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Back Little Universes Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Part 1
  6. Mae
  7. Hannah
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. Part 2
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. Part 3
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. Epilogue
  59. Mental Health Resources
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  62. About the Author
  63. Newsletter Sign-up

Zach, my definite position in the universe: I am lost without you. (And you know I mean that very literally, since I can’t read a map.) Thank you for helping me see that I can science, for explaining all the things, and for watching all my favorite space movies with me—including Gravity in 3-D at the most expensive movie theater in Manhattan. Thanks are also in order for all the times you read this extremely long book and all your excellent insights about it. I love you to the moon and back. (Better yet, MARS and back).

Frankie Bolt: Thank you for your generosity and the deep, powerful read you gave this heart book of mine. So much of what makes this book tick should be credited to you. I bow down to your brilliance, and I adore you for getting my girls so hard.

Kate Farrell, my editor: Thank you for holding space for my work. Your trust in my ability and vision allowed me to shoot straight past the atmosphere. Writing under such conditions is like getting to see sixteen sunsets, and sixteen sunrises Every. Single. Day. Special thanks to everyone at Holt, especially Christian Trimmer, Brittany Pearlman, and Rachel Murray.

Jessica Welman: I can’t begin to thank you enough for all your incredible insights into Mae. And for keeping my inner romantic in check. Well, as much as anyone can. I’m so glad your bed was across from mine freshman year.

Lisa Papademetriou: Your comments on the early pages helped me bring acorns to the next level. Thank you, thank you.

Laura Sibson: Your last-minute reading for me was so clutch! Thank you for your insights and wisdom on this complicated family.

Linda Fehst, the mother-in-law of dreams, for her ongoing support and an early read with incredibly helpful suggestions.

Brenda Bowen and everyone at Sanford Greenburger who were alongside me at the beginning of this ride: I am ever so grateful for all that you’ve done.

Thank you to the astronauts whose lives and work helped me understand Mae, especially Peggy Whitson, Chris Hadfield, Scott Kelly, and the NASA 2017 Class of Astronaut Candidates. You are all the right stuff.

Neil de Grasse Tyson said, “The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” That might be true, but there are several people who have helped it make more sense to me, and made it easier to science the shit out of this book. This is a good time for curious people and I’ve been the grateful beneficiary of countless books and online resources, including the entire catalog of the On Being podcast. However, I’d like to especially thank the following scientists who were kind enough to take time out of studying the universe to help a layperson out—please note that ALL MISTAKES IN THIS BOOK ARE MY OWN (that deserved some Mae caps, methinks):