Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2009

Community Reads 2009 represents the sixth year of YDL's collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library, the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, and Washtenaw Community College.

Each year a theme is selected and a book is chosen for the community to read and discuss. The theme for 2009 is "The Universe: Yours to Discover."

This year's selection is Seeing in the Dark: How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering the Wonders of the Universe, by Timothy Ferris.

Ferris tells the story of the contributions of backyard stargazers to the field of astronomy. He writes with such enthusiasm that readers are sure to be intrigued to learn more about becoming stargazers themselves. Comes with a glossary of terms and a sky-examining guide.

Timothy Ferris has authored dozens of books and was a newspaper reporter and editor of Rolling Stone magazine. He has written over two hundred articles and essays for publications. Ferris has also made three documentary films (which have been featured on PBS).

Ferris produced the Voyager phonograph record, an artifact of human civilization containing music, sounds of Earth and encoded photographs launched aboard the twin Voyager interstellar spacecraft now exiting the solar system. He was among the journalists selected as candidates to fly aboard the Space Shuttle in 1986.

Look for more information about a visit by Timothy Ferris in January 2009 to Washtenaw Community College.

For even more information, please check out AADL's Community Reads Page.