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The sky is not the limit:

adventures of an urban astrophysicist
Front Cover
43 Reviews
Doubleday, Mar 1, 2000 - Biography & Autobiography - 191 pages
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 Limitinvokes 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.

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Review: The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist

User Review  - JD - Goodreads

A fun read if you're a fan - Tyson's got a very down to earth writing style for someone so intelligent. This book is full of interesting insights concerning race and education, and what's expected ... Read full review

Review: The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist

User Review  - Jordan - Goodreads

I couldn't put this book down. Tyson has such a great personality and way of narrating his life that makes this book absolutely wonderful. Read full review

All 43 reviews »

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Contents

INTRODUCTION
1
SCIENTIFIC ADVENTURES
59
THE END OF THE WORLD
153
Copyright

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About the author (2000)

Neil de Grasse Tyson was appointed the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium in 1996, and also serves as a research scientist in the Department of Astrophysics at Princeton University. Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Tyson earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia University in 1991. His monthly column, "Universe," appears in Natural History magazine, and he is the author of two previous books, Merlin's Tour of the Universe and Just Visiting This Planet.

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