The title got this book onto my reading list, and when available from the library, onto my nightstand. It is a short collection of short essays, loosely connected to themes of science and religion. The best advice would be on the back cover - "exploring one essay at a time."

I did not read that suggestion until writing this review, and read these chapters over three days. Some fit and others were misfits, and as a whole this was uneven. The history and philosophy was compelling at times, absent in others. I studied physics in college, and nothing was over my head, but some parts might be difficult for the layman - musings on time's arrow, for instance. The one thing that would improve this book the most would be an index.

The title is because of the change in the author's perspective when confronted by the Milky Way at night. I have seen this, and it can be life changing. Experiences for some other scientists are described in the essay Transcendence. I just wish there were more.

So for this reading, 3 stars. I skimmed other reviews, and see that Lightman's fiction is well regarded. I would like to read [b:Einstein's Dreams|14376|Einstein's Dreams|Alan Lightman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386925066s/14376.jpg|1820798] or [b:The Diagnosis|16798|The Diagnosis|Alan Lightman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320404718s/16798.jpg|1348220] before returning to this volume.