Book excerpt: An introduction to the joys of amateur astronomy that introduces the technique of "star-hopping"--jumping from one recognizable star to another to locate less conspicuous celestial objects nearby. Each "star-hop" is adapted from articles appearing in Sky and Telescope magazine and includes maps, object descriptions, and photographs. Published by Sky Publishing Corp., 49 Bay State Rd., Cambridge, MA 02138. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR