The Human Cosmos : A Secret History of the Stars

For most of human history, we have led not just an earthly existence but a cosmic one, in the sense that celestial cycles drove every aspect of our lives. Our intimate relationship with the stars has shaped who we are - our religious beliefs, power structures, scientific advances and even our biology in ways that still influence us today. But over the last few centuries we have separated ourselves from the universe that surrounds us. We now reach out with our intellects but not with our sense. For all of our spectacular technological and economic advances, we're living in self-imposed isolation. Yet this is having a devastating effect on our physical and psychological health, and on the way we treat each other and our planet. Jo Marchant argues that it is time for us to rediscover the full potential of the universe we inhabit. We should recognise it not just as the abstract grid of space-time described by science, but as a rich, vibrant, living ream of human experience, in which we sit firmly in the centre.