We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(2) Sea Level
Mount Science can be a treacherous climb thanks to those steep technical slopes. And its sister peak, Mount Mysticism, can be equally dangerous to the uninitiated. And Clarke wants us to climb both? In one book? Certainly, only the experts should attempt this summit.
Not so fast. Although we have to trek over both mountains to explore this story, Clarke is an excellent tour guide and his sentences are clear, the word choice is hardly complicated, and the flow of ideas has an easy-going quality.
In short: accessible climb, spectacular view.