Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
W. W. Norton & Company (2009), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 224 pages
Description
An exploration of the controversy surrounding Pluto and its planet status from a renowned astrophysicist at the heart of the controversy.
User reviews
LibraryThing member NielsenGW
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse. The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009. 176 pp. $23.95.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Pluto Files claims to chronicle the history of the “planet” Pluto and it mostly accomplishes this feat. His history of the discovery of
All in all, the prose is succinct and even humorous at times. There are lengthy discussions and back-and-forth, bringing the opinions of many major astronomers (including Bill Nye the Science Guy). At times, the constant quotations can get a little cumbersome, causing the flow of the text to be interrupted, but Tyson competently balances the scientific questions with his own experience in the debate. There are moment, however, when his discussion of his involvement in the uproar seems more like a diatribe on his mistreatment by the press and the scientific community. One might assume (and rightly so) that Tyson was trying to get the final word in on the whole hoopla. I would have liked to see more celestial diagrams and less political cartoons. An interesting addition to the text are three appendices devoted to the lyrics of songs directed concerned with the status of Pluto (as if one song wasn’t enough).
This book would be appropriate for beginners to get a quick background on the debate or amateur lovers of astronomy.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Pluto Files claims to chronicle the history of the “planet” Pluto and it mostly accomplishes this feat. His history of the discovery of
Show More
the last planet is a little thin, but there may not be much more to tell. Clyde Tombaugh discovered it while chasing Percival Lowell’s dream of a distant Planet X. Clyde’s find wound its way into the hearts and minds of many a schoolchild, but now there is a debate raging as to whether Pluto is really a planet at all. The bulk of Tyson’s story in confined to the last decade, when his new post as Director of Hayden Planetarium put him in charge of a new addition to the building. He decided, with the help of other scientists and a public panel on Pluto, to group planets into distinct characteristic groups: Terrestrial Planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars), Gas Giant (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus) and Kuiper Belt Objects (Pluto included). Then all hell broke loose. The Museum, a trusted institution, had neglected to count Pluto in the number of planets that everyone had grown up learning about. The debate included almost every astrophysicist alive, the International Astromonical Union, and even third-graders. In the end, the Tyson’s treatise is more about the definition of the word “planet” than the question surrounding the properties of Pluto. And while the IAU has formally created a definition, most of the scientists involved are more concerned about cataloging the properties and new knowledge about Pluto than about what to call it.All in all, the prose is succinct and even humorous at times. There are lengthy discussions and back-and-forth, bringing the opinions of many major astronomers (including Bill Nye the Science Guy). At times, the constant quotations can get a little cumbersome, causing the flow of the text to be interrupted, but Tyson competently balances the scientific questions with his own experience in the debate. There are moment, however, when his discussion of his involvement in the uproar seems more like a diatribe on his mistreatment by the press and the scientific community. One might assume (and rightly so) that Tyson was trying to get the final word in on the whole hoopla. I would have liked to see more celestial diagrams and less political cartoons. An interesting addition to the text are three appendices devoted to the lyrics of songs directed concerned with the status of Pluto (as if one song wasn’t enough).
This book would be appropriate for beginners to get a quick background on the debate or amateur lovers of astronomy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dypaloh
The Pluto Files is a cheerful account of Pluto as cultural phenomenon, with science gently pitching in so that the hullabaloo over its planetary status has some explanation.
All sorts of stray details pop up that surprise (e.g., a day on Venus is longer than the Venusian year). More central to
Neil deGrasse Tyson offers letters from children, editorial cartoons, song lyrics, and legislative resolutions as amusing accompaniments to his amiable survey of the process that resulted in Pluto’s “demotion” from the ranks of the planets. It’s an easy-to-read illustration of debate among scientists and the public.
All sorts of stray details pop up that surprise (e.g., a day on Venus is longer than the Venusian year). More central to
Show More
Pluto’s story, we learn that the controversy over its status had much to do with astronomers not really having bothered before to define the word “planet” precisely. In school, I remember, we were told that the word “planets” derived from a word coined by the ancient Greeks to refer to the “wandering stars” whose positions in the night sky noticeably changed compared to the “fixed” stars. Inconveniently for Pluto, technological advance has revealed far more wandering objects than were known to the ancients. Time for the battle of planet definition to begin.Neil deGrasse Tyson offers letters from children, editorial cartoons, song lyrics, and legislative resolutions as amusing accompaniments to his amiable survey of the process that resulted in Pluto’s “demotion” from the ranks of the planets. It’s an easy-to-read illustration of debate among scientists and the public.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
Neil deGrasse Tyson spends the first third or so of this short book discussing Pluto's place in popular culture, the history of its discovery, and its physical properties, with the rest of the volume devoted to addressing the controversy over Pluto's demotion from planetary status, his own role in
Show More
said controversy, and various reactions to that decision from scientists, the media, and the general public. It's arguable that this involves paying way too much attention to what is essentially a meaningless debate about nomenclature, but of course, you could say the same about the whole media storm in the first place. Well, what the heck. Tyson manages to makes the whole thing clear, entertaining, accessible, and very frequently amusing, and in the end he gets across the important point that understanding the solar system in all its messy, hard-to-categorize glory actually has very little to do with the question of how many planetary names you ought to memorize at all. Show Less
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
Neil deGrasse Tyson is national treasure. Hopefully you all are aware of this, either because you’ve known for years, or because you caught the fantastic Cosmos this year. About three years ago I was lucky enough to see him speak at the local university, where he told vivid stories that helped me
Now, I love science, but my last formal education in the field was over 15 years ago. Sometimes I fear I won’t be able to follow science books, but Mr. Tyson has this lovely way of explaining things that makes them understandable but somehow doesn’t make me feel like he’s talking down to me. He’s clearly a brilliant scientist, but I think he’s brilliant writer as well.
The book provides a history of Pluto’s discovery, and is full of fun facts, like why moons of planets usually follow the convention of characters from the myths of the gods the planets were named for, but one’s moons are named for characters from Shakespeare. I love these trivia nuggets (I find they come in handy during pub quizzes), and they are dropped throughout in a manner that keeps what could have been dry material interesting and even light.
Part of the story around the reclassification ties in with the opening of the Hayden Planetarium in NYC, and Mr. Tyson describes in some detail all the thought that was put into building this lovely facility. Understanding the nature of science and the fact that some things change, he shares how they addressed the more concrete versus the more likely to change elements of the exhibit. It's an interesting story because the planetarium staff had to make a call on how to address Pluto while the discussion about classification was going on.
Because of Mr. Tyson’s opinion on the topic, as well as his association with the Hayden Planetarium, he has been subjected to many letters – often with an angry tone, and often from whole classes of children – decrying the decision to remove Pluto from the list of planets, and he shares them with us. He clearly has a sense of humor about all of it while avoiding being condescending to people who don’t have the level of knowledge he has.
If you like science, pick this book up. Shoot, if you just like a good story, pick it up. It’s a pretty quick read, and it’s highly entertaining.
Show More
understand the scale of things in the universe and on earth, including one story that aided me in fully grasping how much money Bill Gates really has. Mr. Tyson is coming back to Seattle this fall and the shows are already sold out, which makes me so, so sad. But at least I have his books, and honestly that’s saying a lot, because the books are awesome. “The Pluto Files” tells the story of Pluto and the drama surrounding its reclassification. Now, I love science, but my last formal education in the field was over 15 years ago. Sometimes I fear I won’t be able to follow science books, but Mr. Tyson has this lovely way of explaining things that makes them understandable but somehow doesn’t make me feel like he’s talking down to me. He’s clearly a brilliant scientist, but I think he’s brilliant writer as well.
The book provides a history of Pluto’s discovery, and is full of fun facts, like why moons of planets usually follow the convention of characters from the myths of the gods the planets were named for, but one’s moons are named for characters from Shakespeare. I love these trivia nuggets (I find they come in handy during pub quizzes), and they are dropped throughout in a manner that keeps what could have been dry material interesting and even light.
Part of the story around the reclassification ties in with the opening of the Hayden Planetarium in NYC, and Mr. Tyson describes in some detail all the thought that was put into building this lovely facility. Understanding the nature of science and the fact that some things change, he shares how they addressed the more concrete versus the more likely to change elements of the exhibit. It's an interesting story because the planetarium staff had to make a call on how to address Pluto while the discussion about classification was going on.
Because of Mr. Tyson’s opinion on the topic, as well as his association with the Hayden Planetarium, he has been subjected to many letters – often with an angry tone, and often from whole classes of children – decrying the decision to remove Pluto from the list of planets, and he shares them with us. He clearly has a sense of humor about all of it while avoiding being condescending to people who don’t have the level of knowledge he has.
If you like science, pick this book up. Shoot, if you just like a good story, pick it up. It’s a pretty quick read, and it’s highly entertaining.
Show Less
LibraryThing member themulhern
This book has a bunch of interesting things to say about humanity's changing understanding of the cosmos and how Pluto fits into that understanding. It even has a bunch of interesting characters like William Herschel, the discoverer of Uranus, and Jane Luu, one of the co-discoverers of the first
Show More
designated Kuiper Belt object. However, it also has a bunch of really dumb jokes (a technique used by many popular science writers to make their work seem more accessible), and it takes too much time describing the public reaction. One gets the impression that Tyson thinks awfully well of himself, and so any incident in which he was involved surely needs the most detailed description. The furor over Pluto's loss of planethood isn't all that amusing; it's just another instance in which ignorant human beings pick sides because they think sentimentality is appealing and intellectual effort is pointless. Show Less
LibraryThing member juliayoung
I love Neil deGrasse Tyson, so I was thrilled to get this as my Early Reviewer book. It has humor mixed with quality astronomical science, which made it a delight to read.
LibraryThing member drneutron
The Pluto Files is, if nothing else, a decent layman's intro into the controversy about Pluto's status and why it all matters (or doesn't). There's plenty in it on the current thinking about what a planet is, and how to best represent the different objects in our solar system. Mostly, though, the
As such, it's an interesting sociological story. After all, Pluto doesn't know or care whether it's a planet or not. So really, this story is about us and how we like to understand the universe by putting things into neat boxes. And when more research seems to require a rearrangement of the boxes, how we react to the change.
My only complaint about the book is that (i) it's fairly heavily Tyson-centric, (ii) Tyson occasionally quotes clearly tongue-in-cheek emails and letters he's received as serious, and (iii) the book gets a bit repetitive in spots. These negatives shouldn't necessarily cause one to avoid the book, but did diminish my enjoyment of the book a bit.
Show More
book's about Neil Degrasse Tyson and his experiences with the aftermath of a decision to take a new approach to presenting the solar system at the planetarium he leads. When America goes ape over the change in the planetary definition by the IAU (really, an attempt to actually create a definition of planet) that changes Pluto's "status", he and his organization again bear the brunt of the public's displeasure.As such, it's an interesting sociological story. After all, Pluto doesn't know or care whether it's a planet or not. So really, this story is about us and how we like to understand the universe by putting things into neat boxes. And when more research seems to require a rearrangement of the boxes, how we react to the change.
My only complaint about the book is that (i) it's fairly heavily Tyson-centric, (ii) Tyson occasionally quotes clearly tongue-in-cheek emails and letters he's received as serious, and (iii) the book gets a bit repetitive in spots. These negatives shouldn't necessarily cause one to avoid the book, but did diminish my enjoyment of the book a bit.
Show Less
LibraryThing member celticgeek
A wonderful book - informative and hilarious
LibraryThing member bruchu
Science Wars
This is a wonderfully written and illustrated book by one of the funniest guys, Neil deGrasse Tyson. At the heart of "The Pluto Files" is the cultural struggle of what Pluto means to Americans. It's an important book because it shows how issues of science can become politicized.
The
This is a wonderfully written and illustrated book by one of the funniest guys, Neil deGrasse Tyson. At the heart of "The Pluto Files" is the cultural struggle of what Pluto means to Americans. It's an important book because it shows how issues of science can become politicized.
The
Show More
illustrations are really what make the book special. Some great photographs, cartoons, and the actual letters sent by grade-schoolers are fascinating to read. Tyson's writing is quite readable and he sprinkles in a few relevant anecdotes here and there to spice things up. Overall, this is a fun little book to pick up if you're looking for something different, something cheery to fill up an afternoon or two. Show Less
LibraryThing member rastaphrog
Pluto has risen in stature from an "unknown" to being a major planet and fallen to being a "dwarf planet". This book chronicles the search for it by some astronomers, it's discovery, and the part it played in furthering our understanding of our solar system.
Well written, this book explains in terms
This is an excellent book to give someone some basics in astronomy, astronomical "thought", and as a starting point to lead to further study if one is so inclined.
Well written, this book explains in terms
Show More
the "layman" can understand not only the search for the elusive "Planet X", but how the search, discovery, and then further study of our solar system has changed how we think about things. While an individual may not agree with the "downgrading" of Plutos status, it gives a reasoned and well explained discussion of the thought that went into it. As we discover from reading, this isn't the first time science has changed how a celestial object is classified and what we call it.This is an excellent book to give someone some basics in astronomy, astronomical "thought", and as a starting point to lead to further study if one is so inclined.
Show Less
LibraryThing member daguelibrary
This book is a quick read on whether Pluto is a planet or not. We learn little about Pluto from a scientific standpoint, but much about the controversy of its recent demotion from Planet to Dwarf Planet. It is a short witty story, but flawed by the author’s penchant for talking too much about
After Tyson omitted Pluto from the main exhibit area of the Hayden Planetarium for which he is the director, he was deluged with e-mails and letters he received from people with strong opinions on the subject. The author clearly relishes all of the attention he got, and the mail pro and con on his controversial action. He publishes for the reader dozens of these messages. After the International Astronomical Union voted to pull the planet classification from what we have all called the ninth planet since its discovery, Tyson’s mailbox is again filled with messages from supporters and detractors. His correspondents range from grade school students to professional astronomers, and we are subjected to them all.
This book is a bit like pounding through a tiresome thread of unedited e-mails, and indeed it contains quite a few of those. It is amusing and delightful in parts, but it bogs down before the end.
The book gets only two stars from me. The topic holds so much promise, and yet is sadly marred by the author’s obsession with being the Pluto controversy celebrity, rather then just telling us the story. Is the story about Pluto, or is it about Tyson? After reading this, it is hard to say.
Show More
himself, and posing for pictures which he inserts into this little volume. After Tyson omitted Pluto from the main exhibit area of the Hayden Planetarium for which he is the director, he was deluged with e-mails and letters he received from people with strong opinions on the subject. The author clearly relishes all of the attention he got, and the mail pro and con on his controversial action. He publishes for the reader dozens of these messages. After the International Astronomical Union voted to pull the planet classification from what we have all called the ninth planet since its discovery, Tyson’s mailbox is again filled with messages from supporters and detractors. His correspondents range from grade school students to professional astronomers, and we are subjected to them all.
This book is a bit like pounding through a tiresome thread of unedited e-mails, and indeed it contains quite a few of those. It is amusing and delightful in parts, but it bogs down before the end.
The book gets only two stars from me. The topic holds so much promise, and yet is sadly marred by the author’s obsession with being the Pluto controversy celebrity, rather then just telling us the story. Is the story about Pluto, or is it about Tyson? After reading this, it is hard to say.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lalawe
A fun and quick read about Pluto and its demotion to dwarf planet. The book seems to teeter between humorous and scientific, so while there is some good information about "what is a planet?" and Kuiper belt objects, most of it feels overshadowed by the author's attempt to be funny.
LibraryThing member delphica
(#12 in the 2009 Book Challenge)
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
Grade: B+
Recommended: I think this would be cute for kids who like astronomy, but it feels a little fluffy for an adult audience.
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
Show More
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 planet. I was a little confused about the format of this book -- it's a little like a Nova episode (naturally) in written form -- lots of pictures, graphics, pop culture images, and straightforward text broken up into very easy to digest snippets. It feels like a coffee table book, only in a handy small size.Grade: B+
Recommended: I think this would be cute for kids who like astronomy, but it feels a little fluffy for an adult audience.
Show Less
LibraryThing member booksofcolor
But my favorite, and the one I keep recommending to people, is Neil deGrasse Tyson's wonderful, interesting and very funny The Pluto Files (on 'the rise and fall' of Pluto as a planet, including his own experiences with the debate). After seeing Tyson on The Daily Show (where he made me grin from
Show More
ear to ear), I just couldn't resist, and the book was a joy from start to finish. Show Less
LibraryThing member tcrutch
In this quick read, Tyson describes the hilarious backlash that occurred when Pluto lost its planetary status. It is charming yet elementary. Nonetheless, I wish I had this book years ago when I had to write a paper arguing for or against Pluto being demoted!
LibraryThing member dberryfan
Fun little book about Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet status. He spends a little too much time discussing himself, but I guess that works out all right, since he's the one that kicked all the hubbub off.
LibraryThing member co_coyote
This is a small book of only 175 pages, and a quick flip through its pages reveals pages of cartoons and a design that suggests the editor may have had only 100 pages of actual material. So I didn't expect to like this book very much. But, in fact, it was just the opposite; I liked this fun,
Neil deGrasse Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium, whose Rose Center for Earth and Space inadvertently started the controversy over whether Pluto was a planet or not by leaving it out of one of its exhibits on the planets. This book is an interesting personal account of the science, politics, personalities, and conflicts that resulted in Pluto being officially named a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union in 2006. For scientists, it is an eye-opening look at how little science sometimes matters, and how important a role tradition, jingoism, personalities, and private agendas can play in a scientific endeavor. In the end, we don't really know if Pluto is a planet or not. We do know the Universe (and science in general) is stranger and more like roller derby than we usually like to admit.
Show More
interesting book a lot.Neil deGrasse Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium, whose Rose Center for Earth and Space inadvertently started the controversy over whether Pluto was a planet or not by leaving it out of one of its exhibits on the planets. This book is an interesting personal account of the science, politics, personalities, and conflicts that resulted in Pluto being officially named a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union in 2006. For scientists, it is an eye-opening look at how little science sometimes matters, and how important a role tradition, jingoism, personalities, and private agendas can play in a scientific endeavor. In the end, we don't really know if Pluto is a planet or not. We do know the Universe (and science in general) is stranger and more like roller derby than we usually like to admit.
Show Less
LibraryThing member corrmorr
What a fascinating story. It is a delightful lesson in iconography in addition to the interesting astronomy. I laughed out loud as I read the letters from school children and the California resolution about Pluto. Tyson makes science fun as he teaches many lessons.
LibraryThing member moonimal
This is a fun book - overly busy in format (facts, figures, cartoons, etc.) but lighthearted. I want to revisit this book when I have the time to really read it. Skimmed it only.
LibraryThing member tinLizzy
I've been smitten with Neil deGrasse Tyson for awhile now. I love astrophysics/cosmology as-is and have no need for it to be either sexified or dumbed-down to appeal to me.
However - what Tyson is able to do that I appreciate (and that not many hard science authors are always good at) is to inject
Tyson cracks me up and engages my interest, without condescending or dumbing-down the science, and I very much enjoy his candor and passion.
However - what Tyson is able to do that I appreciate (and that not many hard science authors are always good at) is to inject
Show More
some humor and self-deprecation into the usually stodgy over-serious fields of astrophysics/cosmology, as well as making astrophysics relate-able and approachable to those who may not otherwise feel engaged by science. And the more traction and interest hard science gets in the mainstream gets a thumbs-up from me.Tyson cracks me up and engages my interest, without condescending or dumbing-down the science, and I very much enjoy his candor and passion.
Show Less
LibraryThing member waxlight
Recieved this book from the early reviewers program.
Okay, I've really tried to read this book. It seems really interesting and I like the humorous spin on the subject. But I just can't seem to get myself into reading about space recently. Better review to follow when I manage to gt through it :)
Okay, I've really tried to read this book. It seems really interesting and I like the humorous spin on the subject. But I just can't seem to get myself into reading about space recently. Better review to follow when I manage to gt through it :)
LibraryThing member dougcornelius
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
After grinding out the calculations on the orbit of Uranus, astronomers were able to calculate the location of Neptune in the night sky. Sure enough, Johann Galle observed that “moving star” within a degree of the position predicted by Urbain Le Verrier.
Some astronomers also found an irregularity in the orbit of Neptune and concluded that there must be a Planet X beyond the orbit of Neptune. Percival Lowell took on that search. It turns out that there was a bad data point mixed in with the observations of Neptune’s orbit. They also had the wrong mass of Neptune. Planet X was a miscalculation. Astronomers at the Lowell Observatory were so focused on finding Planet X that they assumed that Pluto must be a planet.
The trouble started when technology improved and we could start seeing many more objects orbiting the sun. Neil de Grasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium was labeled as the first mainstream trouble-maker. He lumped together the four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. He lumped together the four gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. That left Pluto out in the cold with the hundreds of other Kuiper Belt objects. He pointed out that if Pluto were as close to the Sun as Earth, Pluto would have a tail and look like a jumbo comet.
Pluto Files shares his story and the story of Pluto.
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
Show More
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 Uranus, they found irregularities in its orbit and reached the conclusion that there must be another unseen planet in our solar system exerting its gravitational force on Uranus.After grinding out the calculations on the orbit of Uranus, astronomers were able to calculate the location of Neptune in the night sky. Sure enough, Johann Galle observed that “moving star” within a degree of the position predicted by Urbain Le Verrier.
Some astronomers also found an irregularity in the orbit of Neptune and concluded that there must be a Planet X beyond the orbit of Neptune. Percival Lowell took on that search. It turns out that there was a bad data point mixed in with the observations of Neptune’s orbit. They also had the wrong mass of Neptune. Planet X was a miscalculation. Astronomers at the Lowell Observatory were so focused on finding Planet X that they assumed that Pluto must be a planet.
The trouble started when technology improved and we could start seeing many more objects orbiting the sun. Neil de Grasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium was labeled as the first mainstream trouble-maker. He lumped together the four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. He lumped together the four gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. That left Pluto out in the cold with the hundreds of other Kuiper Belt objects. He pointed out that if Pluto were as close to the Sun as Earth, Pluto would have a tail and look like a jumbo comet.
Pluto Files shares his story and the story of Pluto.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nerd_Girl985
This book is a quick, upbeat read that is best taken in small bursts due its layout. It is a very lighthearted take on the Pluto question: planet or not a planet? If you are a science nerd, this is the book for you!
LibraryThing member phyllis01
This is a terrific little book that gives a quick but thorough history of how Pluto was discovered, given planet status, and then demoted. Tyson is one of those brilliant people who is able to distill his smarts down to us math/science impaired folks in a non-intimidating way. He doesn't shy away
Show More
from poking fun at himself due to the 'Pluto' controversy. The best part are the letters from schoolchildren both chiding him for his stance and expressing empathy for all the mean letters he has received. Show Less
LibraryThing member DSeanW
My second Neil deGrasse Tyson book and my last, he has an easy writing style but there isn't much meat to his content, all fluff. Perhaps more geared for middle school students needing to do a book report. My main takeaway from this book is that I really do not care what school children wrote to
Show More
him about Pluto.How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown is a much better look at the rise and fall of Pluto. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2009-01
Physical description
224 p.; 6.54 inches
ISBN
0393065200 / 9780393065206