While the purpose of the book is to prepare the reader to view the August 2017, total solar eclipse, author Chap Percival does more than that. He opens with a discussion about the whys and wherefores of eclipses, in the mechanics involved. He then continued by taking us a personal journey back to the five total solar eclipses he has seen in the past. Beginning with the March 7, 1970, event he saw in VA, and ending with the March 29, 2006 eclipse in Libya, Percival's style gives readers the sense of the emotion and excitement felt when viewing a total solar eclipse.

The latter third of the book goes into more detail about the August 2017 event, which will pass directly through the continental U.S. Not only does he advise you on the equipment you'll need, he also strongly suggest bringing something that many authors fail to remember: a kid. Total solar eclipses are wonderful to view and great to photograph, but they are the kind of thing from which memories are made and are meant to be shared. But don't wait for 2017 to decide what to do. The time to plan is now, in 2015. Percival's book is a good way to begin your personal eclipse tour. -- Phil Harrington