Author: Tyson, Neil deGrasse
Popular astronomy & space
Published on 14 May 2026 by Cornerstone (Hutchinson Heinemann) in the United Kingdom.
Hardback | 240 pages
223 x 145 x 25 | 346g
HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FIRST ALIEN ENCOUNTER:- Do NOT shake hands. You don't know what part of the Alien's anatomy you just touched.
- Assume they're smarter than you. They crossed interstellar space. You struggle with WiFi.
- Avoid sudden movements. Especially if they have lasers. Or tentacles. Or both.
- Remember: you are the representative of Earth. No pressure.
Ever since childhood, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has wanted to be abducted by aliens. Here, he draws upon a lifetime’s fascination to explore the science of alien life – and to offer a practical guide to your first alien encounter.
Would an alien really be a humanoid with a pointy head, or might it look more like a worm, a roving cloud of gas, or perhaps a ‘testicle monster’? How should you communicate with an alien who didn’t speak English, and what does it have to do with the Pythagorean Theorem? And if an alien did demand ‘Take me to your leader!’, who are you actually meant to take it to?Touching on Star Wars and Spielberg, UFOs and Area 51, Take Me to Your Leader is both a romping work of popular science and a love letter to our as-yet-elusive extraterrestrial friends.
It is the most entertaining book ever written by one of the best-loved scientists in the world, and perhaps in the galaxy.