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The Starship and the Canoe

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( 587 ratings, 71 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Starship and the Canoe by Kenneth Brower explores the fascinating dual life and dreams of Freeman Dyson, a renowned physicist, and his son, George Dyson. The narrative delves into their contrasting ambitions; Freeman's visionary work on space travel symbolised by the 'starship', and George's quest for simplicity and connection with nature through his adventures in a hand-built canoe. Their journeys reflect a profound meditation on science, exploration, and the human spirit.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3600
Elsewhere:
$5500
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by the fascinating contrast between the grand ambitions of space exploration and the simple, harmonious life close to nature. It offers an engaging narrative about a father and son with divergent visions for the future, blending adventure, science, and personal introspection.

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The Starship and the Canoe

"Brower's superbly written book clutches at one's imagination." --Publishers Weekly

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Starship and the Canoe is neither a wilderness survival manual nor a book of blueprints. It is another of those rare books impossible to define: the kind that seeks you in time. And you will know it, live it, and consult it thereafter simply by name." --Chicago Sun-Times

"In the tradition of Carl Sagan and John McPhee, a bracing cerebral voyage past intergalactic hoopla and backwoods retreats." --Kirkus Reviews

Originally published in 1978, The Starship and the Canoe is the remarkable story of a father and son: Freeman Dyson is a world-renowned astrophysicist who dreams of exploring the heavens and has designed a spaceship to take him there. His son George, a brilliant high school dropout, lives in a treehouse and is designing a giant kayak to explore the icy coastal wilderness of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Author Kenneth Brower describes with stunning impact their lives and their visions of the world. It is a timeless tale framed by modern science, adventure, family, and the natural world.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781680512786

Publisher: Mountaineers Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 March 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Mountaineers Books

Contributors:

  • Foreword by Neal Stephenson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 213.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Kenneth Brower's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Audubon, National Geographic, The Paris Review, Smithsonian, Sierra, and numerous other magazines. His other books include Wake of the Whale, A Song for Satawal, The Winemaker's Marsh, The Wildness Within, and other titles about the environment and natural places. He lives in Berkeley, California. Neal Stephenson is known for his speculative fiction exploring areas such as mathematics, cryptography, philosophy, currency, and the history of science. He is the author or co-author of more than 15 books, including Anathem, Snow Crash, and most recently, Fall, or Dodge in Hell.

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