A Book A Week

Looking out upon the night sky, it is easy to get lost in view of the stars. Throughout history, humans have been fascinated by the stars yearning to know the unknowable. As much as we know about this giant blue orb we call home, there is still so much to discover. That's where people like Neil deGrasse Tyson come in. Dr. Tyson is an acclaimed astrophysicist who has dedicated much of his career to sharing his vast knowledge with the public at large. His latest book Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization sees the scientist attempt to make sense of many of the issues that currently divide us. He views these issues such as politics, religion, gender, etc. through the macro lens of the universe.

The problems that seem to plague civilization are nothing new. At least, they aren't new from the perspective of centuries of history and scientific study. From the start of the book, Tyson posits that the issues we face as a society today can be better understood by both understanding the historical perspective of those issues and by allowing the factual scientific consensus on many topics to help inform our thinking and actions on them. Through this thorough dissection of each issue, Tyson hopes that we will be able to think differently about the topic and maybe even come to a better understanding as to why different viewpoints may exist. 

I was instantly drawn to the idea of gaining different perspectives on hot-button topics, so I was pleased to accept a copy of Starry Messenger from Tyson's publisher. Tyson has a way of distilling complex subjects down to their core, making even the most sophisticated themes digestible to average readers. At under 300 pages, the book packs a lot of content into a light package. I found myself reading through a topic each day, taking time in between to ruminate on what I had discovered. Tyson's views aren't perfect, and even he admits that sometimes his words and thoughts don't accurately describe the nuances of the thing he is trying to speak to. Just look at some of his more controversial tweets as an example. Despite his clear mastery of the science behind many things, Tyson never pretends to have all the answers. Rather, he uses Starry Messenger as a means of getting readers to think more deeply and critically about multifaceted subjects. Only through this kind of reflection can we gain a higher understanding of our universe and the issues that we face. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

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