Cover Image: Fire in the Sky

Fire in the Sky

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This was a really cool book to read, especially since we don't see much on the subject. It is amazing to think of all the of close encounters Earth has had and how we never hear about them. This book was easy to read and really opened my mind up to near-earth collisions and how that could affect the world as we know it.

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Despite my interest in this topic, I had a hard time with this book. It took me much longer than it should have to get through it, at nearly a month. The problem I had wasn't the material, it was the writing style. I just did not like the way the author presented the material. He wrote like he was trying to be a funny guy or something, making jokes. It was casual, way too casual, sort of gimmicky. I did not like it.

If it wasn't for the actual topic I would have stopped. I forced myself to keep reading. It actually got better in the later portion of the book. I'm happy I stuck with the book, as I did find out information on this topic that I definitely wanted to know.

The rating for this book is solely based on the topic and the structure of the book. I like the scientific history, the how and why scientists finally came around to accepting that massive asteroids have hit the Earth before, and one took out the dinosaurs. Next was what is being done in searching for the NEOs, Near Earth Objects, that could cause some problems if they hit Earth one day.

Maybe the writing style won't bother you as it did me, and if you have any interest in this topic, the material and coverage is good.

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Stories about an asteroid striking the earth and causing complete destruction have been popular for decades now. Not to mention documentaries, podcast episodes, youtube videos..... It's ingrained in pop culture that someday the Earth will be struck by a gigantic rock from space, and life as we know it will end. BOOM!

Fire in the Sky examines this pop culture phenomenon....adding in a lot of scientific fact about past asteroid strikes, what would really happen in case of a large asteroid hitting the planet, and how (or if) we can protect ourselves. Some of the facts surprised me. For instance, at least once a year an asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere causing a blast comparable to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Smaller blasts occur at least once a month. I had no clue that asteroids enter the atmosphere that often and basically explode. I guess I just always assumed they blazed to earth as shooting stars. I never guessed some asteroids/meteors explode with apparent gusto. Yikes!

I will admit that I've watched all of the movies based on the apocalypse coming in the form of a large rock from space. It makes for a very suspenseful and enjoyable disaster action flick. I'm glad I took the time to read this book and learn actual facts about asteroids and what might happen if The Big One is coming our way. Dillow presents the facts in an interesting way, without any unnecessary melodrama. I read this book slowly....one chapter at a time....and gave my brain time to soak in the information. I enjoyed learning about what makes up an asteroid and where they come from, asteroid detection technology, what happens when an asteroid enters the atmosphere, the history of asteroid strikes on the Earth, and how many asteroids might be floating around out there that are big enough to take out the planet. Very interesting!!

I found this book interesting and informative, not alarming. I'm not going to look up at the night sky in fear...waiting for the end. But, the chance is there that someday a big lump of space rock might come close enough to cause concern. I'm glad that the science is there to at least try to avert an impact. The dinosaurs didn't fare so well....but at least we will get to attempt to stop the destruction this time.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Scribner via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

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Asteroids crashing into the Earth may be a staple of the modern disaster movie, but not that long ago no one knew the threat that asteroids, comets, and meteorites could pose to life on Earth. In "Fire in the Sky", Dillow explores the science and history behind our knowledge of cosmic collisions and the threat they may pose to all of us. But don't be alarmed! With lively and often humorous writing, this book explores not only the science behind these incidents, but the measures astronomers are taking to track and catalog these Near Earth Objects. This book is a fascinating read and will make a great addition to your summer vacation.

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This book is well written and researched. The author does an excellent job of covering the major cosmic collisions of the far past, near past and the potential consequences of impacts in the future. His writing style is engaging and written in a style that is not overly scientific and easy to understand. What he points out at the end is that we are very inadequately prepared for another collision - whether we see it several years out or with very little time before impact.

I recomend this book for those looking for more information on the cosmic collisions of the past, the potential for them in the future and what little we are doing to prepare to defend the earth against such collisions.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Fire in the Sky is a skillfully compiled narrative of one of the creation’s most common forces. It’s a assemblage of everything that has to do with asteroids or planetoids, from the believable to the unbelievable. It is a fascinating look at the study of these small and sometimes quite large icy solar system bodies, and their significance in Earth’s future, present and past. It’s delightful and stimulating, with details that are shocking and history that is sometimes hard to believe. Overall, I loved reading this book. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Gordon L. Dillow's "Fire in the Sky" is a compelling narrative that blends history, research, and science. He does what the best nonfiction writers are able to accomplish -- make science accessible to laypeople like myself. I was surprised to read that Dillow had no formal background in asteroid/meteorite/comet science, but this doesn't matter. He is able translate the science in a way the public understands. You'll learn that scientists (in the first half of the 20th) didn't believe that asteroids hits could cause sudden, calamitous changes on Earth. They subscribed to a uniformitarianism, a theory that stated planetary changes occurred over long time periods. You'll learn about Daniel Moreau Barringer, a wealthy business man who believed the local legends that a meteor caused a large crater in the Arizona desert. You'll also learn about Walter Alvarez and his Nobel-prize winning father Luis Alvarez who theorized an asteroid impact caused the extinction of dinosaurs. I was surprised to learn that most of these theories, we take for granted today, were ridiculed by most scientists.

He also discusses amateur Near Earth Object (NEO) hunters like Richard Kowalski who search for asteroids and comets that could cause extinction-level events on our planet. I was also surprised to learn most asteroids/meteorites explode like bombs before they hit the ground (which causes craters). These exploding meteors are called "bolides," and the craters they leave are "astroblemes." I also enjoyed learning about Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker's research.

Overall, I loved reading this book. There are plenty of interviews with the men and women conducting research into this area.. Dillow is a masterful storyteller, and I hope he writes more science-based books in the future. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley.

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Fire in the Sky is an entertaining look at the history of comets, meteors and asteroids, and their place in Earth’s past, present and future. Dillow writes in an accessible, down-to-earth tone, shedding light on the many wonders of these mysterious objects that haunt science fiction novels and movies. You’ll finish the book with a deep reverence for the sheer power of these celestial objects and a hint of fear at the havoc they can wreak.

This is a wonderful guide to all things asteroid. There’s so much I didn’t know beyond the incredibly dramatic portrayals in movies and books. Mankind’s understanding of these objects has been a long time in the making, as evidenced by the centuries-long believes that every bit of light or rock in the sky was the beginning of a doomsday that would never come to fruition. It took a long time for science to catch up and, once it did, the race for knowledge was off and running. Dillow has a unique was of turning historical events and scientific analysis into extremely readable stories. This isn’t a book full of complex science, but a narrative story inspired by those complexities. You’ll find information on the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, the history of asteroid prospectors and their subsequent demise, and the stats on meteorite fatalities and injuries per year, just to name a few. It’s a collection of everything asteroid, from the expected to the wildly unexpected.

Overall, Fire in the Sky is an expertly written story of one of the universe’s most common forces. It’s entertaining and extremely readable, with facts that will shock and history that will elicit a few audible gasps.

Final review will be published on 6/5/19: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/06/05/fire-in-the-sky-book-review

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Look up at the night sky. The shooting star you’re making a wish on just might be a deadly space object that destroys the Earth. Ok, no, not really. The odds of that are very slim indeed, but all too much morbid sort of fun to entertain. And I don’t mean to sound alarmist. And neither does the author, he just aims to inform the public about the status of things. In a very engaging humorous manner, no less. And Dillow (no expert himself initially) sets off to learn and pass on the accumulated knowledge about all the threats from above, asteroids, comets, meteors, etc. Terrifying things that don’t properly terrify because of the infrequency of their appearances. Sure, they were probably responsible for many or most or all major extinctions, but spaced out over the millennia, they are easy enough to ignore and thus struggle to receive proper funding to study and work on. In fact, the last chapter presents the readers with some plausible scenarios that scientists use only to demonstrate how tragically unprepared the world is for a NEO (Near Earth Object) that might decide to orbit our planet too closely for comfort. The chapters preceding this demonstrate that, despite a lot of pervasive ignorance, we did indeed come a long way in our understanding of these celestial dangers and even measures taken thus far to protect the Earth. The author takes us across the globe to show the devastations of previous collisions, talks to scientists and amateur enthusiasts to warn of the possibilities, but throughout it all there is a consistent sort of awe for these cosmic giants, which is only…well…appropriate. I’ve studied astronomy, I’ve read on it fairly extensively, I’m fascinated by it and this was very much a book for someone like me. It’s popular science essentially, so it engages the reader completely, educating while entertaining, never ever reminding of a textbook. It’s an exciting subject presented accordingly. I learned some things, was refreshed on a few others and had fun throughout. Alan Weisman (the author of one of my all time favorite nonfictions in the same vein The World Without Us) in his praise of this book very cleverly said something along the lines how it’s a possible end of the world scenario for our planet that is refreshingly not manmade. And that’s very true. While it’s entirely more possible, likely even, that our blue planet is going to be destroyed locally from its tenant ingrates, it’s all the more interesting and original to contemplate a scenario of random destruction by an indifferent space killer on a lethal orbital trajectory. It isn’t an if, it’s a when, but the when is far and in the world that can’t even address something as seriously impending as global warming because it isn’t immediate enough it’s unlikely to take any sort of priority it deserves. And yet…the more discerning prescient public should really be aware and this book is going to educate you. Although you may never look at the skies the same way again. Great book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

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