[meteorite-list] Kevin Kichinka's Book - Review by D. Tytell in S&T

From: bernd.pauli_at_paulinet.de <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Oct 31 04:03:47 2005
Message-ID: <DIIE.0000003400003EA9_at_paulinet.de>

The Art of Collecting Meteorites (Kevin Kichinka, Book-
masters, 2005, 232 pp., $21.95, paper; available at:

www.theartofcollectingmeteorites.com).

Whenever I attend a major star party, after I visit the eyepiece and telescope
vendors, I always wander over to the meteorite dealers. Although my spacerock
stockpile is small, I treasure my meteorites and wonder about their histories
whenever I hold them in my hands. My love for my rocks might be why I switched
majors in college from astronomy to planetary science.

When the time comes for me to expand my collection, I'll pick up The Art of Collecting
Meteorites. Kevin Kichinka's self-published title is comprehensive to a fault and covers
all the bases that newbie and even moderately experienced collectors need to know.

Chapters include tips on identifying and finding meteorites in the field, helpful hints
on ways to purchase and preserve space rocks, amusing anecdotes about collectors, and
passages aimed at debunking meteorite myths. His book also contains short essays from
some of the world's leading meteorite experts.

Unfortunately, Kichinka assumes that his readers know far more about the mineralogy
of meteors than most probably do. A little more handholding would have been appropriate,
given that the book's purpose is to get people interested in the hobby. But there's enough
good stuff in here to make up for the occasional rambling passage and jargon-filled description.

(Review by DAVID TYTELL in Sky & Tel., Dec. 2005, p. 404, Books and Beyond)
Received on Mon 31 Oct 2005 04:03:45 AM PST


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