We all know that space is "the final frontier," but I'm willing to bet that you have no idea how much "stuff" is out there floating around. From shuttles to satellites, space stations to space junk, there are a lot of things floating around our planet- and crazy things at that!Superstructures in Space: From satellites to Space Stations- A guide to what's out there is an incredibly fascinating look at the objects that are circling our planet right now, from an expert at `space stuff.'The photographs in this book alone are well worth the price- and worth the hour that you'll want to spend just looking at them. After you've flipped through it once and get over the awe-inspiring pictures, you're going to want to take the time to go back through and actually learn about the objects that are floating around planet earth.Although it may look like a standard- albeit beautiful- photographic coffee table book, Superstructures is really much more. The book features 57 "projects" that are currently orbiting the earth, selected among the hundreds of objects that are currently out there. It's broken down into chapters based on types of objects, namely ships that carry people, machines built to "look back at" the earth (spy satellites, weather tracking systems, etc.), ships that explore our solar system, and ships that explore the universe. Of course you might assume that you'd have the biggest emotional connection with the spaceships built for people (I did), but you may also be surprised at how fascinating and inspirational the other machines- and their findings- are as well.If you're a space- or trivia- buff, you'll find this book especially fascinating. For example, did you know that since the launch of Sputnik in 1957 U.S. Space Command has operated the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) in order to track every object circling the earth that's larger than a baseball? Since the program began they've tracked more than 24,000 such objects, and they estimate that more than 8,000 are circling the earth at any given time. Amazing!Author Michael H. Gorn is a former Fellow at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and currently Ombudsman at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California. What does that mean? Essentially, he's an expert on space, and the objects in it! He's written extensively on aeronautics and spaceflight, with a previous book on (Nasa: The Complete Illustrated History, Merrell 2008) already under his belt.In short, Superstructures is an amazing book, and one that in the short time I've owned, I've returned to nearly half a dozen times. It's going to become a well-worn favorite, both of my own and of my nephews, as well, I'm guessing, as many of the people who visit my home and find it proudly displayed on my coffee table.