Looking Up: A History of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

Lisa Parsons is a freelance writer in Kingston, Ontario.

This book, written in part to commemorate the centenary of the Royal
Astronomical Society of Canada in 1990, deals with the formation and
expansion of the Society. The RASC is one of the largest and most
respected organizations of its kind in the world, with more than 3000
members in communities all across Canada. (People interested in
duplicating the RASC’s success may find valuable information in this
book.)

Looking Up is a coffee-table book, with many black-and-white
photographs (mainly of people connected with RASC) and a handful of
astronomical illustrations. It features brief biographies of the past
presidents and winners of medals and awards, and acknowledges the
contributions of important members and leaders throughout the
Society’s history. Unfortunately, like speeches at an awards banquet,
it makes for dry reading, and would be of limited interest to outsiders.