The Dark Matter Problem: A Historical Perspective, Robert H. Sanders Cambridge U. Press, New York, 2010. $60.00 (205 pp.). ISBN 978-0-521-11301-4
“The prevailing view of the Universe now is radically different than it was 40 years ago when I began my career as a professional astronomer,” says Robert Sanders in The Dark Matter Problem: A Historical Perspective. In this readable and enjoyable book, Sanders takes us through the historical development of the theory of dark matter, including attempts at its direct detection, and up to the present state of affairs in astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics. And he does so with a sympathetic nod toward an unpopular competing theory.
I found the first half historically informative. It was fascinating to learn that the instability of rotationally supported disks of spiral galaxies was one of the earliest pieces of evidence for dark matter....
