This is a lovely book that examines the Moon from scientific, folkloric, poetic, and other points of view, offering readers all sorts of eclectic information about our constant companion in the galaxy. I loved Boyle's ability to write about multiple approaches to studying how the Moon has affected human life, and how we measure that influence. Readers will be charmed, whatever their bent.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to this arc. My love for the moon has only grown since I was a child and being able to add context to it in this way was special. I really appreciate this book and the information that was given. It was easy to follow and my appreciation for the moon has only grown. What a special book!

The moon presents a familiar face during most clear nights, and because it has always been there, it is generally taken for granted. However, the moon is a vital component of our world, and none of us would be here had it not joined the Earth! Our Moon explains the significance and importance of the moon to the development of our planet, our environment, our ecology and our society.

I enjoyed the scientific history and lunar exploration, though was less-interested in the extensive folklore of the moon. However, it cannot be denied that this mythology was strongly influential in our cultural history.

An interesting, well-written, in-depth study of our moon that will probably appeal most to amateur astronomers and those who enjoy science and history.

This wasn’t really for me — it’s not a topic I’m particularly interested in — but I think it’s cool for someone who is into astronomy and it’s affect on Earth. I will definitely recommend that we purchase this at my store, because we do sell a lot of science and natural history books!

The Moon is always there so it’s easy to take it for granted. In this book, Rebecca Boyle makes sure that we don’t. Combining science with history and philosophy, she explores our satellite and how we’ve seen it through the ages. Beginning with the Moon’s creation, or at least the more probable theories, intertwined always with Earth, the author explains the possibilities of how it made life possible. She explores the effects of the Moon, not only on our planet, but also on every living creature. Then, there is the history of how civilizations have seen it, from the Bronze Age to the Moon landing (the part I enjoyed the most). Boyle is knowledgeable and does all the research, even going to see Moon rocks in person. The book was a little too long for me, I really enjoyed the legacy of the Babylonian, but I didn’t need to read the poems that they wrote to the Moon. Many readers will enjoy those parts, but I wasn’t too interested in them. I did love Boyle’s first-hand experiences interviewing people and visiting forgotten, impossibly ancient, sites of Moon worship. The material is approachable and she has an easy to follow style that captured my attention. As a Lunatic, I liked it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Publishing Group.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Random House for an advance copy of on this book on the history and continuing draw of the Moon on people, the Earth we live on and our imaginations.

The Sun and the Moon have always been with us. The Sun lights our days, makes crops grow, dries our clothes, even powers our houses and cars. The Moon lights our nights, controls our tides, controls our moods, and is the basis of many myths dealing with many creatures of the night. The Sun we have at least an idea of what it is, and why it is so important. The Moon is in many ways a mystery. Is it a part of Earth, part of something else, a bit of both? Always facing us, with a dark side that remains mysterious to both science, musicians and comic book writers. Though we are starting to make discover more and more, though the more we find, sometimes the more confused it becomes. Science writer Rebecca Boyle in Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are has written both a history, a biography and a wonderful paean to our little Luna, who stares down at us every night, and is important for so many things.

The book begins with a tale of war and tides. During World War II, the United States Marines had a plan to invade the island of Tarawa, controlled by the Japanese, during the high tides, which would help lift the invasion boats over the coral. If the tides did not rise, Marines would have to troop through deep water, under fire the entire way. The water did not rise, and Marine casualties were high. Lessons from this helped during the invasion of Normandy for the D-Day invasion. From here we learn about the Moon and where it might have come from, and the many controversies and questions that still come up. The idea of being sheared off from the Earth, or even two objects destroying each other totally, and making something new. The importance of the moon to human evolution is discussed, the idea of using the Moon to tell time, for harvests and other rituals. Artists have used the Moon, of the idea of the Moon as basis for many works, from poems, to songs, to movies. Also along with tides and water, the influence of the Moon on human behavior is explored.

I thought I knew about the Moon, but I was wrong. In fact many of the things I have learned in school, turn out to be wrong, which comes as no surprise. What is surprising is the many origin stories about the Moon, and how the jury is still out on what could be the true story of the Moon. Boyle is a very good writer, and can really convey a lot of information without weighing the narrative down, or slowing the pace. Boyle writes about geology, oceanology, art, and philosophy quite well, and every page has lots of information and moments that makes a reader go, oh I didn't know that. I particularly enjoyed many of the astronauts stories, about the smell of the moon, and the dust that never seemed to go away. And for plans to land on the dark side of the moon, which were nixed. A very enjoyable fun book.

"There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark." I couldn't do a review on a book about the Moon without quoting the Pink Floyd. A really vey good book that will be of interest to burgeoning astronomers and people interested in the night sky. Also recommended for science fiction writers, as there are a lot of ideas in here that could really make some fun stories. And details to make one's story seem real.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random. House for an ARC of this book.

I teach high school astronomy and am always looking for books to read with my students or to give me up to date information on class topics. This book exceeded all of my hopes for those purposes. There was a lot of new science on the formation of the moon and even more on the history of human interactions with it. I know much about Greek philosophers and their roles in developing our understanding of the Cosmos, but had never heard of Basilios Bassarion and his role in preserving the documents we have today from some of those philosophers. Galileo is a major part of my class but now I know to talk about Thomas Harriot whose telecopic moon sketches preceeded those of Galileo. I appreciated not only the thorough research, but also the joyful awe that I felt from the author as I read this book.

This book is a beautiful ode to our lovely moon and it features so heavily in our lives. I loved reading this one and loved how much information the author put into this book, obviously also very invested in the subject. If you are curious of the moon or its importance in our lives, read this book!!

I loved the science and whimsy in this title. It was wonderful and a well-written and beautiful read.

This is a comprehensive, compelling overview of our moon and its historical impact on mythology, religion, society, and even human emotion. Though ambitious in its scope, it is an insightful and thought-provoking read. Readers will surely gain a greater appreciation of our galactic neighbor!

I loved this book. Rebecca Boyle writes with a tone that is the perfect mixture of literary writing and crispness. The science is very clearly explained. But the book is about a lot more than just science. There are discussions of the relationship between the moon and culture, religion and history. She also writes with some humor and the footnotes are certainly worth reading. Overall I felt that this book was well worth reading. Apparently this is Boyle’s first book and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the digital review copy.

I learned a lot when I read this book. For instance, there is a hypothesis that our Earth has a larger mantle and core due to colliding with a planet named Theia. That collision resulted in the formation of our moon.

The moon by its existence stabilizes the Earth's orbit. Its gravitational pull is responsible for the length of our days, the seasons, and the tides, and affects animal migration and reproduction. The moon also likely contributed to life on this planet, since the moon's gravity pulled nutrients from the ocean floors to the surface. I wondered what our earth would be like if we had a smaller or larger moon or one not in the same orbit.

The author includes stories about how the moon influenced important events. One story was about how disastrous a military assault was during WWII. The tides did not rise as expected, and the Allied troops were not able to get their boats over a coral reef. They were trying to capture a small island with an important airstrip that would have put them in flying distance of Japan. Instead of sailing in, they had to fight their way in, and one-fifth of their troops died in the attempt.

I had always assumed that the moon would be barren rock, but it is covered with dust - sharp, abrasive dust that smells like gunpowder. We know this because our astronauts brought some back. They also reported that the dust got into everything and was extremely uncomfortable.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in how our moon came to be what it is, and how it impacts our planet. I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher Random House via NetGalley. It was a pleasure to read and review it.

I loved this book. Its exploration of humanities relationship to the moon throughout history and the impacts that the moon has on our natural world was a wonderful tour-de-force on the part of Ms. Boyle. I learned insights and gained appreciation for how we as humans view the moon and how it even impacts our daily lives and body cycles. I haven't read a more insightful treatise on our closest celestial neighbor. Great job!

Disclosure: I did receive and ARC for this via NetGalley

A tender, informative and heartfelt book about the moon and what it means for us as inhabitant of Earth. As a fan of nature nonfiction this will definitely be one I recommend often to others! Well written and easy to understand.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Our Moon was a very interesting and informative book. It was described as an “intimate look at the Moon and its relationship to life on Earth”, and it was just that. The book covered the obvious, the Moon and how it affects the tides, but also peoples relationship with the Moon. This is definitely one worth reading.

This was such an enjoyable and informative read. I find the moon both beautiful and eerie and for me the combination of history, science, astronomy, space exploration and some of the myths surrounding the moon was captivating. Highly recommend.

loved reading this. would love to purchase it soon too.

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

As someone who knows a lot about the modern space race and rocketry, it was really interesting to read how ancient cultures were able to measure time using the moon. The author is able to present complex topics such as the creation of planets in a way that is digestible and interesting. Within all the talk of ancient civilizations, I expected a chapter on religions and/or cults that were inspired by the moon, but there was a lot of ground to cover.

I do wish that some of the chapters had been broken into more small ones organized by topic vs less, longer chapters. Overall a fun read.

An intimate and illuminating look at the moon and its relationship to Earth. I appreciated how this book filtered information not only through an astronomical lens, giving readers insight into how the moon stabilizes the tilt of the earth as well as influences the ocean's tides, but also how it conceptualized the ways in which humankind has related to it or understood it over time. How, because of its presence, we have shaped religions or beliefs around it, been inspired to uncover the science behind why it exists, and have been pushed to ask (perhaps even answer) philosophical questions about life itself because of it.

Definitely the sort of book that gives you fresh perspective. It'll have you looking at the moon differently once you've finished, I can promise you that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars

An absolutely amazing and well-written book about our moon, what it’s like, what it does, and how we have interacted with it from Earth.