How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brownby Mike Brown
Shares rank 33 of 50 popular science books by recommenders
People recommend it to scientists and general readers alike for its humor, good writing, and clear account of the Pluto debate.
People recommend it to scientists and general readers alike for its humor, good writing, and clear account of the Pluto debate.
3 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 1 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 1 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Funny and well written
“But it’s funny and very well written.”
Comment from 31 Aug 2026 in “Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting” Good for scientists and laypeople
“For scientists and laypersons who aren't just holding onto "planet" for sentimental reasons, I'd recommend the book”
Comment from 31 Aug 2026 in “Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting” Awesome title for astronomy
“awesome title for an Astronomy book”
Comment from 31 Aug 2026 in “Since it was stripped of planetary status, Pluto’s defenders have been fighting”
Other popular science books people recommend
The four most recommended other popular science books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gödel, Escher, Bachby Douglas Hofstadter | 47 | 10 | 82% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Thinking, Fast and Slowby Daniel Kahneman | 17 | 13 | 57% | 9 | — | — |
| Thinking in Systemsby Donella Meadows | 17 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| The Selfish Geneby Richard Dawkins | 14 | 5 | 74% | 8 | — | Approved |
| How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Comingby Mike BrownThis page | 3 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
What people said
All 3 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“For scientists and laypersons who aren't just holding onto "planet" for sentimental reasons, I'd recommend the book”
“But it’s funny and very well written.”
“awesome title for an Astronomy book”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.