The Sky Is Not The Limit : Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist [Hardcover]

Neil de Grasse Tyson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2000

As the youngest-ever Director of the Hayden Planetarium, Neil de Grasse Tyson is America's best-known astrophysicist, constantly called upon by the media to explain news-making scientific phenomena such as the discovery of water on Mars. How did an African American kid growing up in the Bronx, expected by everyone to become a star athlete, not an intellectual, become an extraordinarily successful scientist? This is the fascinating and moving account of Tyson's love affair with the night sky, beginning with the fateful day when he, as a small boy, happened to turn a pair of binoculars up toward the moon and was struck with wonder.

Packed with gorgeous descriptions of the night sky, The Sky Is Not the Limit invokes the grandeur of the cosmos as it tells Tyson's compelling personal story. In addition, it is a perceptive look at life and society as seen through the eyes of an astrophysicist, providing a valuable look into how scientists work in, and think about, the social, political, and physical world. From that eye-opening first glimpse of the moon, through his struggle to fulfill his dream of becoming an astrophysicist, to the triumphant opening of the new Hayden Planetarium, Tyson's story is remarkable.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Cool, classy, articulate, and brilliant--rarely do all of those adjectives apply at once to an astrophysicist. But Neil de Grasse Tyson is no ordinary scientist; as the director of New York City's Hayden planetarium, his job is to inspire the public with the beauty and grandeur of the universe, just as he was inspired there in his youth. The Sky Is Not the Limit is his memoir of the events leading from his birth to his acceptance of his dream job and beyond, and is a marvelously entertaining look at one man's pursuit of his life's calling. Tyson emphasizes the nurturing roles played by his parents, friends, and teachers, in contrast to the sometimes well-meaning but always disappointing discouragement he experienced from all sides in his quest for his Ph.D.

Of course, it's still shamefully difficult for a black American scientist to merit the same quality of attention as his or her peers, and Tyson's insights into the subtle but still-pervasive racism in academia are enlightening. His description of his own shock at seeing himself on television--a black man sought as an expert on something other than being black--is powerfully moving. But, as with his other books, like the gorgeous One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos, the quest for knowledge is more important than the obstacles, and his spirit, determination, and sense of humor prove that the sky really isn't the limit. --Rob Lightner

From Publishers Weekly

Tyson (see One Universe, reviewed above) directs the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. His pleasant, digressive memoir explains how he got there, what it's like to be a famous astronomer and what he thinks of his work. At first it's a story about how science education can go right. We learn that Tyson, who is African-American, grew up among tall buildings in the Bronx--but his is not a story of triumph over grinding poverty. Young Tyson got a break from the city when his father found a one-year lectureship at Harvard, and as for the electricity required to run one of his first telescopes, "my dentist... happened to live on the nineteenth floor." Tyson's later chapters offer memories, anecdotes and musings on astrophysics, education, politics, popular culture and even wrestling, in which Tyson competed until grad school. Tyson explains how his wrestling skills and knowledge of physics helped him end an Italian traffic jam by lifting a parked car, and how he tried to buy a meteorite but lost an auction to Steven Spielberg. In one chapter, Hollywood's science mistakes raise Tyson's ire (the film Titanic got its night sky all wrong); in the next, he discusses getting stopped by police for "Driving While Black." With sentences like "The universe poured down from the sky and flowed into my body," Tyson may not be his discipline's best prose stylist; neither his essays nor his life match the unpredictable charm of Richard Feynman's. But he comes off very likably, and presents physics with ease and clarity. It's easy to imagine his memoir inspiring young future astrophysicists--and inspiring grownups to help them out. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (February 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385488386
• ISBN-13: 978-0385488389
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,503,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavenly Joys!, September 12, 2000

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sky Is Not The Limit : Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (Hardcover)

Dr. Tyson has written a wonderful memoir that will inspire anyone who reads it to become more interested in astrophysics, how to be a better parent, ways to improve as a mentor, and to seek out an inspirational profession.

The ultimate charm of this book is that Dr. Tyson is a warm, witty, self-effacing, and passionate human being. I seldom get the feeling from reading a book that I would enjoy having the author as a friend, but Dr. Tyson affected me that way.

For young people thinking about a career in science, Dr. Tyson is an excellent role model of how focusing on the joy you feel from the subject matter can evolve into additional joy from the intellectual content. In his description at the end of the book of how the putative Big Bang may have happened, I was enthralled. It was almost like reading poetry. Now, I have read many descriptions of the same subject, and have never been moved by them before.

Dr. Tyson also makes an eloquent case for creating planetary defense capabilities to divert or destroy asteroids or comets that could create catastrophic collisons with the Earth. I came away convinced that this was a worthwhile activity. You may, too.

Dr. Tyson had wonderful parents and mentors. I enjoyed reading about them as much as I did about the main subjects of the book. Anyone will pick up tips for being better at both roles from this book.

He also has a great sense of humor, telling many funny stories in a wonderfully straight way. In the process, he gently tweaks the racism that means that black astrophysicists have many confrontations with the police that white ones don't have, errors in popular movies (Jodie Foster will blush after she reads what he has to say about her), and our earthbound perspective that keeps us from appreciating the heavenly beauty above.

Dr. Tyson often appears with Peter Jennings on television. Watch for him, and notice his ties. He likes to wear ones with astrophysical references. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, so you will often see or hear him quoted on the latest space-related issues.

I should admit a bias to you. When the college I attended holds an annual alumni gathering in December each year in Boston, I always go to the astrophysics lectures. The photographs are gorgeous, and the ideas are very exciting. If you have a chance to do the same, you should do so.

After you read this book, ponder his section on science and religion and reconsider how the two areas relate to one another. I found his ideas interesting. Then consider how the two areas could relate to each other better. That's a question hardly anyone asks.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars by a sixteen-year old, August 3, 2005

By 

Athena Masson "astrogeometeorologist" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (Paperback)

The sky is not the limit is a novel that goes deep into the heart of the author, Neil de Grasse Tyson, who started out at a young age shooting for his dream to become an astrophysicist. This book gives the reader a mental view of the objects surrounding us both in space and on earth. Throughout Neil's life he has worked hard pursuing his passion in astrophysics.
I enjoyed this book because it is scientific and also teaches lessons of life that you may not otherwise encounter. I also enjoyed the comedy in his statements. I have learned that if I want to become a scientist like Neil, then I must start training at a young age. This book has opened up my eyes to become aware of many things that I did not notice before.

18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs Up All the Way, March 13, 2000

By 

W. Watson (Nevada City, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sky Is Not The Limit : Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this delightful book of a black scientist's life's journey into the world of astrophysics. It's filled with interesting observations about astronomy, science, education, public life, experiences as a black intellecutal, and his role as director of the Hayden Planetarium. It's also filled with humor and many remarks and comments on astronomy, the universe, God, movie mistakes on astronomical topics, and even cremation vs burial. A very enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading some of his other books.