- Paperback: 436 pages
- Publisher: Headline Book Publishing; New edition edition (9 Jan 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747251568
- ISBN-13: 978-0747251569
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 142,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Carl Sagan muses on the current state of scientific thought, which offers him marvellous opportunities to entertain us with his own childhood experiences, the newspaper morgues, UFO stories and the assorted flotsam and jetsam of pseudoscience. Along the way he debunks alien abduction, faith-healing and channelling, refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious and other issues.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Carl Sagan demonstrates how scientific thinking is necessary to safeguard our democratic institutions and our technical civilization. The book debunks the ideas of alien abduction, mediums and faith healers,and refutes the arguement that science destroys spirituality.
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First Sentence
As I got off the plane, he was waiting for me, holding up a scrap of cardboard with my name scribbled on it. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
As I got off the plane, he was waiting for me, holding up a scrap of cardboard with my name scribbled on it. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Carl Sagan's book makes clear that human ignorance can lead to some pretty weird, and potentially dangerous, belief systems, such as the belief in alien abductions, or the belief in witches. What is actually frightening is that people hold on to some of these beliefs, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary. The book contains some sobering examples of human ignorance, plus some of its causes. The book also contains a sample of some remarkable letters Sagan has received in the past few years, and a D.I.Y. baloney detection kit.
I found the book a highly accessible and passionate defence of scientific thinking. Sagan's take home message is that science does not necessarily rid the world of its beauty. On the contrary, a scientific perspective can reveal some truly amazing things that we can not perceive with our senses, such as the structure of the atom. I can recommend the book to everyone; I actually read it twice.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The blurb on the back cover says; "...Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks...witchcraft, faith healing and UFOs" - this he does but it is not really the main point of the book.
Sagan never sets out to trash some compendium of "new age" beliefs or all the paranormal and paraphyschological bunk that is currently doing the rounds. Instead, he uses examples such as UFOs, alien abductions and faith healing to instruct the reader in how such myths and pseudoscience can become so believable to so many. Helpfully he also equips the reader with the mental tools necessary to examine such claims for themselves in a sceptical and rational manner, his so called "baloney detection kit". This kit includes various tools for sceptical and scientific reasoning as well as how to recognise common fallacies of logic and rhetoric.
If you read this book expecting to be spoon fed arguments against various pseudoscientific, quasi-religious (or just plain-religious) and other paranormal beliefs then you are going to be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you want to be able to critically analyse theories and ideas (scientific or otherwise), if you want to be able to think for yourself and if you want to be able to recognise when you are being fed fallacious and fraudulent arguments then you can't go far wrong with this book.
Please read this book if you get the chance, it is marvellous piece of work, erudite and compassionate without ever being patronising and should be compulsory reading in every school, for pupils, teachers and parents.
Sagan never sets out to trash some compendium of "new age" beliefs or all the paranormal and paraphyschological bunk that is currently doing the rounds. Instead, he uses examples such as UFOs, alien abductions and faith healing to instruct the reader in how such myths and pseudoscience can become so believable to so many. Helpfully he also equips the reader with the mental tools necessary to examine such claims for themselves in a sceptical and rational manner, his so called "baloney detection kit". This kit includes various tools for sceptical and scientific reasoning as well as how to recognise common fallacies of logic and rhetoric.
If you read this book expecting to be spoon fed arguments against various pseudoscientific, quasi-religious (or just plain-religious) and other paranormal beliefs then you are going to be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you want to be able to critically analyse theories and ideas (scientific or otherwise), if you want to be able to think for yourself and if you want to be able to recognise when you are being fed fallacious and fraudulent arguments then you can't go far wrong with this book.
Please read this book if you get the chance, it is marvellous piece of work, erudite and compassionate without ever being patronising and should be compulsory reading in every school, for pupils, teachers and parents.
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book, more than any other on this theme, subjects many of the popular delusions and superstitions that hold back and threaten the very existence of human society, against the "gold standard" of rational, scientific thought and method.
According to Sagan, our heads are full of confusion and misinformation and there are forces that wish to keep it that way. Unfortunately, the status quo is dangerous.
To wake from a slumber of indoctrination, media propaganda and self-delusion, read this book, in one sitting, as the perfect antidote.
I enjoyed this book so much that I have read and re-read it many times over. I've given copies to my dearest friends. This is an intellectual tour-de-force of a book. With every reading, I muse on how preciuous and rare clear and incisive thinkers with a voice that can reach everyone are. Carl Sagan is sorely missed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Demon-Haunted World
Carl Sagan for me is a bit of a folk hero. His TV programs got me interested in science and I have now read all of his books. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. Kevin Read
Critical reading .
This is a book to arm you against all the woo-woo that exists in our modern world . Just read the piece about the baloney detection kit , this should be common sense but so rarely... Read more
Published 11 months ago by JohnMD
Springboard to God Delusion
Everyone should read this book ; for its insight, of course, and limpid prose which constitute an ideal preface to Richard Dawkins' God Delusion. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Philippe Monnet
One of the best books I have ever read
I have just finished reading this book. I read an extract from it in Richard Dawkinss' "The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing" (itself a splendid uplifting read) and... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Happyhiker
an impassioned and intelligent call
One of the observations I have of reviews of books such as these is to note how many of the negative reviews contain anguished accusations of the author's arrogance or sneering... Read more
Published 19 months ago by GJ_Reading
The late, great Sagan's best book.
Great man. Great book. Let's get the minor criticisms out of the way first. Carl can ramble slightly at times. His points are valid and thought provoking. Read more
Published 20 months ago by The Scuba Monkey
The mind growing up
I am coming late to the writings of Carl Sagan and I have literally found a candle in the dark. I work in organisational change and teach critical thinking, this book is now... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Stephen Parry
Passionate and accessible
Passionate and accessible, this skeptical foundation book is packed full of examples of the merits of science and the weaknesses of human credulity and gullibility with respect to... Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2009 by G. C. Brown
The Demon -Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
An excellent book by a much missed voice of reason. My only criticism is that Mr Sagan is much too gentle in his criticism of religion. Read more
Published on 14 May 2009 by J. Rutley
The Gospel According to St Carl.
Carl Sagan, the great American space scientist and extraterrestrial investigator. An honest, down-to-earth chap who believed in the classic guiding principles of science -... Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2008 by Haile Critical
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