Includes index.

Pt. 1: Why. The allure of space ; Exoplanet Earth ; Extraterrestrial life ; Evil aliens ; Killer asteroids ; Destined for the stars ; Why explore ; The anatomy of wonder ; Happy birthday, NASA ; The next fifty years in space ; Space options ; Paths to discovery -- Pt. 2: How. To fly ; Going ballistic ; Race to space ; 2001 : fact vs. Fiction ; Launching the right stuff ; Things are looking up ; For the love of Hubble ; Happy anniversary, Apollo 11 ; How to reach the sky ; The last days of the space shuttle ; Propulsion for deep space ; Balancing acts ; Happy anniversary, Star Trek ; How to prove you've been abducted by aliens ; The future of US space travel -- Pt. 3: Why not. Space travel troubles ; Reaching for the stars ; America and the emergent space powers ; Delusions of space enthusiasts ; Perchance to dream ; By the numbers ; Ode to Challenger, 1986 ; Spacecraft behaving badly ; What NASA means to America's future -- Epilogue: The cosmic perspective. -- Appendix A. National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as ammended -- Appendix B. Selected statutory provisions applicable to NASA -- Appendix C. A half century of NASA spending 1959-2010 -- NASA spending 1959-2010 -- NASA spending as a percentage of US Federal Governement spending and of US GDP 1959-2010 -- Space budget: global 2010 -- Space budgets: US and non-US governments 2010.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson presents his views on the future of space travel and America's role in that future, giving his readers an eye-opening manifesto on the importance of space exploration for America's economy, security, and morale.