This Ordinary Stardust

A Scientist's Path from Grief to Wonder

De: Alan Townsend PhD

Narrado por: Alan Townsend PhD

"[A] remarkable account of a shifting consciousness” - Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“An extraordinary, powerful book” - David Quammen, author of The Heartbeat of the Wild and Breathless

A compassionate exploration of scientific wonder that offers “a fresh perspective on life, death, and the bittersweet consequences of impermanence,” (Jon Krakauer) as illuminated through the tragic dual cancer diagnoses of author Dr. Alan Townsend’s wife and daughter.

A decade ago, Dr. Alan Townsend’s family received two unthinkable, catastrophic diagnoses: his 4-year-old daughter and his brilliant scientist wife developed unrelated, life-threatening forms of brain cancer. As he witnessed his young daughter fight during the courageous final months of her mother’s life, Townsend – a lifelong scientist – was indelibly altered. He began to see scientific inquiry as more than a source of answers to a given problem, but also as a lifeboat: a lens on the world that could help him find peace with the painful realities he could not change. Through scientific wonder, he found ways to bring meaning to his darkest period.

At a time when society’s relationship with science is increasingly polarized while threats to human life on earth continue to rise, Townsend offers a balanced, moving perspective on the common ground between science and religion through the spiritual fulfillment he found in his work. Awash in Townsend's electrifying and breathtaking prose, THIS ORDINARY STARDUST offers hope that life can carry on even in the face of near-certain annihilation.

©2024 Alan Townsend (P)2024 Grand Central Publishing

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Alan Townsend's This Ordinary Stardust is an immortal monument to one man's daughter and late wife as well as one scientist's impassioned hopes for humanity and the planet. A towering achievement."—Jayson Greene, author of Once More We Saw Stars

“In sharing his own story through searing grief, Alan Townsend shows us—in a way that nobody else could—how scientists are first and foremost people, with hearts both delicate and resilient.”—Hope Jahren, author of National Book Critic’s Circle Award-winning Lab Girl

"This is an extraordinary, powerful book full of science and suffering, spirit and love. It’s rare to encounter such a rich mix, and Alan Townsend’s steady voice makes it all work."—David Quammen, author of The Heartbeat of the Wild and Breathless

Inspirational and touching!

I couldn't put the book down. It's very well written, and with every chapter, I felt more invested in the families' struggles with this disease.
I want to thank Allen for sharing their story with us! I want to wish them all peace and happiness.

The spirituality of science

Through heartbreak and the scientific understanding that everything is connected and eternal, the author illustrates the power of love

Nothing ordinary about this incredible story

From start to finish this book is deeply engrossing, interesting, inspiring, thoughtful, stimulating and moving. It is written and narrated beautifully and, given the subject matter even heroically. I haven’t experienced loss like the author has (other than the solace I used to feel from the mountains of the west) but I imagine this book would be helpful for those who have.

Did not like it

Did not like it. I’ve read better stories. Did not find it engaging not invested in any character.