In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mou...
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Feb 27, 2009
Carolyn
rated it: 
Another guilty pleasure. Neil deGrasse Tyson always writes well. This time he is less concerned with science education than he is with describing the shared cultural mania that resulted from rebranding Pluto a plutoid.
The story begins with the fallout of the exhibit he put together at the Hayden Planetarium in the new Rose Center for Earth and Space. His team presented the planets as members of families of object with similar properties rather than as orbs to be memorized. Pluto was More...
The story begins with the fallout of the exhibit he put together at the Hayden Planetarium in the new Rose Center for Earth and Space. His team presented the planets as members of families of object with similar properties rather than as orbs to be memorized. Pluto was More...
Feb 21, 2009
Amanda
rated it: 
Tyson is always a favorite guest on The Daily Show and this book was discussed on his last interview with Jon Stewart. Library to the rescue!
There are 9 chapters to this fairly short book, all done with wit and an obvious love of science. Tyson goes over Pluto's history, how Pluto was received in our culture, and the descent of how Pluto lost his status as our 9th planet.
Apparently Americans really love Pluto, not only because of it's association with Disney's dog, but be More...
There are 9 chapters to this fairly short book, all done with wit and an obvious love of science. Tyson goes over Pluto's history, how Pluto was received in our culture, and the descent of how Pluto lost his status as our 9th planet.
Apparently Americans really love Pluto, not only because of it's association with Disney's dog, but be More...
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Feb 13, 2009
Ken
rated it: 
ugh... awfully light book on what really be a weighty tome. felt like a long article in time magazine or something, where it might scratch the surface of a subject, but you don't really get a whole understanding of the topic. filled with way too many 'extras': political cartoons, appendixes of song lyrics, full page portraits of the little girl who suggested the name, etc... i mean seriously, just get on with it. when you remove the quotes and pictures and figures, it's what, maybe like 50 pages
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Apr 02, 2009
Mazola1
rated it:
Noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson writes about the furor triggered by the vote of the International Astronomical Union in 2006 to demote Pluto from full planet status and reclassify it as a dwarf planet. This action by a group of astrophysicists almost no one had ever heard of before caused a cultural phenomenon made up of equal parts humor, outrage, scientific debate and angst. Dr. Tyson was in the thick of the action, and his book tries to explain what happened and why so many people go
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Dec 20, 2011
Allie
rated it: 
A fast and easy read. The best parts weren't about Pluto specifically but about the nature of astrophysical nomenclature, i.e. that we only really have close access to this one solar system so what we discover and the distinctions we make are small and human compared to the rest of the universe. He also makes some really cool suggestions for teaching the solar system to kids, a way of thinking that informed how they grouped the planets at the Hayden Planetarium and which triggered all the Plut
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May 10, 2011
Jill
rated it:
It may have been over four years since Pluto's planet status drama was front-page news, but this 2009 memoir is worth the time. Short and delightful read, focusing on the cultural phenomenon of the saga of Pluto by the director of the Hayden Planetarium, recipient of many (hilarious) letters from concerned fans of Pluto, who also explains the scientific aspects with an educator's touch. He interweaves quotes from astrophysicists and astronomers (and his friend Bill Nye), the New York Times, and
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May 10, 2010
Marcos
rated it:
I never had any special interest in astronomy before reading this book, and now that I've read the book I'm still not especially interested, but I'm more interested than I was. It's clearly written, easy to engage with, and entertaining. I recommend it, even if astronomy isn't your thing.
This is sort of a side note, but the book had a very defined post-internet-age feel for me. Like a lot of blog posts and online articles, it's liberally illustrated with pictures and drawings from a More...
This is sort of a side note, but the book had a very defined post-internet-age feel for me. Like a lot of blog posts and online articles, it's liberally illustrated with pictures and drawings from a More...
Jan 21, 2010
Chris
rated it:
What was the biggest story of 2006? The arrest of the shampoo bombers in England? Small fries. The first World Baseball Classic? YAWN! The death of Don Knotts? Nothin'.
No, as interesting as they were, none of these generated nearly as much public interest and argument as the much ballyhooed "demotion" of Pluto by the International Astronomical Union in August of 2006. Poor little Pluto, hanging out there on the edge of the solar system, got bumped down to "Dwarf Planet," More...
No, as interesting as they were, none of these generated nearly as much public interest and argument as the much ballyhooed "demotion" of Pluto by the International Astronomical Union in August of 2006. Poor little Pluto, hanging out there on the edge of the solar system, got bumped down to "Dwarf Planet," More...
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Aug 26, 2009
S
rated it:
Poor Pluto. So underappreciated.
Such is the basic premise of this book. Having been discovered by the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, Pluto became numero uno in the hearts of Americans. Walt Disney even named Mickey's dog after the planet, thereby securing Pluto's place in American pop culture forever.
But the question remains: Is Pluto really a planet? Does it really deserve the same cosmic status as the rest of the objects categorized as planets in our So More...
Such is the basic premise of this book. Having been discovered by the American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, Pluto became numero uno in the hearts of Americans. Walt Disney even named Mickey's dog after the planet, thereby securing Pluto's place in American pop culture forever.
But the question remains: Is Pluto really a planet? Does it really deserve the same cosmic status as the rest of the objects categorized as planets in our So More...
Aug 16, 2009
Paul
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Neil Degrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist with the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. (he serves as director). He's a columnist for Natural History magazine, and already has a book of essays, Death by Black Hole, to his credit.
To lovers of the planet Pluto, however, he is a villain.
Although it took a NY Times columnist a year to bring the change to light, the new Rose Center for Earth and Space, under Tyson, kept Pluto out of the display o More...
To lovers of the planet Pluto, however, he is a villain.
Although it took a NY Times columnist a year to bring the change to light, the new Rose Center for Earth and Space, under Tyson, kept Pluto out of the display o More...
Apr 15, 2009
Jenny
rated it:
Demoting a planet is serious business among astrophysicists, but Neil deGrasse Tyson, manages to have some fun chronicling Pluto’s recent history in science and culture.
In 1993 the trustees at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City began to re-imagine the planetarium experience to attract 21st century visitors. Tyson was hired as a project scientist to oversee the creation of the museum’s new $230 million Rose Center for Earth and Space.
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In 1993 the trustees at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City began to re-imagine the planetarium experience to attract 21st century visitors. Tyson was hired as a project scientist to oversee the creation of the museum’s new $230 million Rose Center for Earth and Space.
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Mar 01, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
Just finished this one (which GoodReads needs to correct as published in January 2009)! The author (whom I saw on Jay Leno or Conan...I can't remember) used an easy-to-read writing style, infusing humor with facts and opinions that are digestible by a layperson like myself! I've always been interested in outer space since I was a kid and was upset when Pluto was demoted, so it was good to read about the reasons behind it and to come to a greater understanding of what's out there in our solar sys
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Dec 20, 2011
Marina
rated it:
I've had the pleasure of seeing Neil deGrasse Tyson speak live twice - and many more times on YouTube - and always felt that this man had nothing to fear about the future: if his career as an astrophysicist (and director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City) imporbably came to an end, he could comfortably make a living as a stand-up comedian.
His wonderful sense of humour translates very well to the page, too. The Pluto Files is an informative and very entertaining chronicle of More...
His wonderful sense of humour translates very well to the page, too. The Pluto Files is an informative and very entertaining chronicle of More...
Dec 02, 2011
Dylan
rated it:
I recently became a big fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson after being lucky enough to interact with him in an online Q&A. Afterward, I decided to pick up one of his books, and this was the one I started with.
Most readers are likely to be at least a little familiar with the scientific "scandal" of the 2000s that led to Pluto being dropped as a planet. What you may NOT be familiar with is how personal some people took the decision.
Dr. Tyson, who, along with his team at t More...
Most readers are likely to be at least a little familiar with the scientific "scandal" of the 2000s that led to Pluto being dropped as a planet. What you may NOT be familiar with is how personal some people took the decision.
Dr. Tyson, who, along with his team at t More...
Mar 31, 2009
Karen
rated it:
This was a very cute book. It really gets going approximately 1/3 through the book. I first heard about it when the author, Neil Tyson, appeared as a guest on "The Daily Show" with John Stewart. The author is actually very funny, and after seeing the show, my husband and I said that we wanted to read the book.
The premise of the book is basically about the demotion of Pluto as a planet. Tyson was in charge of rebuilding the planetarium in NYC and when people started to n More...
The premise of the book is basically about the demotion of Pluto as a planet. Tyson was in charge of rebuilding the planetarium in NYC and when people started to n More...
Aug 22, 2009
Meredith
rated it: 
Audio. This book came on 4 cds, but I think it could have been 2, comfortably. There was a lot of repetition - of content that was phrased identically more than once - so much so that I kept checking that I hadn't repeated a track/disc. Perhaps that doesn't comes across as strongly in print? Anyway, it was a fun little read, very much popular science. I liked the overarching theme of the difference between science (as in scientific thought and logical rigor) and popular science (culturally-
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Mar 02, 2009
Sharon
rated it:
This book takes you through the history of our first "dwarf planet". The debate over Pluto's planethood exposed a question no one ever thought to ask- what the hell is a planet anyway? This is the issue Tyson really wants to talk about, as well as justify to the public why the Rose Planetarium chose to present Pluto as it does.
Whether the Planetarium's decisions were made by committee or by himself, Pluto's separation from the other planets started a firestorm, mostly bas More...
Whether the Planetarium's decisions were made by committee or by himself, Pluto's separation from the other planets started a firestorm, mostly bas More...
Jan 25, 2010
Brendan
rated it:
I remember reading a bit about the Pluto kerfuffle on Boing Boing. The premise of the piece was that the word planet is an outdated term, originally used to describe objects in the night sky that wandered (and around which complicated conjectures had to be built to explain their movement). When Copernicus suggested that perhaps we and these other planets circled the sun, the concept stuck even as the objects themselves took on more and more unusual properties.
Recently, the internatio More...
Recently, the internatio More...
Jun 28, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
Cranky might be pleased to learn that this book includes a handwritten retraction of the poison pen letters Neil deGrasse Tyson had received from angry school children about the demotion of Pluto from planet status. Hoot. This book covers the basics of Pluto's discovery and its history in popular culture, pivoting around the mishegas resulting from the curatorial decision at the American Museum of Natural History's decision to represent the galaxy in such a way that Pluto was not included as a p
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Feb 25, 2009
Dietrich
rated it:
Ten years ago on a sunny afternoon in Arizona, my Grandparents decided to take their little nerd of a grandson to the Lowell Observatory. I spent the day mesmorized by the story of Pluto, and transforming myself into a card carrying Plutophile.
When the IAU reclassified Pluto, I did what every true Plutophile did and protested the decision while buying the t-shirts and signing the petitions. While mainly in jest, there was a small part of me that truly wanted Pluto to be one of t More...
When the IAU reclassified Pluto, I did what every true Plutophile did and protested the decision while buying the t-shirts and signing the petitions. While mainly in jest, there was a small part of me that truly wanted Pluto to be one of t More...
Jan 10, 2010
David
rated it:
Great for science buffs, educators, or the average Joe. Dr. Tyson, who unwittingly found himself at the center of "Pluto's demotion," gives a readable and enjoyable history of the rise and fall of the "9th planet," and explores the impact of Pluto's reclassification on science and our national psyche. One of the most fascinating things for me that emerges from the book is that until 2006 astronomers and astrophysicists did not have a shared definition of the term "plan
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Feb 04, 2009
Jon
rated it:
Quite an entertaining and accessible read. I'm only giving it 3 stars
and not more because I hold the author personally responsible for promoting the "Pluto is not a planet" movement and an architect in the demotion of Pluto from planetary status in the popular media. Pluto was, is, and shall always be a planet, damnit, regardless of what some individuals or astronomical societies on a distant and warmer world may think. To consider anything otherwise is revisionist science and More...
and not more because I hold the author personally responsible for promoting the "Pluto is not a planet" movement and an architect in the demotion of Pluto from planetary status in the popular media. Pluto was, is, and shall always be a planet, damnit, regardless of what some individuals or astronomical societies on a distant and warmer world may think. To consider anything otherwise is revisionist science and More...
Jun 29, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet is a short expedition into the history, culture and controversy of Pluto, formerly known as our 9th planet. Neil deGrasse Tyson takes on a whirlwind tour of how Pluto went from the puniest planet to the king of the Kuiper (rhymes with piper) Belt. Dr. Tyson is keen on the controversy because he ended up in the middle of it. Well, really he was at the beginning, middle, and end of it since it was his planetarium's decision to group t
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Jul 30, 2010
Sara
rated it:
This is such a fun book. A science book that only vaguely touches on "science," The Pluto Files sees astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (brilliant thinker and all-around badass) attempting to ferret out the cultural significance of Pluto to the American public - and consequently how Pluto can provide a greater entree for the massess into scientific literacy via their favorite pet planet.
Throughout, deGrasse Tyson's tone is witty and clear, devoid of patronizing passages whil More...
Throughout, deGrasse Tyson's tone is witty and clear, devoid of patronizing passages whil More...
May 25, 2010
Karin
rated it:
who would have thought Pluto was so fun!
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Feb 05, 2009
Trin
rated it:
A straightforward look at the rise and fall of the (dwarf) planet Pluto. Tyson succinctly outlines Pluto’s discovery and then discusses in detail its demotion to dwarf status, which stemmed in part from his own work setting up the exhibits at the Hayden Planetarium. This is a solid and informative book, which I nevertheless feel could have been more than it was. Reading it, I wished that Tyson had included, first, more science, and second, much much more of his wonderful sense of humor. It appea
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Jan 15, 2011
Doug
rated it:
The identification of Pluto as the ninth planet was an accident.
For millennia, humans thought there were five planets. The ancient Greeks saw the “moving stars” of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Eventually we realized that Earth was a sixth, orbiting around the sun.
As we got better with telescopes, Sir William Herschel announced the discovery of Uranus on March 13, 1781. That was the first planet discovered with a telescope. As astronomers measured the orbit of Ura More...
For millennia, humans thought there were five planets. The ancient Greeks saw the “moving stars” of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Eventually we realized that Earth was a sixth, orbiting around the sun.
As we got better with telescopes, Sir William Herschel announced the discovery of Uranus on March 13, 1781. That was the first planet discovered with a telescope. As astronomers measured the orbit of Ura More...
Jun 28, 2009
Jake
rated it:
For the first half of my reading, I felt this book was heading for a three star rating. But gradually I became endeared to the subject material.
Here's my main thought: This book is mistitled. If you look at it, the title gives homage to one sci-fi show (X-Files), and employs two titular cliches, "The Rise and Fall of..." and "America's favorite..." More importantly, the title is neutral. In reality, this book is a calculated defense of Mr. deGrasse Tyson's role in the More...
Here's my main thought: This book is mistitled. If you look at it, the title gives homage to one sci-fi show (X-Files), and employs two titular cliches, "The Rise and Fall of..." and "America's favorite..." More importantly, the title is neutral. In reality, this book is a calculated defense of Mr. deGrasse Tyson's role in the More...
May 04, 2011
Don
rated it:
Kind of a cute book really, containing information on the discovery of Pluto in the 1930s and how it derived its name, to how quickly it grew into popular culture with the naming of the Disney character Pluto and became everyone's darling planet. In some ways, I think this is partly true because it is (was) the only planet to be discovered by an American, so I think there was some nationalist pride in the attachment to it (although Tyson doesn't hammer that point as much as hint at it). The bo
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Apr 18, 2009
Michael
rated it:
The Pluto Files is a very easy read but will end up being one of my favorite books this year. I got this book after I saw Neil on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I just had to read it to see where he was coming from. I mean for 30 years of my life Pluto WAS a planet… now it is a Kyuper belt object. Neil goes through the history of the planet Pluto and how a change was going on in the astronomy field.
One of the best parts is the inclusion of letters, sketches, and emails from di More...
One of the best parts is the inclusion of letters, sketches, and emails from di More...
