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BORN under the sign of the flying cow? Or do you look for the fish slice when you read your horoscope? Patrick Moore’s pocket book is a delight: astronomy, a history of astrology, a sharp look at the bogus claims of astrologers, and a cheerful bunch of his own neozodiacal constructs. We could just as easily remark that Saturn is in the articulated lorry as in Taurus, he says. Why stick to Ptolemy’s labels for star patterns?

Moore carries out a straw poll to point up the role of coincidence in astrology’s apparent successes, and reports that one astrologer sees the future of her field as lying in psychology, rather than astronomy.

A perfect present for enquiring minds – and a high-value irritant for horoscope fans.