From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming

Mike Brown

Start date: March 1, 2011

Finish date: March 31, 2011

Discussion: Book Club 2011

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Book Club 2011

September, 2011: The Blind Watchmaker
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April 2011 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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What Members Thought

Mar 03, 2017 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, 1audio, 2non-fiction, science

It's been a while since this controversy flared up & finally fell off my radar. Like so many, I read a bit on it while it was happening, decided everyone was too goofy to have their facts straight, & so I tried to ignore it until it all shook out. One of my GR friends recently gave this book high marks, so I thought it was time to finally get the full story.

Science & scientists continue to amaze me. They know so much that it's mind boggling, but it's even more surprising when I find that there a ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2011 David Rubenstein rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science, astronomy

Very few books about science convey the excitement of discovery, the hard work, the drama and intrigue, and the thought processes that go on, inside the mind of a scientist. This fabulous book does a wonderful job with all this! Unlike many other popular science books that try too hard to be humorous, entertaining, and often silly, this book gives a light-hearted touch to a dramatic year in the life of a scientist.

At one point in the book, Mike Brown wrote that he received tenure at Cal Tech, bu Very few books about science convey the excitement of discovery, the hard work, the drama and intrigue, and the thought processes that go on, inside the mind of a scientist. This fabulous book does a wonderful job with all this! Unlike many other popular science books that try too hard to be humorous, entertaining, and often silly, this book gives a light-hearted touch to a dramatic year in the life of a scientist.

At one point in the book, Mike Brown wrote that he received tenure at Cal Tech, but that wasn't the most exciting thing that had happened to him that week. He had just discovered a new planet, bigger than Pluto, the first new planet discovery in over 70 years, but even that wasn't the most exciting event of his week. No, the most exciting event of the week was his engagement to his fiancee!

The author discovered numerous objects in the outer edge of the system, known as the Kuiper belt. Some scientists believe that discovery itself, is the most important thing. (This includes an astronomer who "stole" a discovery from Mike Brown, and announced it immediately, before trying to learn anything about it.) However, to Brown, the best part of his job is not the discovery itself, but the process of investigating his discoveries; he loves to use large telescopes to learn all he can about the newly discovered objects. He describes why he does not immediately announce his discoveries, until he has gathered enought information to give some understanding of it to the general public. He especially likes the Kuiper belt region, as it affords information about the early period of solar system formation.

A big portion of the book centers on the question, of what is the definition of a planet. The definition of a planet, believe it or not, is a very emotion-laden issue for so many people. It's not simple, and many astronomers have struggled with this issue. Mike Brown makes it clear that what is important is not how you label an astronomical object, but what are the scientific concepts behind the thinking. This book lays out the concepts and makes them crystal clear--truly fascinating! ...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Sam rated it really liked it

Shelves: proper-books, popular-science, earth-science

A highly entertaining and incredibly interesting read that recounts how Mike discovered a number of solar system bodies that led to the eventual killing of the world's favourite planet, Pluto. Mike has a warm and endearing way of writing that comes across like an uncle telling you a story rather than a ground breaking astronomer telling of his latest and greatest discoveries. The inclusion of moments from his family life add a certain charm to the story and give it a depth and feeling of humanit ...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Mitchell Friedman rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, published-2010, library, author-b, liked-reviews, four-star

A fun geeky science and parenting book. And a history lesson. How many "planets" were there in 1807? 11. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. With that context in mind, I'd have to say, Pluto had it coming. But it's amazing the amount of history that doesn't make it forward. This is a small book, not just in pages but in depth. And I liked it a lot. Pam, for this to get 5 stars from me, it would have had to be in more depth or breadth or even more ...more

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Aug 20, 2013 loafingcactus rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2013, biography, library-audible, science

I had no idea this book was going to be so fantastic! I think it is a great book for adults and I would say even down to advanced middle school students to discuss some important issues.

First, there is the practical astrophysics at a level that it would be reasonable for most people to know as part of a well-rounded education. There is even a brief slide into the philosophy of science (a specialty of mine, so I was excited to hear that).

Second, there are some really important points about issues ...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Angela Randall marked it as to-read

Shelves: non-fiction, young-adult-educational-material, science-maths-computing, second-hand-bookshop-wishlist, 21st-century, 2010-2019

Interest generated through an i09 article on new science books. ...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Even if you don't think you have any interest in astronomy, this book is worth a look. Who knew there was so much drama in the astronomical community?? Very well written, funny and interesting. ...more

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