On the cover: Twisters in the Lagoon Nebula. Astronomers studying Hubble Space Telescope images of the Lagoon Nebula think the twisted funnels seen in the upper left may be formed by processes similar to those that create tornadoes on Earth. (STScI)

If you're the type of person who skips the myriad how-to and celebrity tell-all books at the bookstore and heads straight to the science section, then this issue is for you. We've selected excerpts from four recent titles to include on your summer reading list. They're also sure to retain their relevance on your bookshelf for several years.

Nothing could be more timely than William Sheehan's survey of humanity's fascination with Mars. "The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery" covers our relationship with the Red Planet in the era of modern astronomy. David Grinspoon's fascination is with Venus, rather than Mars, and he uncovers the wonders of Earth's sister planet in his first book, "Venus Revealed." Venus deserves as much attention as Mars, Grinspoon explains, because it may have been the breeding ground for life in the early solar system.

In "Shadow of a Star: The Neutrino Story of Supernova 1987A," Alfred Mann takes us beyond the Milky Way and back with a personal memoir of his role in detecting the neutrino burst from the brightest supernova in 400 years. Finally, E.C. Krupp shares his expertise in archaeoastronomy with a survey of astronomers' roles thoughout the ancient world in "Skywatchers, Shamans and Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power."

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