We Are All Stardust

“The dazzling clutch of scientific minds caught in mid-thought here makes for a read that provokes thought in its turn. Delights abound.” —Nature

“What distinguishes scientists, in your eyes?” —Stefan Klein

“First and foremost, curiosity.” —Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize–winning chemist

When Stefan Klein, an acclaimed journalist, sits down to talk with 18 of the world’s leading scientists, he finds they’re driven by, above all, curiosity. When they talk about their work, they turn to what’s next, to what they still hope to discover. And they see inspiration everywhere: From the sports car that physicist Steven Weinberg says helped him on his quest for “the theory of everything” to the jazz musicians who gave psychologist Alison Gopnik new insight into raising children, they reveal how their paradigm-changing work entwines with their lives outside the lab. We hear from extraordinary natural and social scientists, including:

• Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on ego and selflessness
• Primatologist Jane Goodall on chimpanzee behavior
• Neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran on consciousness
• Geographer Jared Diamond on chance in history
• Anthropologist Sarah Hrdy on motherhood
• And cosmologist Martin Rees on how “ultimately we ourselves are stardust.”

“[Klein’s] interview subjects explain their science clearly and display their passions vividly, making this an engaging introduction to a great breadth of scientific topics.” —American Scientist

“A very welcome volume that will expose readers to all manner of topics that are likely new to them in a manner that focuses first on the lively personalities of the scientists while slowly diving into their work. Surprises abound . . . and the book’s diversionary aspect cannot be overrated. Truly enjoyable.” —Booklist