Cosmos by Carl Sagan
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Book Reviews of Cosmos
Book Review: Elegant and evocative introduction to the cosmos
Summary: 5 Stars
If any layman should ever read a science book, it would have to be this one. Carl Sagan's brilliance and charming personality make the realm of astrophysics accessible and even exciting. There's such a poetic warmth to his view of universe that when he speaks of galaxies and supernovas, it reads like a fairytale. Rather than delve into messy and boring equations, he guides you through the logical thought processes from rudimentary observations to complete theories. Through his fluid prose, the grandeur and complexity of the cosmos seems almost simple to understand.For a field that is deemed cold and inhuman, Sagan is a shining example that the pursuit of science can be driven by passion. Cosmos is not just about distant stars and nebula, but it envelops all fields of knowledge: art, philsophy, history, biology, physics and even religion to show how they are all interconnected. Sagan weaves between these fields to show that from the bleak uncaring coldness of the Cosmos, humanity arose whether for some purpose or not. The fact is, we exist and hold full responsiblity for our future, and perhaps the future of the Cosmos.
Book Review: The best there is
Summary: 5 Stars
An absolutely must read for everyone, period.I was introduced to Dr. Carl Sagan through, like many others, his television series "Cosmos". It was something new to me. Before that I used to view science and astronomy as something which neither I was qualified to know nor it was essential for me to know. "Cosmos" changed everything.
When I saw the book, I just couldn't resist buying it and since that day, I have read it four times. This book and "Cosmos" series can be considered the most important milestones in the popularization of science. Dr. Sagan worked all his life towards this goal and many people like myself are in his debt for introducing us to the marvelous world of science.
The book, as compared to the series, is not that simple to understand for a person who has no knowledge of some of the terms used in the book. But even the stuff that one can understand is awesome and makes one wonder about the universe we are living in.
My recommendation to everyone is to read this book and you'll be a different human being by the time you finish it. It will change the way you think.
Book Review: The Bible Of Science?
Summary: 5 Stars
Carl Sagan, who was an agnostic, was undeniably one of the greatest educators to ever have lived. I was fortunate to have been given a copy by my grandfather at a young age, and it was one of the very first books over 300 pages I actually read to completion. Even though I didn't understand half of it at the time, it had a profound effect on my way of thinking when most kids my age still thought Santa Claus was real. Cosmos is brilliantly clear and undeniably human, and Sagan's simplicity of thought and genuine curiosity and imagination about the world around him are contagious. The progression of science and knowledge, which Sagan thought as inevitable over time, served only as a backdrop for a greater question, which was the human condition.
Unfortunately, the original hardcover version of Cosmos is now out of print. The paperback doesn't do this masterwork justice in my opinion so if anyone is interested in obtaining a copy I strongly suggest searching Ebay for the hardcover, as much of this book's wonderous effect was the beautiful illustrations throughout it.
- Louis
Book Review: Instant Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
If any twentieth-century work of popular scientific literature deserves to stand the test of time, it is "Cosmos". As most of its readers will quickly point out, there are few books that have managed to so adeptly pull off the dual feat of entertaining and education an audience. Yet there is more to this book than those aspects alone; I would argue that the most noteworthy aspect of this text is its ability to fully convey to us, in all of its splendor, the vastness of our universe, and the sheer joy that comes with attempting to understand even a small part of it. One gets the sense that, deep down (before his tragic passing), Carl Sagan was a giddy schoolboy with a telescope, whose great love in life was sharing the beauty, wonder, and glorious potential he saw in the stars with as many different people as he could. Passionate people like that are often mocked, sometimes even despised, by a society which disdains eccentric orbits, be they of a human or planetary nature; yet the world is a far richer place because intellectuals like Carl Sagan exist. You owe it to yourself to read this book.Book Review: Brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars
Another one of my habitual re-reads, Cosmos dazzles with scientific speculation. I'm easily put-off by authors who lecture pedantically, enthralled by their grasp of a subject and interested in little else than hearing the drone of their own voice. Carl Sagan is NOT that lecturer. One senses intuitively a deep deep passion for our universe and a desire to communicate that passion and to enjoin in questioning and debating and prodding and discovering. Carl Sagan was one of the few modern scientists who managed to garner rock-star fame in an era where universal idiocy is heralded and embraced and celebrated, and his insistence on eradicating ignorance and superstition and pseudo-science was vital in the national debate, and his loss all the more painfully felt in an era when 'Creationism' stands to devour us whole and place one more nail in the coffin of reason. We could sorely use some more Carls... with Cosmos, Carl has left us a magnificent legacy to the dedication to pure scientific inquiry. Thank you for inspiring Carl. You are owed a debt of gratitude for all you have done.