Includes bibliographical references (pages [223]-256) and index.

Overture: Science and society -- Truth & beauty : aesthetics in life and in the cosmos -- Exploration & discovery : the value of both when shaping civilization -- Earth & moon : cosmic perspectives -- Conflict & resolution : tribal forces within us all -- Risk & reward : calculations we make daily with our own lives and the lives of other -- Meatarians & vegetarians : we are not entirely what we eat -- Gender & identity : people are more the same than different -- Color & race : once again, people are more the same than different -- Law & order : the foundation of civilization, whether we like it or not -- Coda: Life & death.

"Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time--war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race--in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all"-- Provided by publisher.