Astronomer, planetary scientist, astrophysicist, exobiologist, education, public figure, sceptic - all these hats represent important parts of Carl Sagan's complex, multi-faceted career. Perhaps best known as the host of the popular television series, "Cosmos" Sagan offered to the world his extraordinary gift for cross-disciplinary research, his deep well of integrated visions and fruitful ideas, his vivid imagination, and his wealth of non-stop enthusiasm. This concise, lively biography examines Carl Sagan's steady growth as a man, as a scientist, and as a communicator - a man who had both odd quirks and great charisma, who had an immensely eclectic knowledge base and a unique understanding of the central place of science in the human experience, all of which dovetailed smoothly with his phenomenal ability to communicate.Separate chapters are devoted to Sagan's interest in the origin of life, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and his work on "Cosmos", where he collaborated with Ann Druyan, whom he eventually married and who remained his wife to the end of his life. There are also sections on Sagan's public advocacy for science and critical stance toward pseudoscience and his role as an activist for the environment and the safe use of atomic power. This updated, paperback edition contains many new photographs as well as textual additions by Ann Druyan. Veteran science writers Spangenburg and Moser have captured much of the enthusiasm, gift for effective communication, and unflinching honesty that characterised Carl Sagan's life and career.
Carl Sagan: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)
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"Read Carl Sagan: A Biography to get a true feel for the man that shaped much of our thinking in the late 20th century. Few scientists have cast such a long shadow in not only the scientific, but political and cultural arenas. We still miss you Carl!" -- AstroGuyz.com, October 23, 2009
About the Author
Ray Spangenburg and Kit Moser (Carmichael, CA) are freelance journalists who have coauthored more than fifty books on science, history, and critical thinking.
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2.8 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A True Pioneer in Astronomy and Space Exploration
7 May 2010
By Arctic Voice Earl
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
The late Carl Sagan inspired folks of all ages in learning about our universe, and having fun while doing it.
As the book notes, he was a fine scientist, despite being denied tenure by Harvard in the late 1960s. The authors show how through much of his career, he was often looked down on by fellow scientists for being such a public spokesperson for real science, appearing on popular television shows and in mass market magazines.
Actually there are those now who say astronomers could use a good communicator like Sagan to build up support for research and exploration. Sagan's book and public television series, Cosmos, energized us with the possibilities of life on Mars, the mysteries of Venus and strange environments of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, and many places beyond.
The authors show some of the failings and setbacks in Sagan's rather short life, including divorces, science mistakes, and poor interpersonal relations. A lot of that was new to me, but when included in the book just add to the overall portrait of this popular pioneer.
In fact, making mistakes put Sagan in some special company. I'll never forget the Cosmos section on Percival Lowell and his long, but false, fascination of canals and civilizations
on the Red Planet.
Sagan goes to Lowell Observatory, shows us Lowell's large refractor telescope and then opens the wooden dome to a night sky full of stars, and planets. That by itself, made me a amateur astronomer for life. And I'll bet many more folks around the world.
We certainly miss Carl and his enthusiasm in this time of polarization and lack of enthusiasm for the joys of real science. This biography of Sagan shows us what we lost with his passing in 1996 and how we can move forward and learn so much more about that sky full of wonders that we see each evening. And learn with lots of joy and excitement!!
Earl
As the book notes, he was a fine scientist, despite being denied tenure by Harvard in the late 1960s. The authors show how through much of his career, he was often looked down on by fellow scientists for being such a public spokesperson for real science, appearing on popular television shows and in mass market magazines.
Actually there are those now who say astronomers could use a good communicator like Sagan to build up support for research and exploration. Sagan's book and public television series, Cosmos, energized us with the possibilities of life on Mars, the mysteries of Venus and strange environments of gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, and many places beyond.
The authors show some of the failings and setbacks in Sagan's rather short life, including divorces, science mistakes, and poor interpersonal relations. A lot of that was new to me, but when included in the book just add to the overall portrait of this popular pioneer.
In fact, making mistakes put Sagan in some special company. I'll never forget the Cosmos section on Percival Lowell and his long, but false, fascination of canals and civilizations
on the Red Planet.
Sagan goes to Lowell Observatory, shows us Lowell's large refractor telescope and then opens the wooden dome to a night sky full of stars, and planets. That by itself, made me a amateur astronomer for life. And I'll bet many more folks around the world.
We certainly miss Carl and his enthusiasm in this time of polarization and lack of enthusiasm for the joys of real science. This biography of Sagan shows us what we lost with his passing in 1996 and how we can move forward and learn so much more about that sky full of wonders that we see each evening. And learn with lots of joy and excitement!!
Earl
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Adequate
15 Mar 2012
By Will Jerom
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This seems to be an adequate biography. It highlights key events is Sagan's personal and professional life. Sometimes it seems to digress into other persons and topics, or to be a summary of events in the "life and times" of Carl Sagan. On the whole I would say readers would be neither overwhelmed nor "underwhelmed" by it.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disapointing
29 July 2011
By Francsois
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
For a book that claims to be a biography about Sagan, it contains very little information about the person Carl Sagan. The pages are filled with details about persons that worked with him, and quite a bit about the science he did, but very little about Sagan himself. One cannot avoid the conclusion that Moser and Spangenburg just could not dig up any information on Sagan, except for material they got from the Poundstone biography, to which they frequently refer. I could not finish this book. One gets the impression that they wrote it one afternoon (which is how long it will take you to read this short book). What a disapointment!
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2.8 out of 5 stars
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