(For Ages 8 - 12)

The Promethean: Why were you first interested in writing about Neil deGrasse Tyson?

CAP Saucier: I like teaching science through the biography of famous scientists. I enjoyed writing my first book, The Lucy Man about Dr. Donald Johanson. I was fortunate to meet Neil deGrasse Tyson when I was considering writing about another scientist and his field of study. Because my first book was about where we came from on the land, it seemed natural to explore where we came from in space. I purposefully selected astronomy and looked at several scientists of diverse backgrounds. I was delighted when Neil agreed to an interview and assisted by providing photographs for the book. 

P: What did the research process involve?

CS: Researching my books is my favorite part of writing. I read every book Neil wrote and watched his countless videos. Naturally, I also spent much time in the library learning about astronomy. Then I enjoyed a few days in New York City where I interviewed Neil in his office at the American Museum of Natural History. My research outside the library included attending monthly public lectures at the Space Telescope Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University to supplement my scientific research. I was fascinated to see Saturn's rings through the observatory at JHU. But the best telescope I visited was Kitt Peak National Observatory on a mountaintop near Tucson, AZ. That is where I saw the Andromeda Galaxy!

P: Why do you think it's important for people to know about science, especially astronomy?

CS: We use science every day, so I think people should have a comfortable acquaintance with it. Humans try to find meaning in the world and science can help us with that. Before electricity, people were more connected to nature and the lights in the sky. I want my readers to know what those lights represent. Astronomy answers questions as fundamental as: where did we come from, what is our place in the universe, and are we alone?

P: What drew you to writing for children, and for the 8-12 years old age group in particular?

CS: I am a registered nurse with a master's degree in Pediatrics. I love children and art. Originally, I planned to write and illustrate picture books for younger children, an activity I still enjoy. I am fortunate to serve on the board of the Institute of Human Origins, founded by Don Johanson. There I discovered that middle school teachers were looking for teaching material, especially about evolution. I appreciated the need and began writing science for middle school-aged children and up to address it. I want students to be excited about science and to consider becoming scientists. There is still plenty of work left to do for future scientists. 

P: What was the most fascinating thing you learned in the process of writing this book?

CS: The most wondrous thing I learned is that the elements in our bodies were created from the dying of a star. When a supernova explodes, the intense pressure and heat form elements, such as carbon and oxygen. That explosion sends these elements far out into space. After reaching our solar system, these elements and others became part of us. I love knowing that each person carries inside a bit of many stars.

Barnes & Noble  |  Books-A-Million  |  Amazon  |  IndieBound
 

Saucier with Tyson (photo by author's husband)

CAP Saucier is the author of The Lucy Man: The Scientist Who Found the Most Famous Fossil Ever! She is also a freelance artist, illustrator, and writer.

The Promethean asked Hector about evolutionary psychology, the process of writing this book, and what he learned along the way.

The Promethean: When did you first get interested in evolutionary psychology?

Hector Garcia: I got into evolutionary science from a very early age. The first thing I read in the area of evolutionary psychology was E.O. Wilson's book "Sociobiology: the New Synthesis". 

P: What did the research process involve for Alpha God?

HG: Evolutionary psychology provides such explanatory power that once you begin to understand it you find that it pervades everything we do. So it became not only reading the empirical literature, but history, politics, scripture, current events, and other sources, all of which told the same kinds of stories.

P: Why do you think it's important for people to know about science, especially evolutionary psychology?

HG: Perhaps better than any field, evolutionary psychology tells us who we really are. When we understand the ultimate motivations for our behaviors, we have the opportunity to make more rational and humane choices about which of our evolved predispositions to keep, and which to leave behind on the savannas of our ancestors. In this way it expands our freedom to choose how we want to live.

P: In the book, you use both religious texts and scientific research. What was it like to write with both of those sources at your disposal?

HG: Reading scripture through the lens of evolutionary psychology was revelatory. The patterns and connections revealed themselves from the pages in such a striking way. You have to see things from the detached perspective of an outsider, to make the unconscious conscious, or, per William James, the "natural seem strange". 

P: Did writing the book change any idea or opinion you held when you set out on the project?

HG: Writing this book only deepened my understanding. The examples of the alpha god paradigm were so extensive that the hard part was limiting those I included in the book...However; I was surprised at how prevalent violence and inhumanity were in the Bible and Koran. And of how religions can blind us to others' suffering.

Barnes & Noble  |  Books-A-Million  |  Amazon  |  IndieBound

Hector A. Garcia

Hector A. Garcia, Psy.D.  is an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a clinical psychologist at the Veterans Health Administration specializing in the treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He has published extensively on the treatment of PTSD in combat veterans. He has also published on the masculine identity in the aftermath of war, stress and rank in organizations, and the interplay between religious practice and psychopathology. 

We hope you've enjoyed this personal look at two new books and the authors behind them.

Remember, our current nonfiction catalog and all our previous catalogs are always available online for your convenience.

Lisa Michalski

Prometheus Books

publicity@prometheusbooks.com