Overview

The New York Times best-selling author chronicles America's irrational love affair with Pluto, man's best celestial friend. In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it's a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, Americans rallied behind the extraterrestrial underdog. The year of Pluto's discovery, Disney created an irresistible pup by the same name, and, as one NASA scientist put it, Pluto was discovered by an American for America. Pluto is entrenched in our cultural, patriotic view of the cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson is on a quest to discover why. Only Tyson can tell this story: he was involved in the first exhibits to demote Pluto, and, consequently, Pluto lovers have freely shared their opinions with him, including endless hate mail from third graders. In his typically witty way, Tyson explores the history of planet classification and America's obsession with the planet that's recently been judged a dwarf.

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9780393337327

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Now, in The Pluto Files, Tyson offers a highly entertaining history of Pluto... New Scientist It's eminently readable and particularly enjoyable. Thebookbag.co.uk

An eclectic delight. Readers will laugh at the collection of song lyrics and cartoons inspired by the great Pluto-versy... Smile at the photocopied letters from elementary-school children. -- Fred Burtz For young and old alike... a riveting book that makes you really care about Pluto. Wonderfully entertaining... Uses an engaging mix of facts, photographs, cartoons, illustrations, songs, e-mails, and humor to explain what's up (and down) with Pluto...The Pluto Files is positively transporting. Out of this world. -- Heller McAlpin

Author Information

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, director of the world-famous Hayden Planetarium, a monthly columnist for Natural History, and an award-winning author. He lives in New York City.

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