Bringing his cosmic perspective to Earth's cultural life, Neil deGrasse Tyson, the renowned author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, sheds new light on the critical cracks of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, race and tribalism—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for all of us.

At a time when political and cultural perspectives seem more divided than ever, Tyson offers a valuable antidote to what divides us, while passionately advocating the two driving forces of enlightenment—the cosmic perspective and the logic of science. By deeply examining how a scientist sees the world and how Earth appears from space, Tyson finds that earthly thoughts change as our brains recalibrate and redefine our life's priorities, along with the actions we may take in response to them. As a result, no perspective in culture, society, or civilization goes unnoticed.

In Starry Messenger, Tyson reveals how human the enterprise of science is. Far from being a cold and insentient process, scientific methods, tools, and discoveries have shaped modern civilization and created the landscape we have built to live, work, and play. Tyson shows how an injection of science and rational thinking makes our worldviews deeper and more informed than ever—and unmasks baseless perspectives and unjustified feelings.

With crystalline prose and ample documentation, Starry Messenger guides us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From lessons on resolving global conflicts to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson unveils, with warmth and eloquence, ten surprising, brilliant, and beautiful truths of human society, informed and illuminated by the knowledge of our place in the universe.