jbmorgan86's review against another edition
4.0
Despite being more than 35 years outdated, Sagan's voice still rings clear. He was a scientist for the people in a way that Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye will never be. He took the recent information gleaned from the space race and presented it in a clear, interesting, and beautiful way for the public.
The thing that I appreciate most about Sagan is his sense of child-like wonder. I wish I would have noted how many times he wrote the phrase "I wonder" in this book. I also appreciate his understanding of culture, literature, philosophy, and religion. So often the popular scientific figures today don't engage the humanities and bow down to the scientific method (see Bill Nye's video about why philosophy is pointless).
As this was written in the Cold War, Sagan constantly expresses a fear of nuclear war. The last chapter ("Who Will Speak for the Earth?") is devoted solely to this idea. What would Sagan today after the popularization of global warming theories? What would he say about Iran's and North Korea's potential for nuclear weapons?
Finally, I was quite interested in Sagan's possibilities of extra terrestrial life. He believes that it statistically unlikely that there is no such thing as life outside of earth in a cosmos of "billions and billions" of galaxies which are filled with "billions and billions" of planets.
The thing that I appreciate most about Sagan is his sense of child-like wonder. I wish I would have noted how many times he wrote the phrase "I wonder" in this book. I also appreciate his understanding of culture, literature, philosophy, and religion. So often the popular scientific figures today don't engage the humanities and bow down to the scientific method (see Bill Nye's video about why philosophy is pointless).
As this was written in the Cold War, Sagan constantly expresses a fear of nuclear war. The last chapter ("Who Will Speak for the Earth?") is devoted solely to this idea. What would Sagan today after the popularization of global warming theories? What would he say about Iran's and North Korea's potential for nuclear weapons?
Finally, I was quite interested in Sagan's possibilities of extra terrestrial life. He believes that it statistically unlikely that there is no such thing as life outside of earth in a cosmos of "billions and billions" of galaxies which are filled with "billions and billions" of planets.
mollie_00's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
professor_x's review against another edition
5.0
2nd reading via Audible: Levar Burton (of Reading Rainbow and Star Trek fame) masterfully narrates this literary gem. He has a great voice and it was a pleasure to the ears. Carl Sagan was a wonderful teacher who radiated an infectious zest and wonder for science. This is a masterwork, Sagans' magnum opus. A lover of science thou are not if thou fingers haven't hovered over the pages of this tome! Sagan's mission was to highlight the importance of critical thinking and to show everyone how magnificent (and fun) the pursuit of knowledge can be. Do yourself a favor and read/listen to this.
Absolutely wonderful. Marvelous. Easily 5 stars. No. Easily a galaxy's worth of stars.
This is Sagan's most influential work. The book/TV series was responsible for influencing generations of scientists. He elegantly explains the workings of our universe, from the molecules living in the subatomic world to the commodious galaxies and everything in between.
An absolute joy to read. Carl Sagan is my hero.
Absolutely wonderful. Marvelous. Easily 5 stars. No. Easily a galaxy's worth of stars.
This is Sagan's most influential work. The book/TV series was responsible for influencing generations of scientists. He elegantly explains the workings of our universe, from the molecules living in the subatomic world to the commodious galaxies and everything in between.
An absolute joy to read. Carl Sagan is my hero.
katndrsn's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: War
lakecake's review against another edition
4.0
Really clear explanation of the universe and science, that holds up well after 30-odd years. I've also been watching the original series as a companion piece and highly recommend both. It may seem redundant, but visuals can help make clear some things in the book that need some help.
portlandcat's review against another edition
5.0
Who says you can’t tell the future by studying the stars?
statman's review against another edition
3.0
May be a little out of date given the advances in astronomy and planetary explorations of the past 30-40 years. Along with the scientific explanations, it has some beautiful photography and artwork to really show the amazing universe we live in.
shayaan's review against another edition
5.0
The book's remarkable combination of high-quality content and captivating narrative is truly praiseworthy. If i ever compile a list of the top 10 non-fiction works, this book would undoubtedly earn the number one position.
merqri's review against another edition
4.0
This has been a thought-provoking yet humbling ride. Carl Sagan's Cosmos takes us to meet planets of our solar system and then a lot more.
Cosmos was written in conjunction with the 1980s documentary series. Both are supposed to complement each other. I have not yet seen the series, and I thought of reading the book first.
Carl Sagan takes you on the journey around Cosmos, highlighting how insignificant yet tremendously special we humans are. We visit the planets, then come back to earth for a (rather long) lesson of history and then again go for a voyage in deep space. The history chapters are a tag bit boring compared to the rest of the book, making the central part a slow read. But it is imperative for any budding astronomer, or even for someone with a slight interest in stargazing, that they familiarise themselves with how we got to this point. The painstaking efforts of the early astronomers instil a sense of gratitude towards the men of science.
In later chapters, the author expands upon the birth of stars and the motions of galaxies. By this time, the scales are mind-numbingly vast. He goes on to speculate around the uncertainties shrouding black holes. He also expands upon the fundamental question, 'Are we alone in the universe?'. His rationale regarding how we might just be the only lucky ones or even if others exist, they couldn't be a lot elder than us, are fascinating bits of the book. There is also a comprehensible (kind of ELI5 version) explanation around multiple dimensions and possibilities of time travel. The book is from the 1980s. So a lot of content might be out of date, and there will be recent information available. However, the book remains worth a read for the composition of various facets of astronomy in a single thread.
Towards the very end, the author laments about the state of affairs in global politics and how we, as humanity, are not making the best of the opportunity that we have got. He goes on to talk about nuclear bombs and the lack of funding the space exploration needs. These final bits feel slightly out of the central theme, but they are accurate and are needed to remind mankind of what is at stake.
Overall, this book is definitely recommended. You might have to power through the middle parts, but in the end, it will be worth it.
Cosmos was written in conjunction with the 1980s documentary series. Both are supposed to complement each other. I have not yet seen the series, and I thought of reading the book first.
Carl Sagan takes you on the journey around Cosmos, highlighting how insignificant yet tremendously special we humans are. We visit the planets, then come back to earth for a (rather long) lesson of history and then again go for a voyage in deep space. The history chapters are a tag bit boring compared to the rest of the book, making the central part a slow read. But it is imperative for any budding astronomer, or even for someone with a slight interest in stargazing, that they familiarise themselves with how we got to this point. The painstaking efforts of the early astronomers instil a sense of gratitude towards the men of science.
In later chapters, the author expands upon the birth of stars and the motions of galaxies. By this time, the scales are mind-numbingly vast. He goes on to speculate around the uncertainties shrouding black holes. He also expands upon the fundamental question, 'Are we alone in the universe?'. His rationale regarding how we might just be the only lucky ones or even if others exist, they couldn't be a lot elder than us, are fascinating bits of the book. There is also a comprehensible (kind of ELI5 version) explanation around multiple dimensions and possibilities of time travel. The book is from the 1980s. So a lot of content might be out of date, and there will be recent information available. However, the book remains worth a read for the composition of various facets of astronomy in a single thread.
Towards the very end, the author laments about the state of affairs in global politics and how we, as humanity, are not making the best of the opportunity that we have got. He goes on to talk about nuclear bombs and the lack of funding the space exploration needs. These final bits feel slightly out of the central theme, but they are accurate and are needed to remind mankind of what is at stake.
Overall, this book is definitely recommended. You might have to power through the middle parts, but in the end, it will be worth it.