Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, author, tv host to name a few of the things he does. He is the librarian of the internet that corrects fake science with facts. When he isn’t reading, Tyson is reading a book. Keep reading to find out Neil deGrasse Tyson’s favorite books list!
Reading can be used as an escape from reality for some people. For other people like Tyson, they can be used to dive into the minds of past intellectuals who changed the world. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy classics from time to time.
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Favorite Books
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
- How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff
- The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
- The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
- An Appetite for Wonder by Richard Dawkins
- The Principia by Isaac Newton
- Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
- Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
- Unstoppable by Bill Nye
- The Almagest by Claudius Ptolemy
Knowledge is Power
From this list, you can tell Tyson admires the geniuses that changed the world. From Charles Darwin to Sun Tzu, Tyson wants to read what they wrote. It may be for a purely intellectual reason or to better understand them. And who can blame him? These are household names that have had a big impact on the world.
That doesn’t mean Tyson doesn’t also like to read for fun. His list includes classics such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Even if you aren’t a fan of the classics, reading books written over a century ago is a thrilling experience.
This list showcases the type of person Tyson is and what his interests are. His selection of books helps to understand his peers and to broaden his knowledge. And after reading a bunch of nonfiction books the past few months, I can see why.
I would like to have seen a few more modern novels on this list but that is my personal preference. And I am sure that this list is changing as he reads more biographies and classics. This list is a few years old and I am sure it is a lot longer now.
Conclusion
What did you think of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s list of his favorite books? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
I personally think his list reflects him and his personality perfectly. He values knowledge and science highly and it shows. But he is also reading classic novels when he has time.
How many books from this list have you read or plan to read? While I think it is a good list, I don’t think I will be adding most of them to my list of favorite books. I even think The Great Gatsby is overrated but that’s just my opinion. Until next time, happy reading!
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The Voyage of the Beagle was far more engaging than Origin of the Species, despite the latter’s titanic impact on human perspective.