This swift-moving overview of the affable astrophysicist's career focuses on the origin and growth of his interest in space science, and also his unusual aptitude for communicating scientific ideas and discoveries to public audiences. That interest was kindled by a visit at age 9 to New York's Hayden Planetarium (which he now supervises) and nurtured by the acquisition of a telescope at 11 for sky watching from the roof of his Bronx apartment building. His career grew to encompass advanced degrees, appointment to a presidential commission, and many television appearances. Ventura also uses notes and quotes to make the perhaps arguable but cogent point that Tyson is the only African American on TV who is consulted for "expertise" that is unrelated to his race. This entry in the STEM Trailblazer Bios series features sidebar quotations, photos of Tyson (as an adult) and other images, and appropriate quantities of back matter.

These volumes give brief, superficial overviews of the lives and accomplishments of "trailblazers" in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (From McGonigal: "Just before they left for college, they finally beat the game! They treated themselves to frozen yogurt to celebrate.") "Tech Talk" sidebars provide more information. Photos of the subjects (and some awkward stock images) break up the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.