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

Book 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

Customer Reviews:

A Great Book by Carl Sagan.......2007-07-21

The first time I read Dragons of Eden was about thirty years ago. I enjoyed the book more this time because I have a better understanding of computers and neuroanatomy. This is a great book for a student to learn the evolution of the human brain from it's reptilian origins.

A masterpiece science for the average reader.......2007-06-12

A reviewer at the "Boston Globe" asked: "How can I persuade every intellignet person to read this important and elegant book?" There are so many great lines and passages in this book that even now it is timely.

Buy the Ballantine paperback edition with the wonderful mural-like foldout showing an ape man and woman as Adam and Eve in a Garden of Eden that includes dinosaurs.

Sagan, the polimat.......2007-05-13

I really miss him. Just picture it: Carl Sagan debating the climate crisis... or the Iraqui war... Well, this book shows his caractheristic polimatic veiw of knowledge: not separated boxes and disciplines, but a way of thinking, using both, creativity and skepticism to approach nature in its most complex subject: the human self, the misteries and intricacies of our brains and the resulting mind states, wich some call "mind", Sagan and Druyan at its best.

great book.......2007-01-16

This is a fascinating read on the subject of the development of human intelligence and how our species evolved morals, etc. The book is a very good summary of information packaged for the layman but with deep and thought-provoking insights that could serve to stimulate the thinking of experts in the field. Sagan's style is very humorous and engaging.

I give this book the demotion to four stars for only one reason: it was a book very much ahead of its time, but it was published over thirty years ago and much of the research cited in it is now obsolete.

C'mon, its Carl Sagan!.......2006-11-10

I love love loved this book. Some might think its dry, but I love the way he writes, simple, but verbosive enough to make interesting. He always makes a point and backs it up, most of the book is evolution of the human brain, and proved highly insightful, and told me some stuff I never even thought of. If you love learning, defently get this book.

Average customer rating:

The author needs a reality check
I used to run the Carl Sagan Electronic Monument; I took the site down when I read this book...
A book to make the myth into a man
For Sagan-Haters Only
A poor overview of Sagan's life.

Carl Sagan: A Life
Keay Davidson
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471395366

Amazon.com

Carl Sagan may have been one of the greatest scientists who ever lived. Then again, he may have been a relentless self-promoter who convinced everyone he was one of the greatest scientists who ever lived. Keay Davidson, science writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, aims to explain this complicated man in his biography. One thing is clear: Sagan was an extremely difficult man to love, a scientist whose passion for astronomy and biology was unparalleled, but who had little ability to express basic emotions to his wives and children. Davidson looks for reasons for this emotional distance in Sagan's childhood, when his relationship with his mother was intense and sometimes difficult. She encouraged her bright young son to be an "intellectual omnivore," to be passionate about knowledge, but she didn't give him the tools to relate to humans as individuals.

As his stellar science career developed, Sagan built a reputation as a leftist who believed that "science could serve liberal ideals," and as an arrogant man with an unshakable confidence in his own brain. Davidson writes that Sagan developed his famous skepticism as an undergraduate. Sagan suffered from a "troubling mix of intense emotion and stark rationalism," writes Davidson. He succeeded (mostly) in balancing passion with reason, a balance that made him a perfect popularizer of science, a trustworthy authority who preached that an open mind was the most valuable scientific tool. Davidson was influenced personally by Sagan's writings, and he sometimes works a little too hard at puncturing the myths surrounding Sagan, but this biography is one that deserves to be read by Sagan's fans and detractors alike. It's a compelling, very real assessment of an all-too-human god of science. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

A penetrating, mesmerizing biography of a scientific icon, now in paperback

"Absolutely fascinating . . . Davidson has done a remarkable job."-Sir Arthur C. Clarke

"Engaging . . . accessible, carefully documented . . . sophisticated."-Dr. David Hollinger for The New York Times Book Review

"Entertaining . . . Davidson treats [the] nuances of Sagan's complex life with understanding and sympathy."-The Christian Science Monitor

"Excellent . . . Davidson acts as a keen critic to Sagan's works and their vast uncertainties."-Scientific American

"A fascinating book about an extraordinary man."-Johnny Carson

"Davidson, an award-winning science writer, has written an absorbing portrait of this Pied Piper of planetary science. Davidson thoroughly explores Sagan's science, wrestles with his politics, and plumbs his personal passions with a telling instinct for the revealing underside of a life lived so publicly."-Los Angeles Times

Carl Sagan was one of the most celebrated scientists of this century-the handsome and alluring visionary who inspired a generation to look to the heavens and beyond. His life was both an intellectual feast and an emotional rollercoaster. Based on interviews with Sagan's family and friends, including his widow, Ann Druyan; his first wife, acclaimed scientist Lynn Margulis; and his three sons, as well as exclusive access to many personal papers, this highly acclaimed life story offers remarkable insight into one of the most influential, provocative, and beloved figures of our time-a complex, contradictory prophet of the Space Age.

Customer Reviews:

The author needs a reality check.......2006-12-25

By his enemies, detractors, and those envious of him, Carl Sagan has been called a "bozo", a "psuedoscientist", an "idiot", a "moron", and many other names that need not be repeated here. Those who like him though do so unabashedly, and in rare instances have had their scientific careers stymied because of their admitted admiration of him. It is fair to say, and an in-depth statistical study may support this, that the scientific community is automatically dismissive of public figures and the general public, and get angry when anyone within their midst attempts to explain things to people in these two classes. It is almost as though the attempt to explain difficult scientific ideas and concepts to the general public constitutes almost a criminal act, to be punished by banishment from professional societies and academia. The reason for this anger is unknown, and does not seem to serve any useful or constructive purpose either within the scientific community or outside of it.

Although the author is not a practicing scientist, from the words in this book it is apparent that he identifies with the general scientific community in their attitude about the popularization of science. The author comes across as being deeply cynical, and this is readily apparent throughout the book. It seems he has a score to settle with Sagan and he endeavors throughout the book to take Sagan down a notch and expose his faults and inadequacies. The book for this reason is difficult to read, for it confuses objectivity with blatant negativism. What is needed in the case of Carl Sagan is a biographer who will not engage in uncritical adulation and yet at the same time not become indulged in muckracking.

Indeed, the author makes it a point to bring out Sagan's alleged use of marijuana, his reluctance to assist his wives in housework, and his shortcomings as a father to his children. He discusses the zeal with which several scientists denied Sagan admission to the National Academy of Sciences, and Sagan's supposed inability to discuss scientific topics in depth. The author therefore patronizes the reader, with the implicit assumption that the reader has been unduly influenced by Sagan and needs assistance and release from this influence. The emotional responses that many have obtained by viewing Cosmos or reading some of Sagan's works is dismissed as being a result of Sagan's skilled oratory. It seems to never occur to the author that such responses are a natural consequence to being exposed to ideas that are accurate and true.

It is a little over ten years since Sagan has passed on, but his legacy is alive and well, and even though he has made many contributions to both science and its popularization, his most profound contribution, and one that outweighs the rest by many orders of magnitude, is his implicit demonstration that the history of the human species has been one of brilliant developments rather than war and strife. For a human being to purposely take the life of another is actually extremely rare, but it is frequently taught, both in educational institutions and outside of them, that the human species is a destructive and dangerous one. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the writings of Sagan illustrate this time and again. It would be incorrect therefore, and statistically invalid, to say that his view of history is romanticized and idealistic. It is the most realistic of any that currently exist, and deserves to be propagated at a large scale. There has yet to arise an effective surrogate to Carl Sagan, at least from the standpoint of someone who delivers the message in books, movies, and television as effectively as he did. But there are millions, or shall we say, billions and billions, of individuals that make up the collective genius of the human species, and it is these individuals, some known and some unknown, that are so eloquently described and championed by Sagan throughout his writings and personal life.

I used to run the Carl Sagan Electronic Monument; I took the site down when I read this book..........2006-07-22

I grew up with Carl Sagan. An avid watcher of his COSMOS program when it aired in 1980, I like to credit Carl with turning me on to the wonders of science and, especially, the wonders of space exploration. Prior to seeing COSMOS I thought outer space was just a playground for X-Wing fighters, Colonial warriors, and the Starship Enterprise. Carl made space into a very real place, more fascinating than my young mind had ever thought possible, and COSMOS similarly impressed upon me the value of science as, to borrow the sub-title from one of Carl's best-known volumes, a candle in the darkness.

Many years later, shortly after I got married, my wife found the entire COSMOS series on VHS tape at a local library. I eagerly re-screened the entire series with adult eyes, and was reminded again of how fantastic the series was, what a great science promoter Carl could be, and I suppose the old child-like hero worship resurfaced with new energy. Carl then died tragically not longer after I re-screened COSMOS, and in a moment of telegraphed fan grief, I set up a web memorial to the man which I called the Carl Sagan Electronic Monument.

On that web site I extolled the virtues of the Great Popularizer. I praised his wisdom, his brilliance, his prowess as both husband and father, and generally set the man up on a pedestal of enormous height. For a few years I communicated with other Sagan fans, and even received one or two touching e-mails from Ann Druyan, thanking me for the CSEM and thanking me for being part of the enormous outpouring of support and love which centered around Carl following his passing.

Knowing my affinity for Sagan, my wife bought me "Demon Haunted World" and an audiobook, read by Sagan, of "Pale Blue Dot". I loved these as I loved COSMOS, and it seemed nothing could stem the hero worship.

Then, my wife bought me "Carl Sagan: A life", and the carefully constructed illusion slowly came apart.

I'd always known that certain people had a gripe against Sagan. I'd always chalked it up to petty jealousy against a truly great man. But as I turned the pages of this book, and the REALITY of Carl Edward Sagan began to hit home, I realized that in my rush to embrace Sagan as an idol, I'd completely fooled myself.

Meticulously researched, this book is an eye-opener for any Sagan fan. I've seen a lot of the one star comments, declaring that this is a book for "Sagan haters", which I think is unfair. If anything, this book exposes Sagan for who he really was, not who we wished him to be. I think all Sagan fans owe it to themselves to read this book, and then decide, as I did, which they loved more: Sagan as a PERSON, or Sagan as a vehicle for opening the wonders of space and science to the average man?

My conclusion, upon finishing this volume, is that I was not a fan of Sagan the man. Sagan seemed a poor husband, at least until the advent of Ann Druyan, and even then it seems clear he was already involved with Druyan prior to the dissolution of his relationship with his second wife. Moreover, Sagan was not a particularly good father to his first children, again only cleaning up his act for the Druyan years.

I have always believed that no amount of professional success can make up for failure in the home. I am glad that Sagan seems to have reformed by the time Druyan came on the scene, and that his youngest children seem to have enjoyed at least a competent dad. But what of the first two marriages, and the children that came of them? What of the abuse that he apparently doled out to his first wife? These things significantly mar the brilliant image of Sagan, and left me feeling as if I'd seriously deluded myself.

Moreover, Sagan the professional was also not without faults. For much of his life Carl seems to have been an enormously vainglorious and pompous fellow, essentially ruining his relationship with COSMOS producer Adrian Malone, so much so that the men were not on speaking terms by the time COSMOS earned its Emmy and Peabody Awards. Carl also developed a reputation as a scientific dilettente, precocious and opinionated and eager to claim mastery over various scientific subjects without actually contributing much bona fide advancement in those same fields. Many scientists came to resent Sagan as being too much of a self-promoter and not enough of a researcher, and as Sagan's public popularity began to soar, so did the grumbling by some in the scientific community who felt that Sagan was getting credit for their effort.

When I came back to my Sagan memorial web site, after reading this book, I realized I couldn't keep the web site up in good faith anymore. I slowly pruned the site down until it was just a placeholder, and then I shut it down altogether not longer after that.

Having said all this, I must emphasize that "Carl Sagan: A Life" is not a one-sided bash-session. There is much good said about Sagan, especially in regard to his role as popularizer, and in regard to his struggle with health problems, including a throat condition I had not previously known about, and his long decay due to myelodysplasia. His work in debunking UFOlogy and stressing skepticism (alongside other skeptics like James Randi) is to his credit, as are his forays into environmentalism and combating the threat of nuclear holocaust. The Planetary Society continues as one of the most energetic public bodies lobbying for continued space exploration, and there is no doubt that Sagan's legacy as a spark which has fired the efforts and imaginations of millions around the world, is secure.

I still own a DVD set of COSMOS and enjoy watching the series from time to time. As a character on the screen, Sagan is engaging, witty, brilliant, and engrossing, and COSMOS still stands, in my mind, as one of the greatest television science series of all time. I still keep the copy of "Demon Haunted World" and have the "Pale Blue Dot" tapes, because there is great thought and wisdom in these volumes, and they are to Sagan's eternal credit.

But Sagan the person has been permanently removed from his pedestal. In hindsight, I should have never placed him up there to begin with.

In COSMOS, Sagan lauds German astronomer Johannes Kepler for having the courage to face the reality of celestial planetary motion, rather than cling to his beloved illusion of the nested geometric solids. In the same spirit I would encourage all Sagan fans to cast aside any illusions they may have regarding Carl Sagan the man, and read this book, and know the faults and flaws and shortcomings of the man we all learned to admire and idolize as children.

You will be surprised. You will be dissapointed. But you will know the truth.

Five stars for this book. Absolutely. Thanks to Keay Davidson for having the literary courage to delve into Sagan's life, and not just offer up a superficial pean.

A book to make the myth into a man.......2006-06-12

This biography differs from many of the other sycophantic works about celebrity lives in that it treats its subject as its subject treated the world: objectively. Those who have ears to hear, they will hear and agree.

Sagan was larger than life. A brilliant man with a passion for his subject he was none-the-less subject to human feelings and human failings. This book portrays the human side of Carl Sagan from his sudden, relationship damaging mood swings, to his desire to achieve the greatest good. It takes the myth of Carl Sagan and exposes the very real man underneath it all.

Sagan the scientist allowed his passions to distort his views at times but what great scientist hasn't had moments of irrational behavior? Sagan the humanitarian often demanded that things be done to relieve human suffering and end nuclear proliferation. He could be stubborn to the point of being annoying when it came to exposing frauds in science and the inhuman monsters (Edward Teller) whom he resented.

The book portrays a very human Sagan. A product of his era, he smoked pot, desired peace, devoted himself to his scientific calling, and became a legend. If you can stand to have the curtain drawn and the wizard exposed, this is the book for you. If you like fantasy over reality, move on.

For Sagan-Haters Only.......2006-02-11

This "biography" is one, long malicious attack upon Carl Sagan.

Keay Davidson obviously detests Sagan - so much so that I don't know why he would wrire a book about someone he hates so much.

Only someone who hates Sagan could enjoy this book - but anyone who hates Sagan wouldn't be buying/reading a biography about him anyway.

This book has no real audience. I would rate it ZERO stars if I were able.

If you like anything Carl did, please look elsewhere for a biography and do not waste a penny or a second on this unfathomably putrid piece of attack-journalism.

A poor overview of Sagan's life........2005-04-07

The book starts out reasonably well enough, with Davidson drawing you into the overview of the life of Carl Sagan's parents. But as the book progresses, you begin to see another side to the story of Sagan's life that you weren't expecting. Davidson doesn't hesitate to make broad generalizations and interpretations of his interviews with people in Sagan's life, even making borderline psychoanalytical conclusions to explain his behavior when Davidson is clearly not qualified in this area.

There were several points where I read a line and found myself just staring at the book with a gaping jaw and a sense of incredulility, wondering how he could make such a strange conclusion. For example, when he discussed Sagan's novel Contact, it quickly became apparant that Davidson hadn't even read the book or he wouldn't be making such strange interpretations of the book's plot.

Additionally, Davidson's writing is incredibly simplistic; although it may appear vivid and engaging on the surface, it is full of groan-inducing cliches and overdramatized descriptions of events. This, in combination with his purely speculative conclusions on Sagan's personality, made me want to vomit.

Overall, although I was able to glimpse a small part of what made Carl Sagan so special and see a somewhat decent overview of the events in his life, I feel I was getting a blurry and distorted picture of who the man really was.

Average customer rating:

Truly a page turner.....
What a wonderful book
Replication Bomb
My bible
Important book...

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
Carl Sagan , and Ann Druyan
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345384725
Release Date: 1993-09-07

Book Description

"Dazzling...A feast. Absorbing and elegantly written, it tells of theorigins of life on earth, describes its variety and charaacter, and culminates in a discussion of human nature and teh complex traces ofhumankind's evolutionary past...It is an amazing story masterfully told."
FINANCIAL TIMES (LONDON)
World renowned scientist Carl Sagan and acclaimed author Ann Druyan have written a ROOTS for the human species, a lucid and riveting account of how humans got to be the way we are. It shows with humor and drama that many of our key traits--self-awareness, technology, family ties, submission to authority, hatred for those a little different from ourselves, reason, and ethics--are rooted in the deep past, and illuminated by our kinship with other animals. Astonishing in its scope, brilliant in its insights, and an absolutely compelling read, SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS is a triumph of popular science.

Customer Reviews:

Truly a page turner............2007-05-11

This is the most readable scientific book I have read in many years.
And what a subject:Taking on the history of life and making it a page turner! Truly a work of great intellect, art and love. Would that more scientists had the ability to communicate as Carl Sagan and Ann Druyen do in this amazing book.

What a wonderful book.......2007-02-20

Although a Carl Sagan fan since I was a student, I never heard of this book. I learned about it by hearing it mentioned on a radio show on NPR. I am now about halfway through it, and I can't believe that I never read this book before. A required read for anyone interested in science, and more specifically, our place as humans in terms of the larger cosmos. Well-written, insightful, and containing page after page of beautiful connections and observations.

Replication Bomb.......2006-12-21

"Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" takes as its subject nothing less than the origin of life on Earth. The book is epic in scope, ranging from the gravitational collapse of interstellar clouds and the evolution of solar systems to the first appearance of self-replicating molecules on Earth. Probably starting between 4 and 3.5 billion years ago, the initial self-replicating molecules - having arisen by a chain of random processes - initiated the essentially non-random processes of natural selection and the story goes on from there.

The story that Sagan and Druyan are telling is about us, the human animal: where we come from and what ancestral `shadows' follow us and as a result of these considerations, where we are headed. Instead of portraying a nature `red in tooth and claw', Sagan and Druyan show how cooperation is a key feature of life, beginning with the earliest stromatolite colonies. This theme is carried forward and explored in later chapters which examine the bases of ethics, altruism, compassion and caring in our primate relatives. The book also examines the roots of aggression, xenophobia, and dominance hierarchies and the prevalence of these phenomena in the primate world especially.

This is an engaging and educational read, well worth the reader's effort. However, there are also several drawbacks that deserve to be mentioned. Sagan and Druyan go to considerable lengths to convince the reader of the similarities between humans and the other primate species. They especially stress the close genetic relationship between humans and chimpanzees and point out that while humans have consistently tried to erect barriers between themselves and the nonhuman animals, these barriers are illusory. For example, language is often mentioned as the sole preserve of Homo sapiens. And yet, studies with vervet monkeys and experiments with chimpanzees and bonobos have demonstrated that a rudimentary capacity for language (including the ability to perform abstractions) exist in species besides humans. The point that Sagan and Druyan are trying to make is that we humans vary from the other animals not so much in kind (quality), but rather in degree (quantity). This point is well taken but in emphasizing the similarities between humans and other animals (including our close primate relatives) we should not be overly zealous in the other direction. There are many similarities between humans and chimpanzees, sure, but there are also obvious, non-trivial differences that likewise deserve to be mentioned. After all, unlike the chimpanzees, who to present day inhabit the same environments that their million-year old ancestors have inhabited, humans have spread to just about every part of the globe and are actively exploring the near reaches of the universe. The tendency to emphasize the close genetic relationship between humans and chimpanzees while glossing over the differences is rampant in popular books about human evolution (for example, Jared Diamond's "The Third Chimpanzee").

"Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" is subtitled as a `Search for Who We Are', aiming to give an account of the `orphan's file' (the orphan being the human race). However, the book is primarily devoted to the discussion of nonhuman animals, with no mention of important human landmarks such as the discovery of agriculture, for example, and the rise of civilizations and states. To be fair, the authors acknowledge this in the book's epilogue, with the promise that the story remains to be continued. Another drawback is that the book's first few chapters, which give an account of the birth of our sun and the emergence of our planet, are not quite convincing - emphasizing poetic eloquence perhaps somewhat to the detriment of giving a clear account.

Despite the drawbacks this is recommended reading, along with Sagan's "The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence." Sagan may have his share of detractors but his ability in making science accessible was commendable.

My bible.......2006-10-07

I devoured this book and I want to pass my copy onto everyone that I think can benefit from reading it, which is everyone. Taking a quote from Fight Club, "we are not special," sure that's not completey true, we are a little special but we are also MORE just like every other animal.

If you're interested in evolution, anthropology, archaeology, and/or any other related field, check this book out. Or even better yet challenge a fundy to read it.

Important book..........2006-01-02

I think this is a very important book. Honest and direct to the point. After reading this book with an open mind you'll have to ponder and evaluate all the things that you believe in out of fear or faith.
Yes, your existence is an accident. Maybe the whole human race was an accident. Nature doesn't care about justice and life just move ahead without a plan and sometimes this process of selection or of survival of the fittest brings out "good" results but we also see the bad ones....So ...use your days, enjoy the life you have and respect your fellow travelers in this tiny planet...and be certain that when you die you will go back to where you were before you were born.... into nothingness..
Your genes will live in your children and that is all there is to it...

Average customer rating:

Sagan's first book a real treasure...
The single best scientific book on intelligent life in the universe
Great Read
An Absolutely Essential Read
This is the first rational book to address the probability..

Intelligent Life in the Universe
Carl Sagan , and I. S. Shklovskii
Manufacturer: Holden-Day
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0816279136

Customer Reviews:

Sagan's first book a real treasure..........2006-11-15

I was very happy to find this book on a visit to a local used book store (where interestingly enough I also found a copy of the first book published under John F. Kennedy's name being "Why England Slept").

Though I've been a big Carl Sagan fan since reading Cosmos, Dragons of Eden, Broca's Brain, Contact and his other eighties works back during my college days I was always curious to see if he was just as good when he first started writing.

And the answer of course was...duh, of course yes.

Though admittedly one third of the book (relating to cosmic origins) is dated because it was written over forty years ago, the remaining two thirds -- relating to the origins of life generally and speculations on the possibilities of life elsewhere -- actually hold up amazingly well.

Sadly, as it relates to the later topic, being the search for intelligent life elsewhere, part of the reason why Sagan's book still holds up is because of the paucity of research that has actually been done.

In this way, this wonderful book becomes both a commentary on Sagan's abounding foresight and the lack of foresight so obvious in those academicians who've failed to follow in his able footsteps.

The single best scientific book on intelligent life in the universe.......2005-12-07

I used this book as an undergrad in a 400 level Astronomy class. At the time, the book was a real challenge for me in that I wanted to understand the mathematical and physical foundations of intelligent life. By the end of the course, and the book, I was, and have remained, absolutely convinced that intelligent life is plentiful in the universe, at least as can be "proved" mathematically using our physical laws. I was also convinced that human type life is in fact highly unlikely to be duplicated elsewhere in the universe. Finally, it is likely that many of this other intelligent life is perhaps vastly superior to our own. No, I'm not a nut, and I'm not a scientist, but I am convinced, even in the absence of physical evidence. Read this book, you'll make your own mind up. One warning, this is not "light reading". It is a college level textbook, that if you stay with it, will reward you in the end. What a shame we have lost such a great mind as Carl Sagan. To date, no one has stepped up to replace him.

Great Read.......2003-06-26

If you are interested in this issue, I highly recommend the book. This book is extremely thorough, so thorough it could be used as a textbook on an astrobiology class. It was written in the sixties so yes its out of date here and there, but much of the information is surprisingly current. You also get a great early taste of Sagan's writing style.

An Absolutely Essential Read.......2003-01-17

I first read this book in the early 1970s, and have read many
since then, and it pained me somewhat to find that the book is now out of print. I can honestly say this is still, without any doubt
in my mind, the *best* starting place for the study of astronomy,
cosmology, astrobiology/xenobiology (call it what you will) and
all things extraterrestrial. The book gives you all the background information available at the time of its publication to understand
problems that are still profound to this day, in a step by step
method that is both an absorbing read and and a good bit of education in itself. Invaluable for both its conclusions and for the historical background it gives to current issues, well illustrated and beautifully far reaching, I most highly recommend this rare and wonderful book.

This is the first rational book to address the probability.........1998-02-09

of life elsewhere inthe universe.

I read it first sometime in the late Sixties or early Seventies as an undergrad in engineering/physics/math. Carl Sagan created a wonderful book which has stayed with me over the course of almost 30 years now.

Book Description

In 1973, Carl Sagan published The Cosmic Connection, a daring view of the universe, which rapidly became a classic work of popular science and inspired a generation of scientists and enthusiasts. This seminal work is reproduced here for a whole new generation to enjoy. In Sagan's typically lucid and lyrical style, he discusses many topics from astrophysics and solar system science, to colonization, terraforming and the search for extraterrestrials. Sagan conveys his own excitement and wonder, and relates the revelations of astronomy to the most profound human problems and concerns: issues that are just as valid today as they were thirty years ago. New to this edition are Freeman Dyson's comments on Sagan's vision and the importance of the work, Ann Druyan's assessment of Sagan's cultural significance as a champion of science, and David Morrison's discussion of the advances made since 1973 and what became of Sagan's predictions. Who knows what wonders this third millennium will reveal, but one thing is certain: Carl Sagan played a unique role in preparing us for them.

Customer Reviews:

Infectious enthusiasm.......2004-05-31

Carl Sagan's "The Cosmic Connection" is an enjoyable and easy-to-read survey of science and astronomy, circa 1973. Sagan's passion for his subjects comes through loud and clear in the essays that comprise this book. Reading this book is a little like watching "Cosmos" -- you're struck by the breadth of Sagan's knowledge and charmed by his imagination and wide-eyed enthusiasm for his topics. Sagan has a flair for making science accessible to the masses. He explores topics such as planetary exploration, the origins of life, and, of course, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Readers who liked "A Brief History of Time" will probably enjoy "The Cosmic Connection." The epilogue, which provides a year 2000 update for many of the chapters, is a valuable addition to this classic book.

Worth reading.......2003-05-13

Sure this isn't Sagans best book, it was one of his earliest. But its definitely a great read, full of profound thoughts.

Digressions? Yeah!.......2001-10-28

This book is a mix of thoughts by Carl Sagan, which he mainly dictated while crossing North America in a car. Well, it shows! It jumps from interesting paragraphs to useless personnal experiences, and the final result is a short text that is confusing, and (but that's not his fault) outdated. Read "Cosmos" and "Pale Blue Dot", they are much better.

The Musings of A Great Intellect.......2001-04-15

While it was first published over twenty five years ago and new scientific knowledge has rendered some of the "facts" and conclusions invalid, this book is still one that will fascinate you. For Sagan's writings are not about the knowledge of the moment but about grand, overwhelming ideas. Known to most people through his television appearances and his popular science books, he was a man with very impressive scientific credentials. A driving force in setting the priorities of planetary probes, his formidable intellect and powers of persuasion helped change the missions in many important ways.
Carl Sagan was a man deeply committed to the scientific method, the rule of reason and the exploration of space. His passion comes through very clearly in these essays, although he never descends to the level of being preachy. Towards the end of his life, he started to grow understandably pessimistic about the continued lack of exploration of the universe beyond the limits of the blue planet. Like so many of us, he is saddened by the lack of a vision that would drive the human race to establish an extraterrestrial presence beyond low Earth orbit.
Other issues that he deals with are the consequences of contact with another civilization and how we may recognize it when it occurs and what our response should be. These are very fundamental questions that the human race should consider. It is hard to imagine any other event that could have a more profound impact on how humans view themselves and their role in the cosmos. I agree with the premise of the Star Trek movie "First Contact", where the first contact with an extraterrestrial unites humanity in a way never before thought possible.
Humans will always continue to examine our place in the grand scheme and what all of the immensity of the universe really means. As long as we continue to produce beings of the caliber of Carl Sagan, our future is a bright one. His intellect and ability to excite were both first rate and I do not know how anyone could read these essays and not be moved by the quality of his reasoning.

"Must" reading for all Sagan fans.......2001-03-02

The late Carl Sagan was one of the most popular, influential, and successful interpreters of astronomy to the American public. In 1973 he published "The Cosmic Connection". He offered a daring view of the universe and his seminal work became a classic of popular science, inspiring a generation of scientists and non-specialist general readers with an enthusiasm for all aspects of science in general, and astronomy in particular. Now Cambridge University Press has reissued a new edition of Sagan's influential book, enhanced with Freeman Dyson's commentary on Sagan's vision and on the importance of "The Cosmic Connection"; Ann Dryan's assessment of Sagan's cultural significance as a champion of science; and David Morrison's discussion of the advances made over the past 30 years and what became of Sagan's predictions. Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection is "must" reading for all Sagan fans and anyone interested in how his views and predictions have held up over the past three decades of rapid advances in the science of astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

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

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forceful and persuasive
At the end of a remarkable life
A brilliant mind but dangerous
Feel Smarter, BE smarter !
A very important book

Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium
Carl Sagan
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345379187
Release Date: 1998-05-12

Book 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.

Customer Reviews:

forceful and persuasive .......2007-09-12

Sagan covers much more than environmental issues in this book. However, his writing is so forceful and persuasive on environmental issues that this theme overshadows all others in my mind. Before reading this work, I was under the impression that global warming was still a theory and that things were happening so slowly that there was little need for action. Now I'm convinced that we are in the midst of a global crisis, a crisis with the potential for the most catastrophic and irreparable of consequences. The issues covered here are of extreme importance. We all have a responsibility to be informed. Please read at least part 2 of this book, which runs from pages 75 to 178.

At the end of a remarkable life.......2007-05-16

As he knowingly faced the end, Sagan bravely shared his views on a number of subjects: science, politics, philosophy, and the environment. Here are the departing words from a man who spent his life in search of knowledge about nature, not in pursuit of wealth. His admonitions come across as genuine, and his motivations are altruistic. He suggests that some of mankind's present course is noble, while some of it may be terminally perilous. He wisely advises us to choose the path of progress, not the path of confrontation and destruction.

This is an atypical Sagan work. Those wanting him to stick strictly to science will have to modify their expectations somewhat. There's a good amount of science here, but this is his final public farewell to everyone he loved, knew, or influenced. To me, it's a profoundly moving work.

A brilliant mind but dangerous.......2006-12-05

I remember watching Cosmos on television when I was a kid. I didn't question him then or for some time after. The book is entertaining, with good story telling. Sagan makes many excellent points and he is easily understood. These are his final words before his death. If you are looking for hard science, this isn't the book. Politics and propaganda enter a few chapters. Carl was a brilliant mind but dangerous.

Carl discusses society, ethics, morality, rules to live by, and gives us a feel for large numbers. Life maybe not that scarce? His philosophy on a better world is all well and good, but he forgets or ignores there is true evil in the world. He concludes that God and the supernatural as myth, but falls in the same trap by treating theory as fact. What is the amazing brain of evolution, where does it come from? He gives us no real answers. He does not realize or purposely ignores problems with his theories. The new fear is the environmental and climatic warnings. According to Sagan, at the time this book was written, we should be in dire straights in the near future--are we? Is life as fragile as he says? His thoughts come from a secular humanist mind. I still recommend the book.

How does he propose such world wide changes, except by government intervention?

"Our ancestors came from the trees"------------what???????

Wish you well
Scott

Feel Smarter, BE smarter !.......2006-10-17

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Sagan never claims to have ALL the answers, but encourages the reader to think in a non-conventional fashion. As a community college instructor of the Natural Sciences, I appreciate Sagan's ability to describe and relate the micro- and macroscopic nature of the universe. Each chapter reads well on its own. Especially enjoyed the chapter on the myths of Croseus and Cassandra and their applicability to today's political approach towards current environmental and social issues.

A very important book.......2006-09-15

I have read this book a couple of times and I think it's value lies in making you want to go out and protect the enviroment, work for peace, increase science education, etc..... I liked it because he was a wonderfully eloquent person and really made you want to understand more about the enviroment. I also enjoyed demon haunted world and would recommend either book.

Average customer rating:

The man's personal life is none of our business.....
Good biography of one of the 20th century's most fascinating scientists
Potentially Good Subject Matter-Poor Writing
Big on science, but not much of a biography
Good, fair read

Carl Sagan: A Life in the Cosmos
William Poundstone
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805057676

Amazon.com

Science writer William Poundstone (and biographer of game-theory guru John von Neumann) begins this book of deftly strung anecdotes from the life of pop-science demigod Carl Sagan with the following anecdote: four-year-old Carl, a Jewish kid growing up near the Jersey shore, rides piggyback on his dad's shoulders into the 1939 World's Fair and the "World of Tomorrow." Surrounded by mocked-up "rocketports," GM's "Futurama," and the promise of outlandish technology to come, it's easy to imagine the impact on this little guy who was to become one of our century's most visionary and visible scientists. A childhood friend tells Poundstone that "from an early age Carl was seized with the fabulous mission of searching for life on other worlds," a quest that would dominate his entire professional career.

Poundstone recounts how this quest drove the immensely intelligent, ambitious, and charismatic Sagan, from his discovery of Arthur C. Clarke to his predictable adolescent chemistry-set accidents to his colorful academic career and professional work on the Viking and Voyager missions, nuclear disarmament, the award-winning Cosmos, and Robert Zemeckis' Contact. What recommends this biography most, though, isn't its completeness but its style: Poundstone has divided the 500-plus-page book into over 200 easily digestible, addictive little sections, each an entertaining or illuminating (or, often, laugh-out-loud) anecdote from Sagan's life, with titles like "Pornography in Space," "Muskrats, Drunkards, Extraterrestrials," and "Sagan Versus Apple Computer." (The in-house name for the mid-range PowerMac 7100 was "Carl Sagan," the joke being that it would make Apple "billions and billions." But forced to change it by Sagan, Apple switched to "BHA," later revealed to stand for "Butt-Head Astronomer"--Sagan sued for libel.) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

In this compelling life of Carl Sagan, award-winning science writer William Poundstone details the transformation of a bookish young astronomer obsessed with life on other worlds into science's first authentic media superstar. The instantly recognizable Sagan, a fixture on television and a bestselling author, offered the layperson entry into the mysteries of the cosmos and of science in general. To much of the scientific community, however, he was a pariah, a brazen publicity seeker who cared more about his image and his fortune than the advancement of science. Poundstone reveals the seldom-discussed aspects of Sagan's life, the legitimate and important work of his early scientific career, the almost obsessive capacity to take on endless projects, and the multiple marriages and fractured personal life, in what The New Yorker called an "evenhanded guide" to a great man's career.

Customer Reviews:

The man's personal life is none of our business............2007-09-09

I think it is nothing more then a tabloid tell all book that has no merits to it.

Good biography of one of the 20th century's most fascinating scientists.......2006-02-13

I knew Carl Sagan from Pale Blue Dot, Billions and Billions, and especially his wonderful Cosmos (truly, if there is one book everybody should read, Cosmos is it). The man that transpires from these books appeared to me as an wonderful example of what human beings should strive for, and I naturally picked up Poundstone's biography out of curiosity.

Poundstone covers Sagan's life adequately. He does not limit himself to that however, dedicating ample space to explaining the scientific context behind much of Sagan's work. He defends Sagan's positions well, but also presents the positions of some of Sagan's adversaries with apparent honesty.

The low point of this reading is the revelation that Sagan's personal life was not always exemplary. Living with a man as busy and allegedly full of ego as Sagan was a challenge. He married three times, finally finding the ideal partner in his relationship with Ann Druyan, who in particular appears to have made him a better family man.

Sagan's life is fascinating and shows admirable continuity. From his involvement with the question of whether there is life on Mars to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), he has remained largely devoted to the question of extraterrestrial life, a new field initially called exobiology.

Sagan's influence in the scientific world has been huge, if not as a traditional scientist, then as a man who seeded ideas. But his role as a popularizer of science has probably been even more important. In particular, his hit TV show from the 80s, Cosmos, has made his name famous to the point probably of being at some point the second-best known scientist in the 20th century (after Einstein, of course), at least in the US. Many have become scientists later in life after watching the show as kids.

Sagan knew how to teach, as his Cornell students can testify. He was able to inspire awe from the contemplation of the physical world. His always perfect (if a little snobbish-sounding) elocution, and his sometimes poetic stances, touch the mind and the heart.

Poundstone's biography confirms that Sagan was an extremely smart man, and a constant defender of reason. He never tired and always loved what he was doing. Through his books and teaching, he has sent the message that humans should not let their brains at the door. What Voltaire and Swift did with satire, Sagan did with science.

Sagan's untimely end in 1996 at age 62 is tragic, first on a personal level because he was in the end fully aware that his illness could take him, and second for the world at large, as he could have easily provided his insight and wisdom for another twenty years.

Potentially Good Subject Matter-Poor Writing.......2006-01-08

Mark Twain once said, "Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph." The quote couldn't be more apt than when examining this work. I initially started to read this book being interested in Carl Sagan the person and what he had to say. I came away feeling it was a tedious chore.

First off, the book is divided into short subsections that make for easy stopping points. The initial happenings start like most biographies do by tracing Sagan's roots starting from his Grandparents on down. It details his early childhood and precocious nature which was evident from the start. The story quickly moves on to his early commitment to be an astronomer even though this wasn't regarded highly at the time. Throughout the book Carl's marriages are also discussed in some detail. My major complaint with the book starts with all of the dreadful descriptions of every single scientific project Sagan worked on. Even after the reader gets the gist the writer continues to drone on and on about what I felt were insignificant details to the extent they were described. For example, Sagan was a big proponent of a nuclear winter theory. The idea being that nuclear war would adversely affect the climate by cooling it and possibly leading to the complete demise of life as we know it. Well, Poundstone elaborates on this for close to 100 pages. At one point I had to flip to the cover of the book to make sure I hadn't picked up a book about nuclear holocaust or annihilation. Poundstone also goes into monotonous detail over every one of the Viking, Voyager, Pioneer, and Seti projects that Sagan worked on. My question would be-is this all there was to Carl Sagan? Was his work more important than who he was as a person?

The writer's language also does not flow very well. He is far from eloquent. He seems bright enough but everything seems forced and tentative like he is trying to think of what to say and how to say it. Sometimes this leads to non sequitur types of passages. As I was reading I kept feeling like I was missing some punch line. Eventually, I realized I wasn't missing anything but it was simply the writer's inability to communicate.

One good thing I felt the writer did do was display Sagan's faults and shortcomings. We are led to see that he was often egotistical, dismissing of former close friends, and not always a very good father. His friend's opinions of him are also revealed in somewhat explicit detail. For these reasons I feel the book isn't a complete waste but overall I was left with a feeling of distaste for it.

Big on science, but not much of a biography.......2004-08-25

I've been a fan of Carl Sagan's popularization of science since the "Cosmos" days. I agree he wasn't the most brilliant scientist around, but he did more to make people interested in astronomy than any scientist of his generation and beyond.

This biography goes way too far into the scientific realm, but doesn't tell me much about Sagan as a man. As a student of astrophysics (a hobby, not a career for me), I found the science interesting, but it wasn't why I bought this book.

Good, fair read.......2002-12-31

You can add me to the list of people who was about 7 or so when I first saw Cosmos, and it was a major influence (along with 2 scientist parents of my own) to go into science (not astronomy). Carl Sagan, and the way he made science poetic, influenced me greatly.

I feel that an absolute must in a biography, is fairness. I neither want to read idolatry, nor a muckracking book. This book was fair in its depiction of Sagan: a brilliant scientist, who cared about the world, science, writing, and his own ego. I especially liked the sections on his work with NASA on the various Mars missions; where do we land, what experiments do we perform, and just what do the results mean, anyway?

There was enough information about his background and personal life to keep it interesting, but not so much that it bored me. I was unaware of his first marriage to Lynn Margulis; a famous scientist in her own right.

This biography moved very quickly; I always wanted to pick it back up again. Lastly, you do not need any type of science background to understand this book. It is a biography, not a science text at all.

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Cosmic Connection
Carl Sagan
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Comet, Revised

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

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

Contact Contact

ASIN: 0385173652
Release Date: 1980-09-03

Average customer rating:

Did we long for those great graceful leaps and ecstatic moments of weightlessness in the shafts of sunlight of the forest roof?

Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
Carl Sagan
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

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

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

Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective

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

ASIN: 1579124313

Customer Reviews:

Did we long for those great graceful leaps and ecstatic moments of weightlessness in the shafts of sunlight of the forest roof?.......2006-03-01

This book is a timely and fortunate publishing in these days of division on the evolution vs. creationism. Only one thing. It was written almost 30 years ago by uber-genius, Carl Sagan. And boy he really covers it all in this relatively small book on such a vast subject. He vulgarises well enough for the layman to understand, although it doesn't get informationally dense at times. What did you expect? It's Carl Sagan.

The book is pretty simple. It takes us through a speculative ride through the evolution of human intelligence. Carl Sagan once said that if you want to make apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. Thankfully he doesn't start there; he picks up around the time we were but mere bacteria and works from there. He goes through all levels of monkeys and then hominids always keeping in perspective that we aren't that far away from being just apes in trees. Just a few aborted mutations and we're still flinging crap at each other in trees.

Yes he vulgarises, but not as much as I. I just love to kid. On the contrary, Carl Sagan is a poet with a doctorate in biology. Who knew that cold science could inspire such warmth of creativity? He writes of humans carrying memory from our earlier times, swinging from tree branches. Here's what he said:

"And after we returned to the savannahs and abandoned the trees, did we long for those great graceful leaps and ecstatic moments of weightlessness in the shafts of sunlight of the forest roof?"

After reading this, I had a tear in my eye, because I remembered, I remembered being a child swinging from branch to branch in trees. Bending entire cedar trees to catch the next trunk, all this 20 or 30 feet up high. Was my compulsion for tree climbing simply buried genetic memory asserting itself? Who knows, but damn does swinging from trees beat having to wake up in the morning to go to work. The good old days.

He confidently links our technological leaps as being the obvious continuance of our ape heritage. As apes living up in the branches we had certain built in fears.

One of them was falling out of the branches and cracking ones skull open on the forest floor below. This fear is built in from birth. The baby ape knows innately that falling down is certain death. Sagan connects that to dreams we all have, dreams of falling. He posits that this dream we all have is vestigial of our times as tree dwellers. That somewhere inside us, the primal fear of falling out of the tree still lingers. That this dream is a built in security system to keep us from falling out of trees while we sleep, such as we did eons ago. This primal fear manifests itself in our technology. Notice in elevators (perhaps the modern ones don't hold true, but they did back 30 years ago) that the indicator for down is red and the indicator for up is green. Red, meaning death, green, meaning the canapé of leaves. Simple coincidence? I'd agree with Sagan in saying no.

The book goes on with many other affiliations between our ancestral beings and the intelligence we have today. He then ventures further with incorporating technology into our size challenged brain and then of course, Sagan being Sagan, further speculates about AI and extra-terrestrial intelligence.

What I enjoyed from this book, being an IT specialist, is his use of the computer intelligence model to compare with human intelligence. I myself often use this comparison model. This is a model I understand well and made me understand his scientific arguments with ease. He does this throughout the book but still keeps it at an understandable level. But his naiveté about his knowledge of computers would crush him by today's techno-mayhem slowly encapsulating us, but I digress. He would have adapted expertly to today's technology anyway.

He doesn't shy away from controversy either. He even takes on abortion by detailing how the human brain becomes human when the neo-cortex is formed because it's what differentiates us from other species. So he pretty much gives his opinion on when an embryo becomes human. And then dares you to say otherwise by upgrading simple animals to the same held ethical standards on life. Pretty spiffy work and enjoyable. I just love to see genius at work, even though he accuses anything outside the scientific method as "soft" science or pseudo-science, but then again a scientist always preaches to his choir.

I give this book a mind evolving 5 outta 5. It's a must read for anyone, for any reason. Read it, thank me later.

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Read after reading Sagan
Sagan's Last, But Not His Best....

Carl Sagan's Universe

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521576032

Amazon.com

To millions, the late Carl Sagan became eponymous with the science of cosmology and, in fact, the pursuit of scientific inquiry in general. This book, which followed his death in late 1996, is a collection of essays recounting the many facets of scientific inquiry--from planetary probes to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence--on which he made his mark. Among the noteworthy authors are physicist Kip Thorne and famous debunker James Randi. Carl Sagan's Universe is a touching tribute to a man who left an immutable mark upon modern science.

Book Description

Carl Sagan’s many contributions to science and society have been profound and far-reaching, influencing millions of people around the world. He carried out significant research in planetary science, was closely associated with the US space program, created the highly-acclaimed television series, Cosmos, and was the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of many best-selling popular science books. Carl Sagan’s Universe is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated collection of articles by a distinguished team of authors, and covers the many fields of science, education, policy making, and related areas in which Sagan worked. The book is divided into four sections, the first two of which provide an absorbing overview of the US space program (as well as a complementary account of the Russian program), and of the history and current status of the search for extraterrestrial life. The final two sections deal with the importance of science education in the successful development of a technological society, and of the shaping of science policy in tackling the problems facing us today. Also included is a separate chapter by Sagan himself, discussing the place and role of our planet and mankind in the universe. Written in honour of Carl Sagan’s many achievements, this book will fascinate and reward anyone interested in planetary science and exploration, the search for extraterrestrial life, or the role of science in the modern world.

Customer Reviews:

Read after reading Sagan.......2001-06-14

This book seemed awkward at first, with its structure of lectures ranging from rambles with dim connections to Sagan through to near-hagiography barely sullied by informative content. Fortunately, these proved to be the extremes. It was saved by the range of provocative ideas, both current and historical, which emerge from the authors and implicitly from Sagan himself. Sagan's own talk in the book with a Q&A session recorded, displays both the kindliness and scientific curiousity of his public persona and the clean efficiency with which he deals with fuzzy thinking in a scientific arena. I think one of his directly-authored books is a better introduction to science and to his thinking but if you have read some of those and want to learn more about his range of thought, this book is worth the time.

Sagan's Last, But Not His Best...........1999-03-02

Written in memory of Carl Sagan, this book is edited by his Chairman at Cornell, Dr. Yervant Terzian. It includes short articles by numerous authors, and shows the breadth of Sagan's interests. It also includes some of Carl Sagan's very last work.

For others who have read _Cosmos_, it is an update on Sagan's views about humanity, life and death. If you liked _Cosmos_, you will probably find this book interesting, as well.

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