This book is an indulgence for those of us fascinated by big telescopes. It includes short discussions of each of the world's most important observatories, with brief technical interludes on topics like spectroscopy and adaptive optics. But this is not a book to read, it is a book to browse through, look at the pictures, and sample the text. The text certainly has its errors, such as substituting "millions" for "billions" in comparing the cost of space telescopes, and placing the date of the 3m Shane telescope as 1979 (it was competed in 1959 and renamed after Shane in 1977.) But we can overlook errors like this in a book designed for voyeurs. If big telescopes turn you on and you have a few extra dollars available, you'll probably like this book!