Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization

July 2022: ARC or Advanced Reader Copy, won in Goodreads giveaway -- thank you.

A quick, easy read-- Starry Messenger is a natural extension of the cosmic perspective ideas that Tyson touched on in Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. It's easy to get behind the spirit of the book-- taking a step back and looking at the big picture can give us the reset we need to view human civilization from a more unbiased perspective. Tyson excels when he focuses on exploring what our discoveries of the universe have revealed to us about life on earth, but at times it feels like the word "scientific" could be substituted for "cosmic" in the subtitle of the book. As always, Tyson's humor is a welcome constant and helps to make up for any lack of continuity in the "cosmic" theme. Once you get past the fact that Starry Messenger is loosely focused on the concept of what cosmic truths can teach us, you can really settle in and enjoy Tyson's quirky musings on the absurd and insightful aspects of humanity, and its hopeful striving for enlightenment and happiness.