Neil Tyson's Reviews > Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
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Read Starry Messenger several months after I finished writing it. Always an edifying thing to do.
This allowed me to reflect in its content as reader rather than as a writer -- two different assignments, of course.
I'd delighted to report that Starry Messenger accomplishes exactly what I set out to do: offer persistent and diverse ways for the reader to see the world differently -- to see the world as a scientist does, especially one who carries a cosmic perspective.
There are doses of humor and pop culture, added only where they could also advance the ideas of a chapter. And I'm proud to say that the book is relatively short, making a fast read.
The page-count in the publisher's listings is 260+. But when you subtract the index and the end notes (which are extensive), it's a 204 page book in a smaller binding format, similar to that of Astrophysics for People In A Hurry.
So I'm proud of this addition to the portfolio. And I thank those of you in the ŷ Universe who expressed early interesting in this work.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
This allowed me to reflect in its content as reader rather than as a writer -- two different assignments, of course.
I'd delighted to report that Starry Messenger accomplishes exactly what I set out to do: offer persistent and diverse ways for the reader to see the world differently -- to see the world as a scientist does, especially one who carries a cosmic perspective.
There are doses of humor and pop culture, added only where they could also advance the ideas of a chapter. And I'm proud to say that the book is relatively short, making a fast read.
The page-count in the publisher's listings is 260+. But when you subtract the index and the end notes (which are extensive), it's a 204 page book in a smaller binding format, similar to that of Astrophysics for People In A Hurry.
So I'm proud of this addition to the portfolio. And I thank those of you in the ŷ Universe who expressed early interesting in this work.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Reading Progress
February 14, 2022
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Started Reading
April 2, 2022
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Finished Reading
September 14, 2022
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Nermin
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Sep 14, 2022 03:26PM

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And looking forward to reading your book as a non-science person. Thank you.



As I've said, Dr. Tyson, I'm a big fan of your work. And for those who are also fans of the Cosmos series, the most particularly fascinating and enjoyable one for me is the geological history of Earth, wrapped up in a year's time. The simple fact that we humans don't show up on the calender until about two minutes to midnight is fascinating in itself, yet it's only one of the many astonishing perspectives and epochs gone over in that episode. That's must-see TV!



I've read all of your books, and I truly appreciate you taking this step of showing the public how to think like a scientist.
However, I do have one suggestion that has been slowly changing into a plea over the last decade. You took the reigns from Carl Sagan and you have done a brilliant job at guiding this generation of Cosmos. But for all of Carl's excellent books, nothing matched the fervor of The Demon Haunted World. I'm 37, and as a millennial kid in the 90s, I was shrouded in pseudoscience. I was so interested in the paranormal activities of the X-Files, the conspiracies of Area 51, or the moon landing hoax becoming so entertaining that Fox allowed a prime time documentary. I stumbled upon The Demon Haunted World as a senior in high-school and it's not an exaggeration to say it changed my life. I didn't know I was picking up a passionate love story, and the deepest of confessions on how incredibly beautiful and mysterious this universe is without the need to add stories for which there is little good evidence. This story of science as our most precious gift doesn't just deserve to be told to a 21st century audience, it must be told. Give our time an updated Baloney Detection Kit (with everything from Dunning-Kruger to the Myside Bias). Do what Carl did and prove that science is exponentially more rewarding than pseudoscience. That's my request! 🙂

Shame his "positive note" had to include it, but glad he finally got the hint and left.

I love the book. Really well presented!
I do have one suggestion though. Your chapter on Teddy Roosevelt misses a large part of his character and the actions he took. Namely his racism towards Asians, especially Filipinos. I strongly recommend the following history book to broaden your knowledge of the multi-faceted character that was Teddy: /book/show/6...


The point he was trying to make in this section is not lost on me, but attempts to make it amusing both oversimplify and ignore the reality of the logic and reasoning of a LOT of vegetarians and vegans. If reading this talks anyone out of their plant based lifestyle into a more more planet-destructive one...I just don't think it was worth it.








