Our Moon : How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD•NATIONAL BESTSELLER•ABA Indiebound Bestseller•New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice•A New Yorker Best Book of 2024•An "absorbing" (WSJ) invitation to reexamine our relationship with our closest cosmic companion."Boyle, whose graceful writing is as lulling as a bedtime story...makes the moon feel closer than ever"—The New York Times Book ReviewMany of us know that the Moon pulls on our oceans, driving the tides, but did you know that it smells like gunpowder? Or that it was essential to the development of science and religion? Acclaimed journalist, Rebecca Boyle takes us on a dazzling cultural and scientific tour to reveal the intimate role our 4.34-billion-year-old companion has played in our biological and cultural evolution.Our Moon’s gravity stabilized the Earth’s orbit—and our climate; pulled nutrients to the surface of the primordial ocean where they fostered the evolution of complex life; and continue to influence animal migrations and