Cosmos

This book was written shortly after the ground-breaking documentary series of the same name also presented by the author. The book was published in 1981, which puts it in a time frame with two other ground-breaking popular science books: The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins and A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkins. In no way can the book be considered dated. Indeed, it has a certain freshness, being written close to the great, pioneering space exploration mission of the Voyager and Pioneer probes which are discussed. The book could be described as a history of ideas, in particular the supreme achievement of humans, that of Science. Indeed, as far as we are currently aware, humans represent the first point at which the cosmos became aware of itself; a remarkable and humbling thought (although I hope there are other civilisations). Sagan is in no way dismissive of ideas about the cosmos arising from non-scientific approaches. In the very early days of humanity, these were brave attempts to understand the world. However, the message is very clear: the methods developed by science are the only way to understand the cosmos. Religion and the appeal to authority cannot provide adequate understanding. The origins of science in the pre-Socratic period and its tragic abandonment are described. The writing is crisp, clear and a pleasure to read. It is a unique combination of science, history and philosophy. I also recommend watching Sagan's documentary series and indeed the recently released new version of Cosmos presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson. To quote the first line of the first chapter: "The cosmos is all that ever is or ever was or ever will be."

Perfect!

This is an epic tale - exploring, understanding and describing the Universe in its entirety. This book is a delight to read, and it succeeds in making science lively and engaging. The book was first published in 1983, as a tie-in to the TV documentary series Carl Sagan's Cosmos [DVD] [1980 ]. Both book and series follow the same general structure - and both are concerned with illuminating the nature of the cosmos. Sagan writes majestically, explaining otherwise complex issues and problems in a manner that makes them far more easily comprehensible. Everything from the origins of the universe to the formation of galaxies, from the processes that build planets to the evolution of life, is discussed eloquently. Sagan describes the cosmos in an imaginative way, drawing-in the reader and retaining attention throughout. This is as far away as possible from a 'dry' scientific text ... instead it entices the reader's fascination and clearly shows the cosmos for what it truly is: awesome. This is the perfect book for anyone who's interested in finding out more about physics, cosmology, astronomy and astrobiology. It's a fantastic introductory book, and is suitable for both adults and older teenagers. I've read through it a few times, and it's my favourite 'science' book. I highly recommend it.

Cosmos was described to me as "the atheist's Bible." Although it was very different from what I anticipated on that basis, this remains an accurate description of it. I expected the emphasis to be on atheism -- proofs against God, declamations against organized religion, and so on. Naturally there's a bit of this, though it's more directed at Platonism than at religion. Surprisingly, however, I would say that the emphasis is actually on "Bible", as Cosmos is not only itself a text that is written in something like religious ecstasy, but it situates itself amidst numerous religious traditions -- in particular creation myths, which it quotes extensively -- that most closely correspond with our current understanding of the universe. This is not to say that it is unscientific, but rather that it has all the devout fervour of a religious text, in awe of the universe, which even within the text is often equated with the God(s) of various religions. It is filled with absolutely tantalizing ideas, so many and so diverse that it's easy to rattle off a handful and barely scratch the surface: That the Socratics (especially Plato), with their dualism and its consequent effects on Christianity through Neo-Platonism, did untold damage to technological progress. That had the Ionians remained in power, we might already be an interstellar race. That physical affection as a child and sexual activity as a teenager massively deter violence in later life. That the human race will never travel to the stars as long as its population continues to grow. That wars have patterns like the weather that can be predicted on a global scale. That our brains contain evolutionary relics from our piscine, reptilian, and mammalian ancestors which are at best in an uneasy truce. That microorganisms surviving in extreme conditions on earth may make extraterrestrial life possible even within our solar system. All these ideas are tangents from the central focus of the book, which is a textual exploration of the cosmos. But to describe this as a book about astronomy is to ignore its gorgeous and thrilling literary aspects, the anthropological and historical heights to which it soars, and the inspiring thirst for knowledge that pervades it. It is a book about the distant past and the distant future of the human race; it is a rumination on our place in a vast (and vastly unknown) universe. It offers only a casual introduction to astrophysics, but it is a fascinating exposition of the universe from the mind of a man whose knowledge and curiosity are nonpareil. The only reason I subtract a star is because I felt that Sagan devotes too much of the work to rather dated Cold War fears. Not that the threat has been neutralized, but I personally have read enough about mutually assured destruction. My view is that paralysing fear about a nuclear winter downplays the resilience of the human race, is slightly contradictory if we're to take seriously his views on population control, and is ultimately irrelevant from a cosmic perspective. However, I imagine for most people this won't detract from Sagan's absorbing and even spellbinding collection of thoughts, and I highly recommend this book to anyone with curiosity about humanity's place in the universe.

Cosmos (Carl Sagan) Turn on any TV these days and there will be channels with one of more science , history or arts programmes. Some 26 years ago (1980) these programmes were relatively rare and a classic 13 one hour episode science programme entitled the Cosmos was presented as a personal view by one Carl Sagan ( sometime participant of various NASA space programmes and cosmological investigations then Director of Planetary studies at Cornell University) . An accompanying book to the series was also written and published. It covered right up until the Voyager mission views of Jupiter and Saturn in 1977-1979. (Voyager 2 – still active in 2016 – has just passed Pluto and left the conventional Solar system – not bad for 1975 technology. Its onboard power source – a mini nuclear reactor – should last another 10 years) The hardback book contains both script and illustrations and can be obtained as good quality second hand ,for very reasonable prices. A book allows stopping , pausing , thinking , reversing and rereading the text but for those who want the full visual experience ( film/TV presentation being intrinsically different to books with the sight , sounds , narration and a flowing story line to hold the attention) . The TV series had updates added some 10 years later and in 2000 , a DVD transfer was released. The TV series also featured a music soundtrack taken from “Heaven and hell” ( (Vangelis 1975) . Obviously there have been many advances / updates in the last 30 or so years but I can still recommend both as an example of the thoughts and presentation of the times . Carl Sagan , a great communicator , sadly died in 1996 Rate 5 star as classic examples of their time covering the Cosmos ( as it seemed then) . The series ended very topically with a view of our the earth , and the threats faced by the latter - comparing the possible outcomes of irresponsible misuse of the planets resources to the planetary hell of Venus and the cold desolation of Mars. (Note there has been a recent re casting of the original series by Neil de Grasse Tyson ( written in conjunction with Carl Sagan’s widow) – also available on DVD and Blu Ray. The content is more up to date but many still prefer the older Sagan version with less reliance on CGI.)

Knowledge of ocean

What a book ! This is the ultimate science popularizing book. I have rarely read something more entertaining, clear, enthusiastic, intelligent, instructive, etc than this book. I am not going to lie, I am a big fan of Carl Sagan and have now read a little dozen of his books. This book touches everything. connects many subjects and make sens of it all. History, ancient Ionian Greek science, planetology, cosmology, etc. everything is in this book. Of course, not in details but enough to make you an apprentice philosopher. Sagan is to my knowledge unmatched for his prose and pedagogy. The way he explain the most complicated things is wonderful. Sagan has a talent for connecting things together and make sense of disparate subjects. he is a wonderful popularizer and really make people wonder and want to read more. Although on the negative side, the book may date a bit. I remember reading about Sagan talking of the future: sending a rover to mars for example which has been done since few years now. Other examples on cosmology showed that the book is outdated. Overall probably the perfect book to have on a deserted island.

With Cosmos, The late and legendary astrophysicist/cosmologist Carl Sagan has achieved what only the finest popular science authors have achieved. With authority and finesse he makes the reader of this now classic book feel like they have an understanding of an extremely detailed subject. He allows readers without a science education or a privileged position to gain a glimpse at the intricacies of our universe, from the very, very big to the very, very small, in a manner that is both educationally relevant to the times we live in and a joy to read over and over and over again. I first read this book as a twenty one year but it is with the second reading a decade later that the true beauty and majesty of Sagan's writing that becomes apparent. A true literary achievement that everybody deserves to have excess to. Buy it.