The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet

The New York Times bestseller: "You gotta read this. It is the most exciting book about Pluto you will ever read in your life."-Jon Stewart

Traces the history of Pluto and the debate over its planethood, citing its entrenchment in America's cultural and patriotic view of the cosmos to explain its considerable popularity and the reasons why so many people campaigned for the preservation of its status.

Auteur

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Times best-selling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. He lives in New York City.

Texte du rabat

In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. It is a wonder Pluto has any fans, yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, people rallied behind the extraterrestrial underdog. Pluto is entrenched in the American 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 exhibition to demote Pluto and consequently, Pluto lovers have freely shared their opinions with him. In his typically witty way, Tyson explores the history of planet classification and America's obsession with the "planet" that has recently been judged a dwarf.

Résumé
With his inimitable wit, Tyson recounts how America's favourite planet was ousted from the cosmic hub.