The 50 Most Extreme Places in Our Solar System Author: David Baker and Todd Ratcliff Publisher: Harvard University Press ISBN: 978-0-674-04998-7 Price: £19.95 (Hb) 290pp
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This planet on which we find ourselves is part of a larger, unforgiving and extraordinary environment; it’s kind of like growing up all safe and warm but in the middle of a busy road.

There is no shortage of harsh realities out there and this book deals with many of them, such as Jupiter’s enormous magnetosphere, Venus’s super dense atmosphere and diamond hail on the ice giants Uranus and Neptune.

Although deemed ‘extreme’ it’s not all volcanoes, gaping impact scars and tidal waves – many chapters deal with gentler wonders such as solar eclipses, the awe-inspiring rings of Saturn and our own planet Earth all illustrated by a multitude of high quality images.

As may be deduced from the title, this book would be of immediate interest to younger readers and their attention would easily be maintained by the tone and clarity of the writing. That said; more seasoned readers would also find it an enjoyable and fascinating look at the Solar System around us and would no doubt broaden their knowledge.

I fully recommend this book to anyone of any age with an interest in the Solar System and how much of a hostile, humbling and amazing place it is to exist.

David Powell