Some of the best science writers (past or present) are represented in these pages. The scope of this volume spans the breadth of scientific knowledge.

Harlow Shapley is the perfect host to introduce the wonders that follow. His Introduction explains how he and his co-editors arrived at their choices and his Preface invites us to share in the conquests of Science over the centuries, as we accompany the authors and their subjects on these journeys of knowledge and discovery. The editor praises the authors who possess both the breadth of knowledge and the literary skill to explain the concepts discussed, while placing them within the larger context of our Universe.