to these exciting questions.

Patricia Lauber has a special gift for conveying to the reader an understanding of the development of scientific knowledge. In All About the Planets, she has written a fascinating introduction to a subject of unusual interest.

From the dust jacket