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We came right back down to Earth when we\u00a0welcomed National Air and Space Museum curator Margaret Weitekamp in August. Margaret based much of \u201cSpace Craze\u201d on the wildly diverse collection of space memorabilia she manages at the museum. From Buck Rogers to John Glenn, and from Mercury capsule cookie jars to Star Trek phasers, Margaret demonstrated how our cultural artifacts reflect our deepest hopes and fears.<\/p>\n
There was still more fun when we took up \u201cThe Martians\u201d in\u00a0September. Author David Baron spent years uncovering the full story of how Americans went crazy for the red planet and its denizens at the turn of the 20th century. We would eventually realize the Martians and their canals were never really there, in spite of passionate support for them from Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell, Percival Lowell, and scores of other great thinkers.<\/p>\n
Members of the Society know the great work of our colleague Kate Howells through her stewardship of our magazine, The Planetary Report, and our weekly newsletter, The Downlink. They may not have been as familiar with her books, including \u201cMoons: The Mysteries and Marvels of our Solar System.\u201d I thought I knew my moons, but I picked up more than a few more fascinating facts in its pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed\u00a0talking with Kate about them.<\/p>\n
If anything unites our authors, it\u2019s their passion for the Cosmos and their driving need to share the love. Wow, is this ever true of Adam Frank. The astrophysicist\u2019s latest is \u201cThe Little Book of Aliens.\u201d It\u2019s a frequently hilarious romp across the rapidly advancing search for life, and especially for intelligent life. Our readers and I also appreciated\u00a0Adam\u2019s take on the widespread belief that we are already being visited by little green people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not too late to pick up one or both of our December selections for the young (or older) space nerd in your life. \u201cAre We Alone?\u201d and \u201cThe Size of Space\u201d are the latest and the last in the long series of books by our own chief scientist, Bruce Betts. These slim volumes are packed with facts and great illustrations. I can hardly wait to welcome Bruce to a live conversation about them in early January.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Want to join the club? Join The Planetary Society! All of our members have access to our rich\u00a0online member community that hosts the book club. You\u2019ll be with us as we read \u201cThe Giant Leap\u201d by astronomer Caleb Scharf in January, and then pick up \u201cThe Launch of Rocket Lab\u201d in February of 2026. That month will climax as we greet Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. Happy reading!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n