Cosmos

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• ISBN13: 9780345331359
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Description

The best-selling science book ever published in the English language, COSMOS is a magnificent overview of the past, present, and future of science. Brilliant and provocative, it traces today's knowledge and scientific methods to their historical roots, blending science and philosophy in a wholly energetic and irresistible way.

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Cosmos was the first science TV blockbuster, and Carl Sagan was its (human) star. By the time of Sagan's death in 1996, the series had been seen by half a billion people; Sagan was perhaps the best-known scientist on the planet. Explaining how the series came about, Sagan recalled:

I was positive from my own experience that an enormous global interest exists in the exploration of the planets and in many kindred scientific topics--the origin of life, the Earth, and the Cosmos, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, our connection with the universe. And I was certain that this interest could be excited through that most powerful communications medium, television.

Sagan's own interest and enthusiasm for the universe were so vivid and infectious, his screen presence so engaging, that viewers and readers couldn't help but be caught up in his vision. From stars in their "billions and billions" to the amino acids in the primordial ocean, Sagan communicated a feeling for science as a process of discovery. Inevitably, some of the science in Cosmos has been outdated in the years since 1980--but Sagan's sense of wonder is ageless. --Mary Ellen Curtin

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Customer Reviews

Slightly Dated But Still Interesting
It's been years since I last watched repeats of Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" series on PBS, but I still have fond memories of it from my adolescence. I recently read the book based on the series, which covers the same basic material but without (as Sagan points out in the introduction) being a transcript. Still, the book captures the distinctive voice and language that Sagan used while narrating the TV series. Although some of the science is now dated- for instance, the Big Bang is now believed to have happened about 13.7 billion years ago, rather than the "fifteen to twenty billion years ago" that Sagan cites- the book essentially focuses on the history of science and stays general enough to stay relevant and interesting. Sagan is also careful enough as a scientist and writer to add qualifications to his statements and point out scientific uncertainties. On the whole, the book is still a readable classic of popular science, especially if you're nostalgic for the TV show (without wanting to pay for the boxed set of DVDs). One can, of course, argue with some of Sagan's optimistic view of science: he see science as essentially a force for good that has only been corrupted by superstition and mysticism, rather than seeing it as a morally neutral technique that can inherently be used for either good or evil. But his outlook motivates his enthusiasm for the subjects he covers and adds to the spirit of the book (and yes, Sagan is fascinated by vast quantities and refers frequently to things like "billions upon billions" of stars and galaxies).

2010-04-17 (Raleigh, NC United States) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

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An Intrinsic View Into the Cosmos
What a book cosmos is! Based on the hit 13 part series "Cosmos", shown on PBS, Cosmos allows the reader to venture into the distant cosmos through profound writing and concise points. Carl Sagan, writes on various subjects regading the cosmos, covering the history of it in a simple manner. The books containts inherent images that enables a visual representation of what is being said. A helpful medium indeed. In one sense, the book is virtually identical to the series in text, but due to limitations on television, Sagan is able to cover much more information by which he was unable to cover on the Television series. Sagan not only speaks soley of the cosmos as the title suggests, but much more including genetics,evolution and neuroscience. Sagan is able to write on these subjects distinct from his prime field of study in an ingenious manner still. Cosmos generates a basic understanding of the vast ambiguious universe by which we inhibit. Due to this book being written during the cold war, Sagan devotes a whole chapter to the threat of nuclear war, and the hazardous implications to our Earth. A plausible point that many neglect. A great read!

2010-03-12 (FL) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Sage of NOW & the future
Carl Sagan was (sadly not an IS) the prime conveyor of knowledge of our Universe..
His ability to convey to the common man how "Things worked" has never been surpassed. Simply put... He had his own way of sharing this knowledge, that will never be surpassed by anyone.... His imprint is here in this "COSMOS"... and there isn't any more definitive book or other wise that is available to the average man, that will suffice...

2009-10-23 | Desert Fox (Yucca Valley Calif. USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Mind Opening
Excellent book, well written and captivating. Takes you on a journey from the beginning of time to the possible future and explains concepts in new ways unlike every before. You feel strange and uncomfortable in your own skin afterwards, alien. You realize that in this world there is only scientific truth.

2009-08-29 (Nashua, NH) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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My mom made me watch it & i loved it!
Seriously. I was born shortly before this was made. Good grief. I think like so many reviewers, they grew up with Sagan books and tapes, thus always in the back of my mind there was something from him around the table. Watching and reading Sagan is very peaceful and it feels like growing up again. The star stuff is cool, but there are lots of programs far better than this out there. Sagan though is Sagan. Can't think of another Astronomer I like better. That Zeth Showstack (SETI) guy is cool though.

2009-06-05 (CA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

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• ISBN13: 9780143112624
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Description

Carl Sagan's prophetic vision of the tragic resurgence of fundamentalism and the hope-filled potential of the next great development in human spirituality

The late great astronomer and astrophysicist describes his personal search to understand the nature of the sacred in the vastness of the cosmos. Exhibiting a breadth of intellect nothing short of astounding, Sagan presents his views on a wide range of topics, including the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets, creationism and so-called intelligent design, and a new concept of science as "informed worship." Originally presented at the centennial celebration of the famous Gifford Lectures in Scotland in 1985 but never published, this book offers a unique encounter with one of the most remarkable minds of the twentieth century.

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Customer Reviews

Thought-Provoking and Well-Written -- 4.5 Stars
The Varieties of Scientific Experience are edited transcripts from astronomer Carl Sagan's 1985 Gifford lectures, and they make for a surprisingly holistic and gripping book. The book's nine chapters can be fairly divided into two sections: chapters 1 - 4 (by far the book's strongest chapters), dealing with the nature of the universe, the nature of life, and the nature of humanity's place in the universe; and chapters 6 - 9, which deal solely with the issue of religion, with chapter 5 as a bridge between the two parts. I've settled on 4.5 stars for the book as a whole based on Amazon's rating system, and as for specific ratings of the two parts (plus bridging chapter)...

Chapters 1 - 4 are mind-blowing stuff, definitely 5-star material. Particularly impressive, to me, was the second-chapter, which takes a long-view of scientific discovery as the constant undermining of (in his words) "human vainglory." For most of the long haul of Western Civilization we managed to delude ourselves into thinking that we were literally the center of the universe, with the sun rising and falling for our sake, and the rest of the cosmos existing purely for our own sake. This was undermined first by heliocentric theory, and then by successive discoveries. Every time we've managed to hope for a cosmic affirmation of our own vanity. Alright, so we are not the Big Boss locally in the Solar System (as Carl Sagan notes, we're the third bit of "debris" from the sun; an apt word, given the scales we are dealing with once we leave Earth), but perhaps we're at the center of our galaxy? No, actually, we're out near the edge of ours. But perhaps we're the center of the universe? Wrong: the universe has no center, and even if it did, we wouldn't be it. Leave it to humans to insist that all of the majestic splendor of the cosmos exists for the sake of a very young and very stupid "intelligent" species that is determined to commit mass suicide because a circumstance of our evolution which has left us violent and xenophobic.
I digress: although the majority of the sane portion of humans that inhabit our planet are forced to admit that we are collectively nothing more than a drop of water in the vast expanse of the "cosmic ocean" (yes, these are also Sagan's words, but taken from another source than this book), even they are afraid of going all the way. Thus the insistence on the 'separate creation' of humans from other animals, and the violent opposition to insights from biology and psychology. To many, being reduced to the level of a 'mere' creature is terrifying beyond words... ESPECIALLY with the implications for human consciousness this implies.
After putting humans in their place and exploring why we're so afraid of acknowledging the fact of our cosmic insignificance, he devotes a chapter to exploring the probability of life existing elsewhere in the universe. This chapter is wonderful, like the other three, and heads off this first section.

Chapter 5 is fascinating, and 4-star material in its own right, but not as interesting as what came before it. In exploring the subject of UFOs and alien visitation, Sagan makes his case for extending the same skepticism which we employ when dealing with claims of alien sightings to religious claims. This serves as a compelling argument and as a perfect transition to the focus on religion in the second part of the book.

Chapters 6 - 9 is, in my view, the weakest portion of the book, and what demotes the work as a whole from a five-star to a four-point-five rating. It is by no stretch of the imagination bad, and the material was certainly very fresh in 1985, when atheism wasn't talked about as much as it is today. The problem might simply be that Sagan was at his best when he was talking about science, and what we can learn from it: he was less compelling as a social critic and as a pure philosopher. If you enjoy reading atheist treatises, then you will probably love these chapters, but if you've heard it all before then you will likely find this to be the low point of the work. Still not bad, however, and the occasional gem can still be found in these chapters, as in chapter 8's haunting portrait of a potential nuclear winter. 3/5 stars for the whole section.

The book ends with an extensive Q&A session, which itself is only the remaining fragment of the presumably much longer and even richer Q&A sessions that took place after each lecture. It is a pity that much of the material was lost to time, as this section rivals the first section as being the best part of the book. It only just comes in second. The back-and-forth between Sagan and his questioners would be worth the price of the book alone. It is rare when a person is able to articulate himself as clearly and convincingly in discussions as was Carl Sagan, and he is thrown some hard questions.

There are quite a few beautiful illustrations in this book, most richly-colored astronomic pictures, and mostly concentrated in the first section, that replace the older photographs used by Sagan at the time and make this book as much a feast to the eyes as it is to the mind.

Buy this book. You won't regret it. Even if you don't agree with most of what he says, Carl Sagan was still a wonderful human being and a profound thinker, and I can't think of too many people who I'd rather spend time with than him.

2010-06-09 (TN) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Must Read For Every Youth in America
Whether you agree with him or not, the youth of America should read this book (as a mandatory reading list!). If you open your mind, the book will be truly thought provoking. Moreover it's beautifully and eloquently written.

2010-06-01 | Ambelamba (Southern California) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Poor arguments but still a worthwhile read
Some years back I set out to read as many books as I could that purported to speak in favour and against the existence of God, and see where the evidence led. I won't bother you with my findings, we all have to make that journey ourselves.
With the greatest respect for Mr. Sagan, his arguments were very simplistic, superficial, specious, and, quite frankly, not worthy of being called scientific (alliteration not intended). This is not meant to demean the great man, but from reading numerous books on the topic, it is pretty clear that nobody is likely in our time to come up with any argument that will settle the matter one way or the other (I am sure he was aware of this). As an example, he takes a well-known egregious error committed by scientests and, unbelievably, turns it around into a statement against religion (if scientests could make this mistake, imagine how bad those emotional religious folks are).
One of the things I have noticed is how the scientific community's "there is no God" arguments always include a subtle element of ridicule or intimidation; the same is present here.
Okay, so why do I rate the book a 4? Well, Mr. Sagan's arguments, while not strong, are among the best I've read, but the kicker is the Q and A section at the back. Wow, now that is a powerful read! The Q and A section alone was worth the price of admission. Some great points came out, and he had some super (gentlemanly) verbal sparring matches with other amazing intellects. Absolutely enjoyable.

2010-05-04 (Alberta, Canada) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Hypocrite who contradicts his own standards.
Carl Sagan says that if any of the radio telescopes receives the transmission of just one intelligent signal, that will be sufficient to prove that there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Yet, he says that the intelligent design in nature, such as DNA (which is a program on how to build all of our protiens) or the fundamental physical constants (the slightest alteration of which would destroy the universe as we know it -- read P.C.W. Davies on this) or the anthropic principle in biology, is insufficient to prove intelligent design and hence insufficient to prove Creationism. He should be consistent with his own standards. Selectively applying standards shows he is not faithful to those standards when they yield information that contradicts his secular world view.

2010-03-22 (TimBuckToo) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 1

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Carl Sagan dazzles me again
Carl Sagan's Varieities of Scietific experience dazzles me once again with his nack for writing and explaining things so well. He has a well formulated idea of G-d that seems irrefutable. He also brings up many interesting thoughts on the nature of religion and the human condition. Overall, another fantastic book by Sagan.

2010-02-26 | manly man (Indianapolis, IN USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

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• ISBN13: 9780345409461

Description

"A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought."

 *Los Angeles Times

"POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing."

 *The Washington Post Book World

How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.

Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.

"COMPELLING."

 *USA Today

"A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity."

 *The Sciences

"PASSIONATE."

 *San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

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Carl Sagan muses on the current state of scientific thought, which offers him marvelous opportunities to entertain us with his own childhood experiences, the newspaper morgues, UFO stories, and the assorted flotsam and jetsam of pseudoscience. Along the way he debunks alien abduction, faith-healing, and channeling; refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious, and other issues.

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Customer Reviews

Skepticism 101
The best book to get into true scientific skepticism. Also listen to Skeptics' Guide to the Universe Podcast!

2010-07-24 (WSU; Pullman, WA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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No Such Thing As A Dumb Question
I realize there are already a lot of reviews for the book, but I will add my opinion to the mix.I first heard of Carl Sagan when I watched his Cosmos television series.Sagan has a unique way of sharing science with us regular folks and even children. So, I was very interested to read this book that covers a lot more material and takes on subjects such as UFO's and Religion.

I found the book to be quite easy to understand and found myself agreeing with most of Sagan's questions and points. His arguments regarding many subjects seem like great questions that nobody ever answers to his satisfaction or mine for that matter. While many have pointed out that Sagan seems to be very aggressive in regards to ufologists and alien abductions, I think it is because it's something most people are familiar with in our culture. Many of his points in this area are quite valid and something I had never though of before. He devotes much of the book to the idea that we should all be critical thinkers, not only of government and religion, but even of science itself. Sagan explains how science can usually police itself due to it's very nature. I found this point of view to be refreshing, not only for adults but also for children to learn how to be a critical thinker. While the book is a decade old now, the points are still valid, and the part about education seems to have only gotten worse.

If you are skeptic of anything, I think you will find the book and Sagan's opinions enjoyable.
Even if you disagree with him on some things, the information and techniques he describes apply to everything.

2010-07-02 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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One of the best books I have ever read
I found this an enlightening book that was incredibly enjoyable to read. Carl Sagan is a master of prose and he makes each and every sentence worth reading. I was already a skeptical person before reading this book, but Sagan makes a compelling argument of why everyone should be skeptical and eludes to the possible severely detrimental societal outcomes if we lack adequate skepticism and education. Or to take some of his wise quotes; "the cost of education is trivial compared to the cost of ignorance" and "skepticism is an essential prerequisite for responsible citizenship". Sagan even kindly provides a mental toolkit to help you be skeptical, or as he calls it the "baloney detection kit" (summarized here: [...]).

Dr. Sagan tackles many pseudosciences, including aliens and UFOs, meanwhile he himself founded The Planetary Society, which among other things, focuses on the search for extraterrestrial life. This is just one example of where he is skeptical, yet maintains an open mind. "Keep an open mind, but not so much that your Brains fall out" -James Berg.

Carl Sagan is truly 'the' master of combining skepticism and wonder. If you have not watched the Cosmos series from PBS, I strongly recommend that as well (available on dvd Cosmos: Carl Sagan (7 DVD Set)or you can watch for free online at [...]).

2010-05-22 (USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Carl Sagan at his best.
Fantastic book if you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of the value of science and skepticism in this world.

So much so that it could be disappointing to the non-skeptic. Believe in ghosts? An afterlife? Alien abductions? This book will help you break those superstitions.

This book really is a Candle in the Dark, with all the conspiracy theories and such flying around these days.

The only small criticism I have is about Sagan's predilection for talking about Alien Abductions and UFO's. Half of the book was a debunking of this topic, which is fine, but by the middle of the book you're like "OK! Sagan . . . We get it . . . Alien abductions are hogwash. GOTCHA!"

2010-04-17 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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skeptics 101
I am a skeptic so I don't have any significant issues with the position Sagan presents here. Indeed I thought he made a strong case for skepticism with a lot of interesting examples. My complaint is that for someone like me that is already reasonably versed in the basis of skepticism it is pretty elementary. It was interesting to learn about specific instances of strange superstition in history and more recently but ultimately Sagan's delivery devotes far more wordage to communicating his message than necessary for anyone but those completely new to critical thinking.

2010-04-17 (CA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 3

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Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium

Description

In the final book of his astonishing career, Carl Sagan brilliantly examines the burning questions of our lives, our world, and the universe around us. These luminous, entertaining essays travel both the vastness of the cosmos and the intimacy of the human mind, posing such fascinating questions as how did the universe originate and how will it end, and how can we meld science and compassion to meet the challenges of the coming century? Here, too, is a rare, private glimpse of Sagan's thoughts about love, death, and God as he struggled with fatal disease. Ever forward-looking and vibrant with the sparkle of his unquenchable curiosity, Billions & Billions is a testament to one of the great scientific minds of our day.

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Customer Reviews

Carl lives on among billions and billions of minds
An amazing book by an amazing man. Carl Sagan is one of my heroes who has shown me how breathtaking the universe is. In this book, Sagan speaks very personally about matters deep to him, issues he was engaged in during his life. He presents arguments like the Prisoner's Dilemma and his solution to the arms race.

The book ends with him talking about his last round of cancer therapy, and is then completed by his wonderful wife Ann Druyan. Though Carl is no longer with us, his memory lives on in the minds of billions of earthlings now and I hope all future generations will appreciate this great man as I do.

2010-07-17 (Los Angeles, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A compassionate humanist laid to rest
A collection of short essays by one of the most famous promoters of the public understanding of science. It is difficult to review a book like this due to the wide-ranging content. The author discusses everything from the war-like nature of sports, to abortion and environmental protection. His discussion of the ozone layer and global warming are some of the most lucid words written about these environmental issues. Carl Sagan was always a man who cared deeply about humanity and as a result of his compassion, he worried deeply about our future. His 'cosmic perspective' allowed him to weed out meaningless religious, ethnic and ideological boundaries and focus on real dangers such as our tendency for violence, our mind-boggling dissemination of nuclear weapons and our global modifications to the climate. Sadly, this book was written over ten years ago and it feels like we haven't come any closer to shedding our baggage and confronting our real problems as a species. The final piece delves in to the author's battle with cancer and details his final days. I recommend the book, if only for these final passages.

2010-01-04 | cassdog (Gainesville, Fl USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Read it
This book should be read by anyone, who is interested in one or more of the subjects discussed in it. It is also a good introduction to science and the scientific line of thought in general.

2009-08-01 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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One Star in the Universe
Billions and billions of stars in the universe but only one for this book. Why? Because Carl Sagan was totally ignorant of the subatomic world and the possibility of multiverses. He saw only one star in the sky, and its name was Sagan. He was a sophist who appealed mainly to a pop culture that looked for easy-to-digest science in support of its secular morality.

2009-05-13 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

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Parting Thoughts
Of all the wonderful works of Carl Sagan, this one holds a unique place - recounting his final thoughts in the Autumn of his life. As always, the subjects are thought provoking, entertaining, and enlightening. Here is highly recommended reading for the independent thinker, philosopher, and science enthusiast. If you're a Sagan fan, add this to your "must read" list.

2009-02-22 (Monroe, CT United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence

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• ISBN13: 9780345346292
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Description

Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great reading adventure, offering his vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast, the origin of human intelligence, the function of our most haunting legends--and their amazing links to recent discoveries.
"A history of the human brain from the big bang, fifteen billion years ago, to the day before yesterday...It's a delight."
THE NEW YORK TIMES

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Customer Reviews

eyes are open
i read this book as an attempt to see things from a different perspective than my own. my perspective has changed in regard to this book. there are a few outdated things, but other than that, it's a classic

2010-06-25 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A Great Book
I started The Dragons of Eden reluctantly, thinking that the material might be outdated. I was very pleasantly surprised. Some things were outdated, but Sagan (perhaps deliberately) did not embrace these ideas fully. Instead, he created a book full of wonderful and lucid speculation, deep insights, and a message about our place in the universe. It is most highly recommended.

2010-06-16 | Ted (Seattle) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Ahead of its Time.
Being a huge fan of Carl Sagan's I was always curious to read the book in which he was awarded the pulitzer award - so I did. I can say that the book is a breath of fresh air and didn't let me down. Topics include the fundamentals of neuroanatomy, basic science, a very simplistic depiction of evolutionary psychology, technology in the 70's such as pong and many more aspects.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you wish for a basic understanding of the fundamentals of evolutionary psychology.

2010-01-30 | andrewsarchus (Canada) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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blew my mind...
wow. I would highly suggest this book to anyone who wants a holistic perspective on our brains. Sagan's view points are amazing and they are a pleasure to read.

2009-11-14 | coffiend (Hilo, HI) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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An Oldie but Goodie...
Carl Sagan died in 1996, a loss to us all. But his resonances linger.

He might not agree with me on that -- because after all he was a hard-nosed scientist -- but one of his resonances intersected my thoughts the other day and wouldn't leave me alone. I reflexively Googled the list of usual suspects and homed in on his 1977 The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence.

Google. It's fascinating how the mind works these days in concert with the internet's near-instantaneous, finger-tip access to information. What's more fascinating is that the internet wasn't around -- at least in its public form -- thirty-some years ago when Sagan wrote this book.

Sometimes -- as Santyana observed -- it's useful to look at the past. Sometimes, it's just fun.

First, the context of the past... When this book was published in 1977, I was an environmental engineer, working for a nuclear utility, seven years out of Vietnam and six years out of graduate school. Sagan was a renowned scientist at the time, a well-known leading-edge thinker and popularizer of science. I admired not only his ability to distill science to a level understandable to the layperson, but also his stern advocacy of scientific method and skeptical inquiry. So I bought the book, read it, enjoyed it.

Then I put the book in the attic.

Fast-forward to the present... The resonance had to do with computer games. I was watching my grandson play one. Sagan had talked about games, I remembered, in the context of their potential for human development. I had an attic-cleanout going on at the time and -- lo and behold -- suddenly there's the book in my hand. Another resonance, maybe. Faded red cover, yellowed pages, a paperback. I found what I was looking for pretty quickly: toward the end of the book Sagan observes that Pong and Space War "suggest a gradual elaboration of computer graphics so that we gain an experiential and intuitive understanding of the laws of physics". I went back to watch my grandson play -- on a high-def screen, with enormous processing power in a tiny chip, mind you -- and reflected that "elaboration" of the graphics over thirty years hasn't been exactly "gradual". Not sure what game my grandson was playing, or what if any potential he was developing, but one thing was clear: the kid had a fine intuitive appreciation of physics. I didn't play; he would've wiped me out in thirty seconds.

Another resonance as I thumbed through this old book: Sagan talks about "extrasomatic" (i.e., outside the body) extensions of the human brain. He has an interesting chart that plots the number of bits of information that can be stored in the brains of various organisms. Mammals, and modern humans in particular, have the greatest capacity. But if you were to include the bits of information available to humans outside their brains -- in libraries and similar cultural sources -- Sagan points out that human capacity would be completely off his chart. Which brings us back to Google (or other search engines or computer databases or even the digital world in general)... think about it: something you were trying to recall, or maybe figure out, is now just a mouse-click away. And that capability is accelerating. Is that edifying? Enlightening? Enabling? Frightening? Or all of these?

But computer gaming and extrasomatic brain extensions are really just little off-hand slices of this still-topical book. Sagan talks both broadly and deeply about the many fascinating aspects of the evolution of human intelligence. He speaks of the development of the physical brain; for example the early neocortex and its adaptation to increase survival skills. But he also covers more subtle non-physical influences on evolving intelligence, for example cultural feedback paths such as introspection. I was particularly struck by his observation that "the richest, most intricate and most profound of these [introspections] were called myths". He goes on to agree with the Roman historian Salustius' definition of myths as "things which never happened but always are". Now that's clearly another resonance, because as a writer (with my daughter) of metaphysical sci-fi, we're always trying to tap into fundamental myths and recast them in the trappings of modern science and technology.

So, I really enjoyed looking back, re-reading this book, comparing it to the present. I was struck again by the approachability of the man's writing, the depth of his knowledge, his humanity. Some fascinating speculations here, by a masterful communicator. Thank you, Dr. Sagan.

~Denning
(aka Lee Denning, author of Monkey Trap and Hiding Hand)
Hiding Hand

2009-06-28 | Lee Denning, author of Monkey Trap, Hiding Hand, and Splintered Light (West Hartford, CT USA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

Description

"FASCINATING . . . MEMORABLE . . . REVEALING . . . PERHAPS THE BEST OF CARL SAGAN'S BOOKS."
--The Washington Post Book World (front page review)

In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.

Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier--space. In Pale Blue Dot Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race.

"TAKES READERS FAR BEYOND Cosmos . . . Sagan sees humanity's future in the stars."
--Chicago Tribune

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Customer Reviews

An amazing book-Pictures essential
As a high-school student, I have a unique viewpoint on life, literature, and science. This book was very inspirational to me, and I enjoyed reading it. Sagan got off on some very good points, although he went off on a tangent occasionally. One of the best features was the informative pictures and graphs, which were beautiful and awe-inspiring even when they were non-informative, so the best editions to buy are the hardcover or first-edition soft-cover editions, as later soft-cover editions are missing the pictures. This book was a very refreshing look at space.
One of the first things that caught my eye in this book was the picture that precedes Chapter 1. It shows the Milky Way from the vantage point of an observer outside of it. The most striking aspect of this picture, though, is a small box, enclosing what seems to be blackness, but if the reader looks closer, includes a tiny pinprick of light, just big enough to be noticed. That is our solar system. Earth is many orders of magnitude smaller, even less than a large molecule. Humans are just larger than the protons. That view puts us in perspective. We are a miniscule part of a miniscule part of the Milky Way, which is a miniscule part of the whole universe. That really makes it seem odd that this whole universe was made for us, tiny living specks in this giant universe.
Later in the book, they state the different follies that men have thought to be true, but science has proved wrong. The book looks at: "The Earth is at the center of the universe", "The Sun is at the center, so we are almost at the center", "The Milky Way is the only galaxy", "the Milky Way is the center of the universe", "No other sun has planets", "We have existed since the beginning", "There's something special about our motion", and even biological ones get thrown in: "We are different from the other animals". All of these notions are calmly discussed, and what we know now is stated. We aren't special, but at least we are here.
This book was an invigorating read, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes science or astronomy, or is just interested in reading about our world.

2010-02-18 (USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Carl Sagan is a hero!
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book when he talks about religions and supernatural claims and how they inhibit our species to progress. Reading Carl Sagan's books feels like coming up for air for the first time in a long time. The only issue I would postulate would be that it was written in 96', so it's a tad bit out of date. For example, the number of moons described that orbit Jupiter and Saturn is out of date and a few more other notions, but the majority of the book is still relivant.

2009-11-27 | andrewsarchus (Canada) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Consistantly Inspiring, Refreshingly Concise
Dr. Sagan's vision of humanities forward progress into unexplored frontiers, is a fascinating, and wholly inspiring read. As was always true in his life, Dr. Sagan does not shy away from questions without definite answers, and refuses to submit to pessimism. This book is an inspiring read about the next hurdle to human civilization, and how we may already posses the ability to overcome it. Pale Blue Dot is the quintessential reminder, that by embracing the best of our human nature, we may not only set foot in worlds outside our own, but repair the one that we to this very day, still call home.

I purchased this book, after stumbling across a clip of the Cosmos television series online. I had no idea that after reading his books, I would come away so inspired, and so curious.

2009-03-29 (Atlanta, Georgia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Vimeo Video
I am not sure if anyone uses Vimeo but there is a really great video that excerpts from Pale Blue Dot. It moved me to go photograph nature and its wonders. Go check it out!


http://vimeo.com/2822787

2009-02-24 | canon101 (none of your business, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Book Review Pale Blue Dot
Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan is an incredible book that explores mankinds options for sustaining the human species in the future. When NASA's
deep space vehicle Voyager was about to leave our solar system, Sagan
suggested for the last command to turn its camera around and take a picture. That famous photo shows our tiny blue speck in the cosmos as
a fragle planet that mankind will ultimately have to leave to survive.

2009-02-19 (Endicott, NY) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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