Book 42 - 2019
Book 42: Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth by Adam Frank - 250 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
Light of the Stars tells a radically new story about what we are: one world in a universe awash in planets. Building on his widely discussed scientific papers and The New York Times op-eds, astrophysicist Adam Frank shows that not only is it likely that alien civilisations have existed many times before but that many of them have driven their own worlds into dangerous eras of change. He explains how dust storms on Mars, the greenhouse effect on Venus, Gaia Theory, the threat of nuclear winter, and efforts to prove or disprove the plurality of worlds from Aristotle to Copernicus to Carl Sagan have contributed to our understanding of our place in the universe and the growing challenge of climate change. And he explores what may be the largest question of all: if there has been life on other worlds, what its presence can tell us about our own fate.
Thoughts:
Another book I had really expected to love, but didn't. That's not to say its not good, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting, and that made it really drag for me. I had originally thought this book was solely focused on the possibilities of aliens, and inhabited planets. That is certainly part of the story, but in reality, this book is about what other planets can teach us about our own experiences on Earth, primarily climate change and how to respond to it, or the risks it might present. Whilst a valuable endeavour, coming off the back of 'The Glad Shout', and given what I thought the content was to be, I really not enthused for the topic. Nonetheless, Frank's book is a compelling argument for human created climate change, and how planetary science can teach us how we need to respond to ensure we're still here in a thousand years. So, if you've got a friend who doesn't believe in climate change, might be a worthwhile read for them.
42 / 50 books. 84% done!
12017 / 15000 pages. 80% done!
Currently reading:
Journey to the West by Cheng-En Wu - 673 pages
The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick - 623 pages
Prisoners of Geography: Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics by Tim Marshall - 291 pages
And coming up:
The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - 500 pages
The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf - 179 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
Light of the Stars tells a radically new story about what we are: one world in a universe awash in planets. Building on his widely discussed scientific papers and The New York Times op-eds, astrophysicist Adam Frank shows that not only is it likely that alien civilisations have existed many times before but that many of them have driven their own worlds into dangerous eras of change. He explains how dust storms on Mars, the greenhouse effect on Venus, Gaia Theory, the threat of nuclear winter, and efforts to prove or disprove the plurality of worlds from Aristotle to Copernicus to Carl Sagan have contributed to our understanding of our place in the universe and the growing challenge of climate change. And he explores what may be the largest question of all: if there has been life on other worlds, what its presence can tell us about our own fate.
Thoughts:
Another book I had really expected to love, but didn't. That's not to say its not good, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting, and that made it really drag for me. I had originally thought this book was solely focused on the possibilities of aliens, and inhabited planets. That is certainly part of the story, but in reality, this book is about what other planets can teach us about our own experiences on Earth, primarily climate change and how to respond to it, or the risks it might present. Whilst a valuable endeavour, coming off the back of 'The Glad Shout', and given what I thought the content was to be, I really not enthused for the topic. Nonetheless, Frank's book is a compelling argument for human created climate change, and how planetary science can teach us how we need to respond to ensure we're still here in a thousand years. So, if you've got a friend who doesn't believe in climate change, might be a worthwhile read for them.
42 / 50 books. 84% done!
12017 / 15000 pages. 80% done!
Currently reading:
Journey to the West by Cheng-En Wu - 673 pages
The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick - 623 pages
Prisoners of Geography: Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics by Tim Marshall - 291 pages
And coming up:
The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - 500 pages
The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf - 179 pages