Originally published in January 1996 and now available in paperback, an examination of scientific thought, which suggests that scientific thinking is necessary to safeguard democratic institutions and technical civilisation in the face of increased superstition and delusion.
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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.
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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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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 65 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
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.
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By C. A. Gallagher
VINE™ VOICE
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.
49 of 52 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
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
5.0 out of 5 stars
inspiring book.
An amazing read . I think this is a great companion book to keep on the shelf with the God delusion ( by Richard Dawkins). Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. M. Mc Neil
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book
Apart from have grown watching the Cosmos series of videos, I've read quite a few books from Carl Sagan. He was the ultimate science writer of all times. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Matías Herranz
5.0 out of 5 stars
The demon haunted world
Science is full of wonder but so is pseudoscience. How can one tell the difference? Sagan did a brilliant job of spelling out the answer in this book, a distillation of a... Read more
Published 9 months ago by F Henwood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid reasoning
I have just finished listening to the audio version and am very impressed.
It was acutally a much better book than what I have expected. Read more
It was acutally a much better book than what I have expected. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Kromm
5.0 out of 5 stars
' Why science is essential 2 '
I think this is a 'must read' book ,Carl Sagan was a brilliant cosmologist & polymath . This is not necessary about science what we know about the world & the universe or chemistry... Read more
Published 11 months ago by D. S. Sample
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 17 months ago by Mr. Kevin Read
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 23 months ago by JohnMD
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 24 months ago by Philippe Monnet
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 on 11 Dec 2010 by Happyhiker
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 on 11 Nov 2010 by GJ_Reading
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