"A Responsibility to Awe" by poet and astronaut Rebecca Elson is the heartbeat of this book -- the author goes on a yearlong quest to see if we can experience the overview effect from right here on earth, in the middle of a city, even.

The overview effect is a lasting shift in perspective that many astronauts report after seeing earth from space: oneness with all life, devotion to and protection of the earth's ecosystem, a long-term view of humanity, awe and wonder at our insignificance and uniqueness in the cosmos.

I was drawn to reading this book because I certainly feel the crampt and restless feeling of staying inside day after day, and even when I go out I feel like escaping the city is an impossible task. So a little perspective shift is in order.