The Pluto Files

The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet

By: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Narrated by: Mirron Willis

Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it's a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, Americans rallied behind the extraterrestrial underdog.

The year of Pluto's discovery, Disney created an irresistible pup by the same name, and, as one NASA scientist put it, Pluto was "discovered by an American for America." Pluto is entrenched in our cultural, patriotic view of the cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson is on a quest to discover why.

©2009 Neil deGrasse Tyson (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A lighthearted look at the planet....Presents the medicine of hard science with a sugarcoating of lightness and humor." ( Publishers Weekly)

Much Ado

I like Neil deGrasse Tyson (tho he's no Carl Sagan!), and I love the idea of this short book. The first couple of hours have some interesting information about the big bru-ha-ha over the "demotion" of Pluto from planethood.

But, OMG, after that! I think Tyson may have mentioned by name every single member of every Astronomical Society in the world! Maybe twice! His need to wriggle out of responsibility for disappointing school children and Plutophiles everywhere is at times funny, at times very exasperating - and nearly always repetitous.

I believe that this book just about sums up why our society has become so anti-intellectual. Scholars argue and backbite and fret about the "masses" daring to have opinions.

And there is Pluto, still in the heavens and not the slightest bit concerned!

Good, but expected more.

Where does The Pluto Files rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is very educational, but did let me down a little bit.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

There was a lot of things repeated. The book itself probably could have been cut by a quarter or even in half. And if I have to hear the word "pedagogical" one more time I may scream. Just because you know a word, doesn't mean you should use it 50 times.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator sounds just enough like the author to get your attention, but then it becomes clear it's not the author. It just kind of messes with your brain. Neil should have read this one.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Yawn fest? I love astronomy and learning about the planets..er..non planets. But this is not the stuff of movies. Maybe a 30 minute documentary.

More of a defense for the reclassification.

I was really looking forward to an in-depth look at the history of the (now classified as) dwarf planet. Instead only at the beginning and the appendices does he cover the history of Pluto, with both the discovery and cultural significance. The rest of the book is Tyson defending the his and the IAU's decision to reclassify the planet, through reading letters received and media response to the debate.

Too much said about a little .. planet?

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they were kind of geeky, yes. This book really stretched the discussion to the limit (of my tolerance anyways)

Were the concepts of this book easy to follow, or were they too technical?

It was easy to follow, and there were some quite interesting topics discussed.

Was The Pluto Files worth the listening time?

Ummmm ... just barely... I felt the discussion was drawn out too long.

Any additional comments?

No insult intended to the narrator, but if Neil deGrasse Tyson had narrated this himself, it would have made this book better... he has such a nice voice.

Get over it

Pluto isn't a planet, nor are astrologers opinion on such matters relevant, great book.

very interesting but became redundant

The history behind Pluto no longer being recognized as a planet is interesting. however, the book could have been 3 chapters shorter than it is. it really wasn't necessary to read so many letters, emails and comments from people who felt compelled to write DeGrasse Tyson with their opinions on Pluto. We got the point that there were lots of opinions after 3 examples. Was it really necessary to fill whole chapters with nothing but the letters got? Also, DeGrasse Tyson is a fabulous speaker, so why didn't he narrate the book? It would have been much better if he had.

I love Neil deGrasse Tyson, but not here

This seemed to me to be a defense of his decision as to the display at the Hayden Planetarium. I wanted more science and less of Neil's self.

A Light and Still Revealing Read

This is a great read (or listen) that provides a overview of the story around the 'demotion of Pluto'. Witty, with just enough science to satisfy, this is a wonderful case study of the challenges involved in changing entrenched views and how even fact-demanding scientists can be swayed by public opinion and emotion. My only modest complaint is that Dr. Tyson did not do the recording. Having seen him on The Universe (and even The Daily Show), I found myself wanting to hear him do the speaking.

Interesting, Informative, Entertaining

Would you consider the audio edition of The Pluto Files to be better than the print version?

I have never read the print version. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the audio edition.

Who was your favorite character and why?

As it was nonfiction, there weren't really characters to speak of. There were real people involved - mostly the author or the book, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

This book changed my mind!

In my closet, I have a sweatshirt that says, "Bring Back Pluto!" I was dismayed when I read that Pluto's status had been downgraded. This book explains, clearly and humorously, the scientific reasons for the change. It also reminded me that sometimes objects don't fit neatly into our human catagories. I have a lot of respect for NDT's science education work, and now I can forgive him (and the rest of the astronomical community) for deciding that, scientifically, it does not make sense to call Pluto a planet.