The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution

More than 30 years ago, Frank White coined the term Overview Effect; to describe the cognitive shift in awareness that results from the experience of viewing Earth from orbit or the moon. He found that, with great consistency, this experience profoundly affects space travelers' worldviews - their perceptions of themselves and our planet, and our understanding of the future. White found that astronauts know from direct experience what the rest of us know only intellectually: we live on a planet that is like a natural spaceship moving through the universe at a high rate of speed. We are, in fact, the crew of Spaceship Earth; as Buckminster Fuller described our world. In The Overview Effect, Third Edition Frank White expands on his original concept, which has now gained worldwide recognition and exposure. Using interviews with and writings by numerous astronauts and cosmonauts, he describes space exploration and settlement as necessary next steps in the evolution of human civilization and consciousness. The third edition features new interviews with the following astronauts, space advocates, and New Space entrepreneurs:

Helen P. Sharman * Michael Lopez-Alegria * Sandra H. Magnus * John B. Herrington * Ron Garan * Akihiko Hoshide * Nicole Stott * Sir Richard Branson * George Whitesides * Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides