Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Cosmic Queries. 2021. p. 289. 4 stars.

This is an incredibly snarky and lively journey through the cosmos. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it was thought-provoking, amusing, and realistic. 

This book is unorthodox in the best sense of the word; it is not often that you find books about humanity’s place in the universe that is accessible to all ages. It was a quick read, but I relished every minute. 

Neil deGrasse Tyson leads us on a mind-boggling journey through some of the most pressing questions that humans have about the universe, including “What is Life?”, “Are We Alone in the Universe?”, and my personal favorite “What Does Nothing Have to Do With Everything?”

This book answers questions that you thought you knew the answer to and answers those questions which you never thought to ask. This book makes you feel profoundly educated and gut-wrenchingly oblivious at the same time. Cosmic Queries thrusts you unceremoniously into the real world of science and human existence and demonstrates that meaning in life comes not from likes on Twitter, your relationships status, or whatever the Kardashians are up to now, but in education and imagining the world more complexly.Tyson handles these questions like every astute educator would, with humor, brevity, and honesty. He does notsugarcoat how the universe will end and the futility of it all. 

This book is nothing short of brilliant. It will probably not become a classic, but at least proudly displayed on the bookshelves of nerds the world over. 

This is an incredible book. You can tell a science book is excellent when you read the same sentence twelve times over and gaze blankly at your wall with your mouth agape. I will say that I did this numerous times over the course of this book. I was introduced to concepts that I only had a cursory knowledge of before, and though I am nowhere close to an expert, I can at least act like I know what I am talking about more confidently than I did before.  I give this book four stars because my worldview and outlook on life and our position in the universe has been revolutionized and I am all the better person because of it. So, thank you Dr. Tyson for showing me that the universe is mine for exploring, but only if I care enough to learn about it.