[The Constellations: How They Came to Be] is best for dipping into rather than reading through at one sitting. Defining his scope as the northern circumpolar group—stars and constellations observable from the Northern Hemisphere—Gallant names the groups by season and explores the ways they came to be thought of as constellations—in particular the myths that lie behind many of them…. Gallant dismisses astrology forthrightly and makes a strong bid for rational thought. Here, though, he opposes rather simplistically the scientist's rational mind and the superstition of "an illiterate nomad in the depths of his jungle home." The book is a comprehensive background source on constellations, especially useful for reports on their historical background.