# Looking for a Time/Life three-volume set from the 1970s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [July 27, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851 "2024-07-27T11:40:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/1 "2024-07-27T11:40:46Z")
This was a set of books (hardback, 8 1/2 x 11 inches I think, fairly thin) about science that one of my cousins had. The whole set of three was intended to cover all of science - and volume three was “the cosmos” as a whole. I remember in particular, the cover of the third book, which showed a tinker-toy model, intended to illustrate the expanding universe. Googling is doing me no good - any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/2 "2024-07-27T11:58:09Z")
> **[Voyage Through The Universe Series by Time-Life Books](https://www.goodreads.com/series/59813-voyage-through-the-universe)** > > Spanish edition: Viaje a través del Universo divided in 40 volumes. Atlas (Voyage Through the Universe), Between the Stars (Voyage Through the Universe),... It looks like it’s 20 books, _The Cosmos_ is number 13. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/3 "2024-07-27T12:25:37Z")
And the thing that resembles a Tinker-Toy model is on book 7: _Life Search_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/4 "2024-07-27T12:52:21Z")
I don’t think Time Life did anything in a mere 3 volumes. Eta I’m kinda surprised the full set weighs just 0.01 ounce. > **[Complete 20-Volume Set (Voyage Through the Universe, (all 20 volumes)):...](https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Voyage-Through-Universe-volumes/dp/B001D8I5NM)** > > Buy Complete 20-Volume Set (Voyage Through the Universe, (all 20 volumes)) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/5 "2024-07-27T13:05:58Z")
These appear to be from the 1990s - and the cover’s not quite what I’m remembering ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/6 "2024-07-27T15:01:08Z")
I think I’ve found it. This [link](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/universe-by-david-bergamini-the-earth-by-arthur-beiser-evolution-by-ruth-moore-life-nature-library-timelife-international-32s-6d-each/143A663051A1E7B88B9EFADACE5629C3) talks about “The Universe” by David Bergamini, as part of a set with The Earth by Arthur Beiser and Evolution by Ruth Moore. The cover isn’t quite what I was describing, but it’s possible I’m thinking of interior art. I’ll try to get the Bergamini book ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/7 "2024-07-27T15:10:05Z")
Did you try going through all 75 pages of [https://www.amazon.com/Books-Time-Life/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp\_27%3ATime-Life+Books](https://www.amazon.com/Books-Time-Life/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ATime-Life+Books) ? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/8 "2024-07-27T15:11:45Z")
No. I tried “1970s” “Time/Life” and variations on “space” (but not Cosmos - that way leads only to Sagan). I now have the Bergamini book requested on Interlibrary loan ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2024, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/9 "2024-07-27T21:35:38Z")
The Time Life series on [Photography](https://www.ebay.com/itm/126538539003?itmmeta=01J3V1STXDY863XQZCH0S4420J&hash=item1d7648dffb:g:Ie0AAOSwzbtmdAoM&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAABADWrIjPtncnrTkznM%2FNY1VHBlqBkb9jXSAOfMolVgcC2VV6fHk544u%2F0%2BOor7V0we1a4vAbLFCzwL196r5JhQ%2FWzFACtwSJ8Ue%2BqS%2FPDsKsJ%2BBc14L62Q2MRluRKI6ezT%2FvkejaRZcGANtEGFDmO%2B3Pdw--%2B6raelWoxsG3Fxkx6TkyRutYpxoupXDhnRya90xNb3rZvrWttkundVm7XuD9k4QDi75QvyyISn1QTYOTx4aQEGnBgcx9T6C4ccGhuCAviiv76l1cXO1oBpPpYCdJ4V6RqiyGLcxs1CuC6IxjFPcl72IE%2BTKAvl6p6EyIIgDgDCHHFyHaHRSNpE%2BOIuHw%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Cu5-GeZA) was spectacular, and probably taught me most of what I know about the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/10 "2024-08-01T22:50:24Z")
I got the book through interlibrary loan, and it’s definitely something I read as a kid. Doesn’t have the illustration I describe above, but that could be a) because I read a different edition or b) I’m conflating two books or c) I’m totally imagining the illustration I’m thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/11 "2024-08-01T22:58:04Z")
Or d), you’ve gone down the wrong trouser leg. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-time-life-three-volume-set-from-the-1970s/1004851/12 "2025-10-31T12:47:34Z")
Found it thanks to @Dendarii_Dame - on a shelf in our house It looks much like I described > **[Life The World We Live in Volume Three: Earth and Universe: Lincoln Barnett:...](https://www.amazon.com/Life-World-We-Live-Three/dp/B00101V7AU)** > > Life The World We Live in Volume Three: Earth and Universe \[Lincoln Barnett\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Life The World We Live in Volume Three: Earth and Universe