Marchant traces how human beings have always used the sky to make sense of themselves and their world. Ancient societies treated the cosmos as alive, intimate, and intertwined with earthly life, while modern science reframed the universe as a cold, mechanical system of particles and laws. Across twelve historical moments, the book shows how our models of the heavens shaped our myths, religions, politics, technologies, and identities. Yet as astronomy grew more powerful, direct experience of the sky diminished, severing a vital human connection. Marchant argues that consciousness and subjective experience remain essential parts of reality, and that reopening our relationship with the cosmos may restore meaning, awe, and a sense of belonging.

The Human Cosmos: Civilization and the Stars