Nilesh Jasani's Reviews > Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization

Starry Messenger is an intellectual roller coaster, replete with thrilling peaks of insight and, equally also, with monotonous plains of the mundane. There are many notable pit-stops at various intellectual junctions, from science to sociology, but it is also a ride that struggles to maintain a clear route.

Tyson is the maestro in this symphony of thoughts, adeptly wielding the baton of his keen intellect and crisp prose. His knack for making complex subjects palatable to the layman shines through in every chapter. These chapters are an assorted platter of opinion essays. It educates the reader about various topics, dotted with bite-sized wisdom encapsulated in Tyson's characteristic punchlines.

The essays are like meandering stargazing sessions, covering everything from race and democracy to gambling and vegetarianism. While the topic of diversity is commendable, it results in an inconsistent rhythm.
Tyson sometimes veers towards the preachy, turning an otherwise enjoyable discussion into a sermon. The tone is jarring sometimes to even this reviewer, who agrees with the author on most of his writing.

In conclusion, the breezy, informative book is Tyson's trademark work, except that not on topics one associates him with.