What is a good introductory but informative Astronomy textbook?

What textbook would you recommend and what are you using?What is a good introductory but informative Astronomy textbook?
It's been a long time since I've read introductory astronomy textbooks, but let me make one suggestion:



Alex Filippenko is an astronomy professor at UC Berkeley, and he has an excellent reputation as a teacher. If his book is as good as his teaching style, it should be very good. The only problem is that it's expensive -- $120, with used copies available starting at $69 on Amazon. It's designed for non-science majors, and has excellent reviews on Amazon.



The book is

The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium

by Jay M. Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko



-- added later:

I just checked Amazon. The paperback edition is a little cheaper ($108), but used paperbacks are available for just a few dollars.



-- added later:

Here's a nice review of three astronomy texts:

http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0408/c.html

Of course, the best textbook for you depends on your level of mathematical knowledge, and how much time you want to invest. Books for non-science majors (like Filippenko's) have a minimum of mathematics. The book mentioned by Eri (Carroll and Ostlie) might be great for someone with a couple of years of college math and physics, but unsuitable for someone without that background; it's also a much longer book than the three reviewed in the above web site.
In my graduate courses, I have found Carroll and Ostlie's Introduction to Modern Astrophysics very informative.What is a good introductory but informative Astronomy textbook?
my vote is for "foundations of astronomy" by michael seeds. it's in it's 9th edition i believe. i used the 4th edition in college. it teaches history and the math of astronomy. it has great graphics to help visualize principles as well. $138 new, $48 used, amazon.
"Discovering the universe"; Comins %26amp; KauffmannWhat is a good introductory but informative Astronomy textbook?
"Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics," by Smith, Jacobs, and Zeilik. I used to have a copy of the 1973 edition of this book, and it was pretty good. I just now did a search for the title, and DAMN would you look at that price! Textbooks are way overpriced these days (the most money the flunking scare will bear). Get a used copy if you can.