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Mike Warner's Reviews > Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
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Disappointing.
I'm not sure where to categorize this version of Neil deGrasse Tyson - a Zealous Scientist or an Evangelical Rationalist, or both.
There is such potential in the realm of science for the gift of humility and there are times Tyson can wield it. But his disdain for any worldviews other than that of the enlightenment and apparent ignorance of any critiques of the enlightenment from the past three centuries.
Book has some dramatic insights, but mostly pedestrian observations. His forays into political science do not make it past middle school level lessons. He has a strange vendetta against the varied rationale of vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. This leads to some tortured logic of his own and pretty poor analogies in efforts to skewer these folks.
I've read and liked Tyson before, but here all his forgivable faults are well on display.
I'm not sure where to categorize this version of Neil deGrasse Tyson - a Zealous Scientist or an Evangelical Rationalist, or both.
There is such potential in the realm of science for the gift of humility and there are times Tyson can wield it. But his disdain for any worldviews other than that of the enlightenment and apparent ignorance of any critiques of the enlightenment from the past three centuries.
Book has some dramatic insights, but mostly pedestrian observations. His forays into political science do not make it past middle school level lessons. He has a strange vendetta against the varied rationale of vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. This leads to some tortured logic of his own and pretty poor analogies in efforts to skewer these folks.
I've read and liked Tyson before, but here all his forgivable faults are well on display.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
September 27, 2022
–
Finished Reading
October 1, 2022
– Shelved
October 1, 2022
– Shelved as:
science
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Deb
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rated it 2 stars
Oct 02, 2022 12:56AM
I agree with your comment about his tendency towards middle school level lessons! At times I felt like I was being talked down to, like a child. I’m only part way through the book, and my disappointment in it is overwhelming my desire to finish it.
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I agree with you that Tyson ignores the last three hundred years of modern thought. Nietzsche once wrote that science shows us the river of existence, but not the goal. While reading Tyson's latest book, I kept wondering about his goal or purpose of writing.
Thanks for this! Articulates so well how I feel...even though I personally align with agree with many of Tyson's opinions, I didn't love how they were stated.
