The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
by Carl Sagan
Book Information for WholeHouseLibrary
- Title
- The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
- Author
- Carl Sagan
- Member
- WholeHouseLibrary
- Publication
- Random House (1996), Hardcover, 457 pages
- Reading Dates
- Tags
- Collections
- Your library, Currently reading
- Rating
- Review
- Not reviewed
- Lending
On This Page
Description
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 show more 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.--Amazon.com. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
30
20
Member Reviews
Have you ever read something that filled you with such furvor that you wanted to write your own thoughts along those same lines, but whenever you tried you found you did nothing but repeat the original article?
That's been me all over the place with The Demon-Haunted World. I want to ramble about the wonder of science, the importance of skepticism, the fact that school all but completely robbed me of any desire to learn, the dangers of pseudoscience, the intrinsic value of basic research even if it doesn't lead to a specific application right away...but Sagan says it all, and he says it better than I ever could. This is one of those amazing books that made me think long and hard about a lot of things. It made me want to know more about show more the universe, to revisit old assumptions and condescensions, to step back a moment and drink it all in.Sagan speaks as one with a giddy love for the scientific process, one whose healthy skepticism does not make him stodgy or closed to new ideas. Much of the first half of the book is spent more or less on aliens - not only explanations for much of what is attributed to extraterrestrial activity, but why people assume aliens at all. He does grump a little about the dumbing-down of American entertainment and its lack of accurate science, but coming from someone who prizes knowledge so highly, I can understand his disappointment at the popularity of shows like "Beavis & Butthead" and "Dumb & Dumber." Likewise his unhappiness with dwindling popular and government support of science research and education.
This book is absolutely astounding. It's one of the few that I recommend to anyone, even (and perhaps especially) if it challenges some of your closely held viewpoints. It did mine. show less
That's been me all over the place with The Demon-Haunted World. I want to ramble about the wonder of science, the importance of skepticism, the fact that school all but completely robbed me of any desire to learn, the dangers of pseudoscience, the intrinsic value of basic research even if it doesn't lead to a specific application right away...but Sagan says it all, and he says it better than I ever could. This is one of those amazing books that made me think long and hard about a lot of things. It made me want to know more about show more the universe, to revisit old assumptions and condescensions, to step back a moment and drink it all in.Sagan speaks as one with a giddy love for the scientific process, one whose healthy skepticism does not make him stodgy or closed to new ideas. Much of the first half of the book is spent more or less on aliens - not only explanations for much of what is attributed to extraterrestrial activity, but why people assume aliens at all. He does grump a little about the dumbing-down of American entertainment and its lack of accurate science, but coming from someone who prizes knowledge so highly, I can understand his disappointment at the popularity of shows like "Beavis & Butthead" and "Dumb & Dumber." Likewise his unhappiness with dwindling popular and government support of science research and education.
This book is absolutely astounding. It's one of the few that I recommend to anyone, even (and perhaps especially) if it challenges some of your closely held viewpoints. It did mine. show less
I read this book, believe it or not, because it was recommended on the atheist subreddit. I was simultaneously emboldened and depressed by it.Sagan discussed two main thesis in this book, that skepticism and science are integral to an informed electorate and a competitive, modern nation, and that much of the superstitions, paranormal activity and even religion are outside the realm of modern post-enlightenment thought and should be treated as such. He also took umbrage with the culture of proud stupidity that seems to permeate our country that even our elected officials can't escape. He wanted very much for us to embrace science literacy and recapture that post-enlightenment curiosity that inspired our founding fathers to ask questions show more not only of our fledgling government but also of nature.I was really impressed with the way that he discussed religion and people of faith; as I explore atheism I'm often appalled at how quickly people devolve to religion-bashing or criticizing their Christian brothers and sisters as intellectual inferiors. Sagan was very good at offering a convincing yet respectful debate. Based on his advocacy for science in our public system, this should be required reading for every American. Unfortunately, because of it's size, (457 pags) he undoubtedly turned off the very people who should read it.My two favorite quotes: "The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.""Books, purchasable at low cost, permit us to interrogate the past with high accuracy; to tap the wisdom of our species; to understand the point of view of others, and not just those in power; to contemplate--with the best teachers--the insights, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, drawn from the entire planet and from all of our history. They allow people long dead to talk inside our heads. Books can accompany us everywhere. Books are patient where we are slow to understand, allow us to go over the hard parts as many times as we wish, and are never critical of our lapses. Books are key to understanding the world and participating in a democratic society." show less
Carl Sagan takes on pseudoscience. This book extolls the value of skepticism, critical thinking, and the scientific method. It should be required reading in my opinion. Unfortunately, those that could benefit most from applying more rigor in deciding what to believe will likely never read it. Originally published in 1995, he has proven to be prescient, as pseudoscience is even more prevalent than ever in recent years. Witness the rise in the number of shows about ancient aliens and paranormal activity, not to mention fake news. Outrageous claims are made and spread from person to person, and people believe these claims without questioning or proof. Why does this happen and what can we do to prevent it? Sagan attempts to answer these show more important questions.
This book is very readable. It does not require a deep understanding of science. Sagan writes in a way that is easily understood, while not becoming overly simplistic. He does not use jargon and, not surprisingly, presents evidence in a logical manner. He provides helpful analogies and treats his audience as bright and capable of understanding. He shows how scientific advances are fueled not only by hypothesizing, rigorous testing, and analysis of results, but also by curiosity and imagination.
I was surprised by how many areas outside the specifics of scientific inquiry are covered in this book, including literature, history, politics, religion, communications, education, economics, ethics, social norms, culture, and more. Science touches on almost every aspect of our lives but is largely ignored by many. Sagan’s subject matter includes debunking of such issues as crop circles, alien abductions, ancient astronauts, ESP, UFO’s, astrology, New Age mysticism, and the like. He reminds us of the importance of not confusing cause and effect, questioning claims that cannot be tested, requiring evidence to support assertions, and remaining skeptical about authoritative statements, especially if monetary gain is involved.
We are bombarded daily with outrageous claims (click bait, anyone?) urging us to simply believe without scrutiny, so healthy skepticism is becoming increasingly more important in our inter-connected world. Carl Sagan died in 1996, when the world wide web was in its infancy. One can only wish he were around today to help refute today’s absurdities, which are so obviously spurious in origin. I know I am “preaching to the choir,” since avid readers regularly engage in evaluative thinking. Even though some of the references are dated, this book contains an important and still relevant message on the value of critical thinking skills. I found it fascinating. Highly recommended. show less
This book is very readable. It does not require a deep understanding of science. Sagan writes in a way that is easily understood, while not becoming overly simplistic. He does not use jargon and, not surprisingly, presents evidence in a logical manner. He provides helpful analogies and treats his audience as bright and capable of understanding. He shows how scientific advances are fueled not only by hypothesizing, rigorous testing, and analysis of results, but also by curiosity and imagination.
I was surprised by how many areas outside the specifics of scientific inquiry are covered in this book, including literature, history, politics, religion, communications, education, economics, ethics, social norms, culture, and more. Science touches on almost every aspect of our lives but is largely ignored by many. Sagan’s subject matter includes debunking of such issues as crop circles, alien abductions, ancient astronauts, ESP, UFO’s, astrology, New Age mysticism, and the like. He reminds us of the importance of not confusing cause and effect, questioning claims that cannot be tested, requiring evidence to support assertions, and remaining skeptical about authoritative statements, especially if monetary gain is involved.
We are bombarded daily with outrageous claims (click bait, anyone?) urging us to simply believe without scrutiny, so healthy skepticism is becoming increasingly more important in our inter-connected world. Carl Sagan died in 1996, when the world wide web was in its infancy. One can only wish he were around today to help refute today’s absurdities, which are so obviously spurious in origin. I know I am “preaching to the choir,” since avid readers regularly engage in evaluative thinking. Even though some of the references are dated, this book contains an important and still relevant message on the value of critical thinking skills. I found it fascinating. Highly recommended. show less
Sagan draws together history, psychology, and science in an explanation of why it is so easy for human beings to believe in the supernatural, and why we need to promote scientific thinking as a way to avoid falling into false beliefs. He analyzes our ability (perhaps even our need) to believe in the existence of everything from demons and witches to TV mediums and alien abduction, and shows us how rational thought can help us avoid the traps set by our own psychology. He does all this with great compassion and patience, and without descending into the angry or insulting rhetoric that characterizes so much of the debate between science and belief.
As a non-scientist I really enjoyed this book; I read excerpts from it for a class a year or show more so ago and finally got around to reading the whole thing. Sagan presents scientific thinking as an approachable and practical alternative with something for everyone, rather than some elusive concept achievable only by brainiacs and nerds. His writing style is personable, easy to read, and even funny; his explanations are easy to follow, without sacrificing accuracy.
Highly recommended to scientists and non-scientists alike. Even if you already understand and agree with the arguments presented in this book, Sagan will help you formulate the idea much more clearly. show less
As a non-scientist I really enjoyed this book; I read excerpts from it for a class a year or show more so ago and finally got around to reading the whole thing. Sagan presents scientific thinking as an approachable and practical alternative with something for everyone, rather than some elusive concept achievable only by brainiacs and nerds. His writing style is personable, easy to read, and even funny; his explanations are easy to follow, without sacrificing accuracy.
Highly recommended to scientists and non-scientists alike. Even if you already understand and agree with the arguments presented in this book, Sagan will help you formulate the idea much more clearly. show less
Carl Sagan's death was a great loss, not only to the world of science, but to society as a whole. His popular science books were accessible to the intelligent but untrained mind, yet they did not lack in intellectual rigor. This book discusses the importance of approaching matters of science and pseudo-science with that same intellectual rigor.
Sagan addresses here a number of commonly-held, but false, beliefs -- alien abduction stories, crop circles, faith-healing, and the like -- and shows where these fall down in the face of examination. It really is surprising how many people continue to believe in such things, even when fraud is admitted! You can analyze such stories yourself. You don't need Sagan to do it for you, but, in one very show more valuable section, he provides the tools you'll need, what you need to do, to look for, to develop the ability to think skeptically. They bear repeating, so I will summarize:
1. There should be independent confirmation of the "facts".
2. Substantive debate by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view should be encouraged.
3. Spin more than one hypothesis, and test them.
4. Don't get too enamored of your hypothesis.
5. If what you are explaining as some measure or numerical quality, it's easier to discriminate among competing hypotheses.
6. Every link in the chain of argument, including the premise, must work. If you are going from A to G, and there's a hole between B and C, you can't get there.
7. Remember Occam's Razor (if two explanations fit the data equally well, the simpler is probably the true one).
8. Ask whether the hypothesis can be falsified. You have to be able to check things out., using carefully designed and controlled experiments.
Much of what you need in what Sagan calls your "baloney detection kit" can be learned in any basic logic course. Unfortunately, logic isn't taught in the schools anymore.
Sagan also addresses the disturbing trend in the U.S. (one that hasn't changed since the book was published nearly fifteen years ago) of attacking science, of making policy decisions relating to science based on political considerations rather than the facts. He points out that our founding fathers had a strong belief in science, that Thomas Jefferson, in fact, described himself as a scientist, not as a planter or a politician. These men read, they studied, they argued, they delved into the world of science. That has not been the case in recent decades (there may be some hope, though, in the appointment of a Nobel laureate in physics as President Obama's Secretary of Energy!).
It is, however, in discussing politics that this book is weakest. Sagan's attacks on Edward Teller, while perhaps warranted, seem a bit over the top, and so one naturally questions the objectivity of some of his other political statements. This is, however, a minor part of an otherwise excellent book.
The pity is that the people who ought to read it, won't. show less
Sagan addresses here a number of commonly-held, but false, beliefs -- alien abduction stories, crop circles, faith-healing, and the like -- and shows where these fall down in the face of examination. It really is surprising how many people continue to believe in such things, even when fraud is admitted! You can analyze such stories yourself. You don't need Sagan to do it for you, but, in one very show more valuable section, he provides the tools you'll need, what you need to do, to look for, to develop the ability to think skeptically. They bear repeating, so I will summarize:
1. There should be independent confirmation of the "facts".
2. Substantive debate by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view should be encouraged.
3. Spin more than one hypothesis, and test them.
4. Don't get too enamored of your hypothesis.
5. If what you are explaining as some measure or numerical quality, it's easier to discriminate among competing hypotheses.
6. Every link in the chain of argument, including the premise, must work. If you are going from A to G, and there's a hole between B and C, you can't get there.
7. Remember Occam's Razor (if two explanations fit the data equally well, the simpler is probably the true one).
8. Ask whether the hypothesis can be falsified. You have to be able to check things out., using carefully designed and controlled experiments.
Much of what you need in what Sagan calls your "baloney detection kit" can be learned in any basic logic course. Unfortunately, logic isn't taught in the schools anymore.
Sagan also addresses the disturbing trend in the U.S. (one that hasn't changed since the book was published nearly fifteen years ago) of attacking science, of making policy decisions relating to science based on political considerations rather than the facts. He points out that our founding fathers had a strong belief in science, that Thomas Jefferson, in fact, described himself as a scientist, not as a planter or a politician. These men read, they studied, they argued, they delved into the world of science. That has not been the case in recent decades (there may be some hope, though, in the appointment of a Nobel laureate in physics as President Obama's Secretary of Energy!).
It is, however, in discussing politics that this book is weakest. Sagan's attacks on Edward Teller, while perhaps warranted, seem a bit over the top, and so one naturally questions the objectivity of some of his other political statements. This is, however, a minor part of an otherwise excellent book.
The pity is that the people who ought to read it, won't. show less
I'm a skeptic by nature, and one who objects to anyone's claiming that I must have a 'spiritual side'. A Myers-Briggs test identifies me as INTJ, meaning that I prefer people (and everything else) to make plain sense. Thus, in my perfect world everyone would simply nod their heads in agreement all the way through this book. That, of course, is a completely unrealistic wish. Sagan's introduction does not do a strong job of setting up his conclusion and consequently creates some vagueness around who his target audience is. A few chapters in, you may think it was only aimed at people who need reassurance that the aliens aren't going to get them. Or more generally, at people like the cab driver from his introduction who have the will to show more think critically but lack the tools. What are those tools, and how should they be applied?
I will only summarize briefly what I think are his most telling points in the main body: that science demonstrably works, evolves in response to new information, is self-policing for being testable and verifiable, and presents no authority figures. He contrasts this with the warning sings of pseudoscience that evades testing, demands belief, claims authority and suppresses dissent. I thought his most wonderful and least offensive comparison was with used car shopping. You would be a fool to take everything the salesperson tells you at face value. You have to apply some basic logic and skepticism to the situation or you're going to buy a lemon. Nobody likes being scammed. The same principle applies when assessing others' claims about how the world and the universe works. Sagan then concludes with a strong argument that the better these principles are preserved by the general population, the stronger a democracy. He should have also led with that.
It's too easy to like a book when I already share virtually all of its opinions at the start. None of this content challenged me, so I tried to be wary of flaws or drawbacks for other readers. Most of these I found in Sagan's adamant atheist stance, with which he acknowledges he's sometimes prone to taking things too far. Suggesting that prayer subjects religion to scientific analysis, where we could run a study on how often it is successful and rate its efficacy, is an example. I'm no believer, but even I know gods wouldn't oblige themselves to meet our service standards. He cannot summon a better word for established religions that have been with us for centuries than 'respectable', but I feel he demonstrates little respect for them even while arguing that science and belief in a god are compatible. I agree fully when he says it would be cruelty to assault the beliefs of people who depend upon those beliefs to see them through the day. I would not agree that he takes measures here to avoid doing so. His straight-ahead approach is not well designed to win new converts to his side.
That, unfortunately, is what I was half hoping for. Some kind of guide to help me to help others. That's silly, wishful thinking that I shouldn't have expected to find by looking in this direction, so I'm satisfied to say I was disappointed in that regard. Of course I'm still going to say it's a fantastically well-argued book by a fantastic author, aged statistics notwithstanding. Opening chapters on the essence of science's importance and the closing chapters on the ties between science and democracy are especially noteworthy and quotable, they just ought to have been paired up a little better. show less
I will only summarize briefly what I think are his most telling points in the main body: that science demonstrably works, evolves in response to new information, is self-policing for being testable and verifiable, and presents no authority figures. He contrasts this with the warning sings of pseudoscience that evades testing, demands belief, claims authority and suppresses dissent. I thought his most wonderful and least offensive comparison was with used car shopping. You would be a fool to take everything the salesperson tells you at face value. You have to apply some basic logic and skepticism to the situation or you're going to buy a lemon. Nobody likes being scammed. The same principle applies when assessing others' claims about how the world and the universe works. Sagan then concludes with a strong argument that the better these principles are preserved by the general population, the stronger a democracy. He should have also led with that.
It's too easy to like a book when I already share virtually all of its opinions at the start. None of this content challenged me, so I tried to be wary of flaws or drawbacks for other readers. Most of these I found in Sagan's adamant atheist stance, with which he acknowledges he's sometimes prone to taking things too far. Suggesting that prayer subjects religion to scientific analysis, where we could run a study on how often it is successful and rate its efficacy, is an example. I'm no believer, but even I know gods wouldn't oblige themselves to meet our service standards. He cannot summon a better word for established religions that have been with us for centuries than 'respectable', but I feel he demonstrates little respect for them even while arguing that science and belief in a god are compatible. I agree fully when he says it would be cruelty to assault the beliefs of people who depend upon those beliefs to see them through the day. I would not agree that he takes measures here to avoid doing so. His straight-ahead approach is not well designed to win new converts to his side.
That, unfortunately, is what I was half hoping for. Some kind of guide to help me to help others. That's silly, wishful thinking that I shouldn't have expected to find by looking in this direction, so I'm satisfied to say I was disappointed in that regard. Of course I'm still going to say it's a fantastically well-argued book by a fantastic author, aged statistics notwithstanding. Opening chapters on the essence of science's importance and the closing chapters on the ties between science and democracy are especially noteworthy and quotable, they just ought to have been paired up a little better. show less
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. This phrase, coined by Carl Sagan in 1979, encapsulates the spirit of both skepticism and the scientific method. If only humanity could finally learn it, then a book like The Demon-Haunted World would be mostly unnecessary.
Instead, things like astrology, the healing power of crystals, homeopathic medicine, belief in ghosts, telepathy, ESP, and a thousand other superstitions and conspiracy theories—and, I may add, religion—continue to thrive, based on, how Sagan would put it, “crummy evidence”—anecdotes, personal experiences, hallucinations, misconceptions, wishful thinking, and appeals to tradition, authority, and emotions.
We have outgrown some things. You won’t find any show more modern books admonishing the burning of witches or outlining the dangers of bloodletting, yet there are certain delusions that we can’t seem to shake—delusions that crop up again-and-again in different forms and that make this book perennially relevant.
The problem, as Sagan notes—then as now—is that we go about teaching science all wrong. We present it as a body of knowledge, an assortment of facts, rather than as a method of thinking. This is a big mistake, principally because pseudoscience is presented in the same way. No wonder most people can’t tell the difference; they were never given the tools to make the distinction.
This book provides these tools, in the process debunking several persistent, weird cultural beliefs, such as supposed alien abductions. Aliens, Sagan notes, are just repurposed, sexually aggressive demons and spirits of an earlier age. As the folklorist Thomas E. Bullard wrote:
“Science may have evicted ghosts and witches from our beliefs, but it just as quickly filled the vacancy with aliens having the same functions. Only the extraterrestrial outer trappings are new. All the fear and the psychological dramas for dealing with it seem simply to have found their way home again, where it is business as usual in the legend realm where things go bump in the night.”
The alien abduction phenomenon does tell us something though, less about the existence of extraterrestrial beings and more about the ways we all can deceive ourselves into believing improbable things. This book is the remedy for such undisciplined thinking.
In a key chapter titled “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Sagan summarizes the elements of clear, disciplined thinking, which, most importantly, includes the habit of “spinning multiple hypotheses” to explain any given event, searching for ways to disprove each hypothesis, and, when two hypotheses explain the data equally well, choosing the simpler one (Occam’s Razor). How much better would the world be if people consistently subjected their own beliefs to this rigorous process of self-doubt?
In fact, what we have, overall as a society, is the opposite. As Sagan presciently wrote:
“Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking. I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time - when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.”
This book is the much-needed antidote, but will people embrace, or continue to ignore, its message? show less
Instead, things like astrology, the healing power of crystals, homeopathic medicine, belief in ghosts, telepathy, ESP, and a thousand other superstitions and conspiracy theories—and, I may add, religion—continue to thrive, based on, how Sagan would put it, “crummy evidence”—anecdotes, personal experiences, hallucinations, misconceptions, wishful thinking, and appeals to tradition, authority, and emotions.
We have outgrown some things. You won’t find any show more modern books admonishing the burning of witches or outlining the dangers of bloodletting, yet there are certain delusions that we can’t seem to shake—delusions that crop up again-and-again in different forms and that make this book perennially relevant.
The problem, as Sagan notes—then as now—is that we go about teaching science all wrong. We present it as a body of knowledge, an assortment of facts, rather than as a method of thinking. This is a big mistake, principally because pseudoscience is presented in the same way. No wonder most people can’t tell the difference; they were never given the tools to make the distinction.
This book provides these tools, in the process debunking several persistent, weird cultural beliefs, such as supposed alien abductions. Aliens, Sagan notes, are just repurposed, sexually aggressive demons and spirits of an earlier age. As the folklorist Thomas E. Bullard wrote:
“Science may have evicted ghosts and witches from our beliefs, but it just as quickly filled the vacancy with aliens having the same functions. Only the extraterrestrial outer trappings are new. All the fear and the psychological dramas for dealing with it seem simply to have found their way home again, where it is business as usual in the legend realm where things go bump in the night.”
The alien abduction phenomenon does tell us something though, less about the existence of extraterrestrial beings and more about the ways we all can deceive ourselves into believing improbable things. This book is the remedy for such undisciplined thinking.
In a key chapter titled “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Sagan summarizes the elements of clear, disciplined thinking, which, most importantly, includes the habit of “spinning multiple hypotheses” to explain any given event, searching for ways to disprove each hypothesis, and, when two hypotheses explain the data equally well, choosing the simpler one (Occam’s Razor). How much better would the world be if people consistently subjected their own beliefs to this rigorous process of self-doubt?
In fact, what we have, overall as a society, is the opposite. As Sagan presciently wrote:
“Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking. I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time - when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.”
This book is the much-needed antidote, but will people embrace, or continue to ignore, its message? show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Best Science Books for Non-Scientists
112 works; 54 members
Non-Fiction Worth Reading
743 works; 235 members
Fake Top 100 Nonfiction
79 works; 3 members
Top-Rated Books on LibraryThing
263 works; 109 members
Libros para periodistas de ciencia
25 works; 1 member
Atheism, humanism, freethought, &c. — Best nonfiction books in favour of
168 works; 13 members
Blue Pyramid 1,276 Best Books of All Time
1,248 works; 28 members
The Great Courses: Your Deceptive Mind
60 works; 1 member
1990s
309 works; 17 members
Books Read in 2017
4,236 works; 128 members
Witch Hunts
31 works; 7 members
Favorite Books from the 1990s
32 works; 3 members
Biblioteca de não ficção
41 works; 1 member
Unread books
997 works; 86 members
Author Information
A respected planetary scientist best known outside the field for his popularizations of astronomy, Carl Sagan was born in New York City on November 9, 1934. He attended the University of Chicago, where he received a B.A. in 1954, a B.S. in 1955, and a M.S. in 1956 in physics as well as a Ph.D. in 1960 in astronomy and astrophysics. He has several show more early scholarly achievements including the experimental demonstration of the synthesis of the energy-carrying molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in primitive-earth experiments. Another was the proposal that the greenhouse effect explained the high temperature of the surface of Venus. He was also one of the driving forces behind the mission of the U.S. satellite Viking to the surface of Mars. He was part of a team that investigated the effects of nuclear war on the earth's climate - the "nuclear winter" scenario. Sagan's role in developing the "Cosmos" series, one of the most successful series of any kind to be broadcast on the Public Broadcasting System, and his book The Dragons of Eden (1977) won the Pulitzer Prize in 1978. He also wrote the novel Contact, which was made into a movie starring Jodie Foster. He died from pneumonia on December 20, 1996. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
All Editions
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Work Relationships
Is abridged in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Demon-Haunted World : Science as a Candle in the Dark
- Original title
- The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
- Original publication date
- 1995
- Epigraph
- We wait for light, but behold darkness.
ISAIAH 59:9
It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
ADAGE - Dedication
- TO TONIO,
MY GRANDSON.
I WISH YOU A WORLD
FREE OF DEMONS
AND FULL OF LIGHT - First words
- It was a blustery fall day in 1939.
--Preface
As I got off the plane, he was waiting for me, holding up a scrap of cardboard with my name scribbled on it.
--Body text - Quotations
- Mr. Buckley - well-spoken, intelligent, curious - had heard virtually nothing of modern science. He had a natural appetite for the wonders of the Universe. He wanted to know about science. It's just that all the science had g... (show all)otten filtered out before it reached him. Our cultural motifs, our educational system, our communications media had failed this man. What the society permitted to trickle through was mainly pretense and confusion. It had never taught him how to distinguish real science from the cheap imitation. He knew nothing about how science works.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness.
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 501.8
- Canonical LCC
- Q175
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 7,494
- Popularity
- 1,321
- Reviews
- 111
- Rating
- (4.28)
- Languages
- 14 — English, Estonian, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 51
- UPCs
- 3
- ASINs
- 25