{"id":47,"date":"2025-04-07T17:17:47","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T08:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=47"},"modified":"2025-09-09T19:49:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T11:49:25","slug":"earthrise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2025\/04\/07\/earthrise\/","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts on read\u00ading the new book Earth\u00adrise"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I fin\u00adished read\u00ading a new book by Leonard S. Mar\u00adcus over the week\u00adend: \u201cEarth\u00adrise: The Sto\u00adry of the Pho\u00adto\u00adgraph That Changed the Way We See Our Plan\u00adet\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This book was just released in the U.S. on March 4, 2025. It\u2019s avail\u00adable on Kin\u00addle, and the title could be trans\u00adlat\u00aded into Chi\u00adnese as \u300a\u5730\u7403\u5347\u8d77\uff1a\u4e00\u5f20\u6539\u53d8\u4eba\u7c7b\u89c6\u91ce\u7684\u7167\u7247\u300b. The term Earth\u00adrise is quite inter\u00adest\u00ading \u2014 it par\u00adal\u00adlels Sun\u00adrise and Moon\u00adrise, which would sug\u00adgest trans\u00adlat\u00ading it as \u201c\u5730\u51fa\u201d (like \u201c\u65e5\u51fa\u201d), but that sounds odd. Trans\u00adlat\u00ading it as \u201c\u5730\u7403\u5d1b\u8d77\u201d (like Rise of the Plan\u00adet of the Apes) would be strange too. So I\u2019d say just go with \u201c\u5730\u7403\u5347\u8d77,\u201d which reflects the orig\u00adi\u00adnal name of the icon\u00adic pho\u00adto fea\u00adtured on the cov\u00ader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earth\u00adrise cov\u00ader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a children\u2019s book his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan, Mar\u00adcus has writ\u00adten sev\u00ader\u00adal his\u00adto\u00adry books for young read\u00aders. Earth\u00adrise fol\u00adlows the same nar\u00adra\u00adtive approach as his pre\u00advi\u00adous work, \u201cMr. Lin\u00adcoln Sits for His Por\u00adtrait\u201d (2023) \u2014 using a sin\u00adgle famous pho\u00adto\u00adgraph as an entry point to explore the deep\u00ader his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal con\u00adtext behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

To put it sim\u00adply, Earth\u00adrise tells the sto\u00adry of the icon\u00adic pho\u00adto tak\u00aden on Christ\u00admas Eve, 1968, dur\u00ading the Apol\u00adlo 8 mis\u00adsion by astro\u00adnaut Bill Anders as he orbit\u00aded the Moon. This pho\u00adto shows the Earth ris\u00ading over the Moon\u2019s hori\u00adzon \u2014 one of the most con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adtial and wide\u00adly viewed images in human his\u00adto\u00adry. Mar\u00adcus unpacks the sto\u00adry behind this pho\u00adto, com\u00adbin\u00ading vivid details, his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal con\u00adtext, and per\u00adson\u00adal per\u00adspec\u00adtives to reveal how it changed humanity\u2019s under\u00adstand\u00ading of our place in the uni\u00adverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar\u00adcus is a mas\u00adter sto\u00adry\u00adteller. He opens the book with a com\u00adpelling idea: this pho\u00adto changed how we see our\u00adselves and our plan\u00adet. From there, he skill\u00adful\u00adly unrav\u00adels a nar\u00adra\u00adtive full of ten\u00adsion and con\u00adflict \u2014 start\u00ading with the Cold War space race, includ\u00ading the Sovi\u00adet Union\u2019s launch of the first satel\u00adlite, Sput\u00adnik; Yuri Gagarin becom\u00ading the first human in space; and Pres\u00adi\u00addent Kennedy\u2019s dec\u00adla\u00adra\u00adtion of the Moon land\u00ading goal. Mar\u00adcus main\u00adtains a brisk, engag\u00ading pace, punc\u00adtu\u00adat\u00ading the nar\u00adra\u00adtive with rare his\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal images and detailed accounts of the per\u00adson\u00adal sac\u00adri\u00adfices made by the astro\u00adnauts and their fam\u00adi\u00adlies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inter\u00adest\u00ading\u00adly, Mar\u00adcus begins the book by refer\u00adring to the \u201cSput\u00adnik moment\u201d \u2014 a term that has recent\u00adly resur\u00adfaced in the wake of DeepSeek\u2019s suc\u00adcess. Some West\u00adern media out\u00adlets have described DeepSeek\u2019s break\u00adthrough as a new \u201cSput\u00adnik moment.\u201d But what does this real\u00adly mean for human\u00adi\u00adty? Mar\u00adcus\u2019s account of the orig\u00adi\u00adnal \u201cSput\u00adnik moment\u201d invites us to reflect on how tech\u00adno\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal rival\u00adry can dri\u00adve both com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion and coop\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion \u2014 just as the Cold War space race even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly gave way to space col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtion in the 1970s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How exact\u00adly did Earth\u00adrise change human\u00adi\u00adty\u2019s view of the world \u2014 even our world\u00adview? I recall that a glob\u00adal his\u00adto\u00adri\u00adan once sug\u00adgest\u00aded that we could try to rewrite human his\u00adto\u00adry from the per\u00adspec\u00adtive of stand\u00ading on the Moon and look\u00ading back at Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bill Anders, the astro\u00adnaut who took the icon\u00adic pho\u00adto, famous\u00adly said:\n\u201cWe came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most impor\u00adtant thing is that we dis\u00adcov\u00adered the Earth.\u201d\nThis was a com\u00adplete\u00adly new per\u00adspec\u00adtive. For the first time, human\u00adi\u00adty saw Earth not as a vast, end\u00adless expanse \u2014 but as a small, frag\u00adile, and beau\u00adti\u00adful plan\u00adet. It inspired humil\u00adi\u00adty and awe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar\u00adcus also point\u00aded out that the \u201cEarth\u00adrise\u201d pho\u00adto made peo\u00adple feel the unique\u00adness and pre\u00adcious\u00adness of the Earth. The visu\u00adal impact of view\u00ading the Earth from the lunar orbit prompt\u00aded peo\u00adple to have a strong \u201chome con\u00adscious\u00adness\u201d and rethink the def\u00adi\u00adn\u00adi\u00adtion of \u201chome\u201d. Anoth\u00ader astro\u00adnaut, Jim Lovell, could com\u00adplete\u00adly cov\u00ader the Earth by block\u00ading the win\u00addow with his fin\u00adgers. This sim\u00adple action made him deeply feel the small\u00adness and lone\u00adli\u00adness of the Earth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201d Just think, over five bil\u00adlion peo\u00adple, every\u00adthing I ever knew was behind my thumb.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Earth\u00adrise is not just a pho\u00adto\u00adgraph; it\u2019s a metaphor. It reminds human\u00adi\u00adty that we are all pas\u00adsen\u00adgers on \u201cSpace\u00adship Earth,\u201d a frag\u00adile and lim\u00adit\u00aded ves\u00adsel that we must pro\u00adtect togeth\u00ader. The idea of \u201cSpace\u00adship Earth\u201d sharp\u00adened humanity\u2019s aware\u00adness of lim\u00adit\u00aded resources and envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty. It rein\u00adforced the idea that we are not just cit\u00adi\u00adzens of indi\u00advid\u00adual nations, but mem\u00adbers of a shared glob\u00adal com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty with a col\u00adlec\u00adtive respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite lines from the book comes from Jim Lovell\u2019s real\u00adiza\u00adtion: \u201cThen I remem\u00adbered a say\u00ading I often heard: \u2018I hope I go to Heav\u00aden when I die.\u2019 I sud\u00adden\u00adly real\u00adized that I went to Heav\u00aden when I was born! I arrived on a plan\u00adet with the prop\u00ader mass to have the grav\u00adi\u00adty to con\u00adtain water and an atmos\u00adphere, the essen\u00adtials for life. I arrived on a plan\u00adet orbit\u00ading a star at just the right dis\u00adtance to absorb that star\u2019s energy\u2014energy that caused life to evolve in the begin\u00adning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, peo\u00adple on Earth imag\u00adine that Heav\u00aden is such a won\u00adder\u00adful place, but in fact, we have been in Heav\u00aden since the moment we were born!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many peo\u00adple think that the Earth is not so good any\u00admore and are ready to migrate to oth\u00ader plan\u00adets, but think about it, which plan\u00adet is more suit\u00adable for \u201cEarth\u00adlings\u201d than Earth? Instead of try\u00ading to migrate, it is bet\u00adter to try not to destroy the Earth, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hav\u00ading fol\u00adlowed Mar\u00adcus\u2019s work for some time, I think the core mes\u00adsage of Earth\u00adrise is this:\nEarth\u00adrise is not just a famous pho\u00adto\u00adgraph \u2014 it\u2019s a sym\u00adbol that reminds human\u00adi\u00adty to re-eval\u00adu\u00adate the plan\u00adet we inhab\u00adit. It reveals Earth\u2019s iso\u00adla\u00adtion and unique\u00adness in the uni\u00adverse and chal\u00adlenges us to embrace a mind\u00adset of glob\u00adal care, peace, and sus\u00adtain\u00adabil\u00adi\u00adty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it, if peo\u00adple stay in a vil\u00adlage for their whole lives, the peo\u00adple in the vil\u00adlage on the oth\u00ader side of the riv\u00ader may be \u201cene\u00admies\u201d. But if you run a thou\u00adsand kilo\u00adme\u00adters away and look back, the peo\u00adple in the next vil\u00adlage are \u201cfel\u00adlow vil\u00adlagers\u201d. When fel\u00adlow vil\u00adlagers meet, their eyes are filled with tears. If peo\u00adple stay in the same coun\u00adtry for their whole lives, is there a sim\u00adi\u00adlar sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion? When we have the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to turn a few som\u00ader\u00adsaults and run to space hun\u00addreds of thou\u00adsands of miles away, the peo\u00adple in the \u201cene\u00admy coun\u00adtry\u201d become neigh\u00adbors and fel\u00adlow vil\u00adlagers. When we meet, won\u2019t our eyes be filled with tears?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we see the world, how do we see our\u00adselves? \u2014 It depends on where you stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final\u00adly, I\u2019d like to note the book\u2019s ded\u00adi\u00adca\u00adtion (which I almost missed):\n\u201cIn Mem\u00ado\u00adry of Amy Schwartz\u2014Shining Light, Beau\u00adti\u00adful Spir\u00adit\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amy Schwartz (April 2, 1954 \u2013 Feb\u00adru\u00adary 26, 2023) was Mar\u00adcus\u2019s late wife. The ded\u00adi\u00adca\u00adtion car\u00adries a qui\u00adet yet pro\u00adfound sense of loss and remem\u00adbrance \u2014 a reminder that, just as human\u00adi\u00adty must cher\u00adish the Earth, we must also trea\u00adsure the peo\u00adple and mem\u00ado\u00adries that give mean\u00ading to our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ajia writ\u00adten on March 10, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u5468\u672b\u8bfb\u5b8c\u4e86\u4e00\u672c\u8001\u9a6c\u5148\u751f\uff08Leonard S. Marcus\uff09\u7684\u65b0\u4e66\uff1a”Earthrise: The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,12],"tags":[8,10,15],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-ajia-review","tag-8","tag-10","tag-15"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/\u5730\u7403\u5347\u8d77\u539f\u59cb\u56fe.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions\/176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}