Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.

In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment—a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.

After thinking deeply about how science sees the world and about Earth as a planet, the human brain has the capacity to reset and recalibrates life’s priorities, shaping the actions we might take in response. No outlook on culture, society, or civilization remains untouched.

With crystalline prose, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From insights on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, an array of brilliant and beautiful truths that apply to us all, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.

While most of Tyson’s books have been about the Heavens, this time he takes a totally different trajectory, focusing on life on Earth, and the problems we’re dealing with. Told in easy to follow prose, Tyson uses science, and scientific discovery, to show a way forward.

While he sees a more positive outcome than I do, I still found the book highly interesting, and his ideas highly intriguing. His solutions may or may not work, but at least he’s offering some.





Mount TBR 2022 Book Links


Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

( TBR Book Links 1-75 )

76. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
77. Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization by Neil deGrasse Tyson