Many readers can recall when the only objects in the solar system whose surfaces were mapped were Earth, the near side of the Moon, and Mars at poor resolution. Today, every planet but Pluto (including even cloud-enshrouded Venus), most of the larger satellites, and a few asteroids have been surveyed in detail. Journalist Benson illustrated these wonders in full; the close-ups of planets and moons are of the kind that inspires young readers into a career in astronomy and the space sciences. The text is minimal but sufficient to explain the many illustrations. Pictures such as the likeness of the oval-shaped disk of the tiny Martian moon Phobos, seen against the flank of Mars studded with craters, make for a solar system of worlds, not just dots seen in the sky or through a telescope. It is one of several delightful collections of portraits of our planetary neighbors and recommended for anyone interested in their appearances. Summing up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; professionals.
— A.R. Upgren, Choice magazine (“current reviews for academic libraries”), February 2004