Cosmos by Carl Sagan Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cosmos
Book Review: Breathtaking
Summary: 5 Stars
Sagan takes the reader from one end of the universe to the other. His unyielding heart sores like an eagle to the furthest reaches of space and time. Despite our limited technology and earth-boundness, Sagan breaks free from earth and makes one invision this grand universe in it's entirety.
Few minds will ever arise like Sagan's. His brain knew virtually no bounds, neither in cognition, nor imagination. He is a bulwark for truth and sober thinking. He is never easy to disagree with.
Cosmos is so informative...about Earth, about space and matters of science. Sagan has so much to say about everything. His tremendous mind made him an invaluable asset to our species.
Another thing that fascinates me about Sagan was his ability to accept our inevitable mortality as a planet and race. Instead of getting depressed about our gloomy fate in the grave, we should be like Sagan and realize that this is our time to shine in the spotlight of the sun. Carl Sagan was a champion of the human race, a torch who's brightness, even in death, still refuses to go out.
Get this book. You will not regret it.
(JH)
www.ministerturnsatheist.org
Book Review: Brilliant Book about Life on Earth and Elsewhere!
Summary: 5 Stars
Dr. Carl Sagan's book, "Cosmos," is accompanied by the television of the same name in the early 1980s. We're not that much closer to seeing intelligent life on other planets in the galaxy. Since his death, we have learned a lot more but this book is still invaluable in understanding the mysteries of the universe.
Dr. Sagan's writings allow us to ask and answer questions that sometimes has no answers about life here on earth, the galaxy, and the universe. While I have some interest in astronomy, I don't know much about the subject. This book is a great beginning but even for those out there who are more advanced then I am about the subject.
The book is a scientific classic and it should be read at least once in a lifetime. No, I didn't get everything written in the book. I doubt that I could or anybody else. There is too much going on and information to digest for one person without much experience and background.
I would love there to be intelligent life in other worlds far closer to our own on earth but it's highly unlikely unless we advance our space studies. Until then, we have brilliant scientists like Carl Sagan and others to help us through the possiblities and realities.
Book Review: Brilliant author but ill-informed.
Summary: 3 Stars
I used to watch "Cosmos" religiously when I was an elementary school student. Every episode of it was enchanting and mesmerizing, considering the superb producer Carl Sagan. Back then, I was just a kid trying to explore the Universe around me and demystify the magic in it. Now, I have read the book itself. There is no doubt that Carl Sagan is a brilliant scientist and author. His absorbing, riveting style takes you from where you are to the remotest corners of the Universe. There are two points that I disagree with him.
For one thing, it might sound very subjective, he was not able to find out the Creator of the Universe, even though he was equipped with a brilliant mind. Every mystery, beauty, harmony in the Universe is ascribed to pure coincidence. To him, somehow the galaxies, planets etc. were formed after the Big Bang by chance. Then, somehow some amino acids came together (?) and after a few steps formed (?) a living cell. Living cells somehow learned to reproduce (?) and this led to more complex organisms (?). The life started in water, these "fish" then decided to continue (?) their life on land. They got legs, they further evolved and led to a wide variety of animals, one of these animals became (?) a human being. After a long time, human beings have become capable of unraveling the very reasons of their existence! Could this extremely long sequence of nearly improbable coincidences be the cause of our existence on Earth, in addition to the exquisite harmony and beauty in the Universe, or is there a super-human, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent Creator?
My second objection is to his remarks as to the discontinuity of the evolution of science between the Ancient Greek Civilization and the European Enlightenment, i.e. 600 AD - 1600 AD. According to his remarks, science did not develop in this intermission, which happens to last one millennium. Yes, the Greek Civilization came to an end about 600 AD, but Islamic Civilization commenced right afterwards. Between 750 AD - 1500 AD, Muslim scholars contributed to humanity in many ways. They translated ancient Greek texts to Arabic and Persian, used the knowledge and made their own original contributions. Therefore, Europeans had a chance to see the ancient Greek texts. [1] Avicenna "Ibni Sina" (981-1037) is known as the father of the modern medicine. His books "The Canon of Medicine" were used as textbooks in European universities until the 18th century. He was also a famous philosopher. [2] Al-Khwarizmi (770-840) is known as the founder of the modern algebra, and the word "algorithm" is derived from his name. [3] Omar Khayyam (1148-1123) was a famous mathematician, chemist and poet. [4] Alhazen "Ibn al-Haitham" (965-1040) was the founder of the modern optics and the author of "Kitab al-Manazir" (Book of Optics). Furthermore, Al-Kindi, Jabir ibn-Hayyan, Al-Battani, Al-Razi, Al-Farabi, Al-Masudi, Alboacen "Al-Mawardi", Al-Biruni, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd, Sharafeddin Tusi, Rumi, Al-Baitar, Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Battuta, Ulugh Beg etc. were only several of the hundreds of well-known scientists, scholars, philosophers, poets. It is stunning and shameful that a professor of astronomy and astrophysics never knew these pioneers!
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.Book Review: Brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars
Carl Sagan's book and TV series called Cosmos has opened the vast universe to millions and millions of people. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and watching the series.
It is not surprising that Cosmos is the best-selling science book ever published in the English language...and the series has been seen by half a billion people!
Carl Sagan was able to accomplish this feat by tapping into his psyche as a little boy who asked many questions about the universe. He then wrote and produced the series from the heart. His enthusiasm and fascination with the earth, planets, stars, galaxies, extraterrestrial life and more is contagious! He took an incredibly difficult subject and made it fun, exciting and educational for anyone from 8 to 80 who has looked up at the night skies...and wondered.
The book and series are not to be missed!
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