K. Maria D. Lane

This is an excellent book, I only gave it the 4 instead of 5 stars, because the illustrations could have been better (colour) and possibly it is too academic for a general audience. The writer has a good prose style, readable and precise.

The book is about how a geography of the planet Mars was constructed by astronomers of the late 19th and early 20th century. Using telescopes they tried to map surface features on the planet, including the famous network of canals - which turned out not to exist! There was also quite a bit of speculation about life on Mars (as there still is of course).

The wider cultural context is covered, with how astronomer Lowell courted the popular press, and how science fiction writers, such as H.G. Wells were influenced and took part in the scientific debates.

The book might well be a good start for anyone interested in current thoughts on the philosophy of geography, as some of these ideas are discussed and there are bibliographic references.

You won't learn much about Mars itself from this book, but you will learn something of how science and society interact.… (más)