A review by leannaaker
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

5.0

This book, as many others say, should be required reading... the value and necessity for skeptical thinking is expressed eloquently through numerous examples. I found Chapter 23 (Maxwell and the Nerds) particularly inspiring. In this chapter, Sagan makes the case for basic science research, and gives a number of examples of amazing discoveries and foundational knowledge that lead to further technological advances. He viewed the current demand for "practical application" of science in grant proposals, for example, as not just uninspired, but unproductive. He wraps up the book with a call for patriotism and freedom in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Really, a phenomenal book.