I borrowed this one via the library because I really enjoyed Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. This book isn't quite the same. Think of it as a social commentary on the human race and our systems of beliefs, laws, political systems, etc. Tyson tries (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) to explain why using rational, science based arguments are superior to using emotions, tribalism, religion, and flawed beliefs to make decisions. He also points out how contradictory and egotistical our beliefs can be, especially as we consider ourselves more intelligent than and superior to, all other known life forms.

If you read this be prepared to have 'your buttons pushed.' If you are a vegan, you might just want to skip chapter six altogether. There is something in here almost guaranteed to offend nearly every reader.

This isn't my favorite work by the author but I will give Tyson kudos for providing an excellent narration for his work. Even when I didn't agree with one of this pointed opinions, Tyson's voice was soothing enough that I didn't get too worked up about it.

Here's one of my favorite quotations that I won't pose any argument against. :-)
Tally them all, living synergistically and symbiotically in our gut and on our skin, and you get more living organisms than cells of our own bodies. The number may be as high as 100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion) microbes. Some of them may even influence what foods we crave, such as chocolate, as they break down larger molecules into smaller ones that more easily pass into your bloodstream. You think your cravings are your own. Instead, the chocoholic bacteria in your gut are what’s summoning the bonbons.

My overall rating is 3.5 stars but I hope his next book focuses more on astrophysics and less on his opinions about the human condition. ( )

Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, by Neil deGrasse Tyson, is an interesting book that takes an "above ground" view of politics and the human condition, through the lens of science and rational thought. The goal of this book is to try to show how, in many ways, for all our tribalism, our supposed differences, we really are, as homo sapiens, in this together. I think Tyson does a decent job illustrating this. His goal is to inspire awe, and to show that science and rational thought might just be able to bring us all together in the end - if we would just apply it. It's a nice thought - but science isn't always on the right side of history (and even, Tyson admits this). And nor do I happen to agree with it. But, I do agree with Tyson when he points out that as homo sapiens we have more in common than we think. I also agree that if we could gain a cosmic perspective, perhaps we would treat each other and the earth with more respect.
I enjoyed Starry Messenger, but didn't love it. Tyson's arguments are often weak, in an apparent attempt to be accessible. And after a while, I found his writing style to be a bit grating.
That being said, I think Starry Messenger is a timely and important book but one that contains flaws with some of its arguments. ( )

Neil deGrasse Tyson's "cosmic" perspective in this book is far more down to Earth than you might think. And that's not a bad thing. Starry Messenger takes the long view and applies scientific thinking to the everyday issues we as a modern species struggle with. His reasoning makes perfect sense to me, but if our disagreements were easily resolved by thinking like scientists, then I doubt a book like this would even exist. The truth is people often don't think like scientists at all, far from it, and that causes us a lot of social grief. The personal feelings part of being human tends to get in the way. ( )

Lots of people like this book, but for me Tyson should have stuck to astrophysics. Awe is great, but should we pretend to be astronauts so we can affect to feel awestruck? Tyson rambles over much fascinating material, but little that's new. His tone is that of a self-satisfied motormouth geek lecturing the whole world with only a partially disguised superior sneer on his face. ( )

Our involvement with the real world has always been coloured by our genetic, social, and financial circumstances, and this collection of essays is interesting, reflecting the mind of an early twentyfirst century science populariser. tyson is a good researcher, and performs well on the media, and i am happy to find many points of agreement in our approaches to life on this singular planet. He discussed legal frameworks, some genetic research, and is rather hopeful about the survival of the human species on the planet, as well as some points of friction and achievement. A slim book, but full of useful insights. ( )