The Sky is Not the Limit by Neil deGrasse Tyson
(out of 5 stars)
Having seen and enjoyed Neil deGrasse Tyson on PBS's NOVA program and various other television spots, I finally got around to reading his short biographical book The Sky is Not the Limit. Essentially a collection of six or so essays centered around Tyson's experiences, the book is fast paced and, with the minor exception of about ten pages, easily approachable for a non-scientific reader.
Tyson was driven early to become an astrophysicist, and his excitement for his craft comes through strongly in his writing. In the first half of the essays, he talks of his childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood as he developed an intense passion for astronomy and math. In one chapter, Tyson relays his experiences climbing the ranks as a black astrophysicist. Later in the book he jumps into his passion with discussions of Pluto, science in society, math's role in physics, the ultimate fate of the earth (and universe), and ends the book with an introspective response to the inevitable questions about his own views on God and science.
Throughout, I loved Tyson's passion for his subject matter, and he is tremendously effective at conveying his points through a simple, direct narrative and occasional dry wit. He mentions at one point that he had to develop a strong backbone to get through the difficult situations he often faced in the academic world. His advocacy for the things he cares about in this book shows it to be true. He makes strong arguments for the laziness and ennui of society with respect to science and fact. He argues for increased science education and funding, for better use of the scientific method, and for Hollywood, among others, to care as much about scientific details as they do about period costumes.
I would feel utterly honored to one day sit in this man's classroom, attend a seminar where he appears, or just have a beer with him and pick his brilliant brain. This book is a quick read and light science biography fun. Four stars.
