I love Carl Sagan and everything about him. I have watched Cosmos multiple times over and find it so stirring I am almost moved to tears at points. So I am writing this as a Sagan fan.
This book contains lots of great Sagan stuff: an evenhanded look at the issues, nice literary quotes, optimism, sceptism, imagination, a defence of science, a love of humanity, humility, well-referenced, and respectful treatment of those who (earnestly) buy into, pursue or promote things we know are false. (Not so, for those who know they are false but use their credulity of earnest believers to line their own pockets or increase their power.)
However, I quickly realised that a lot of Sagan's appeal is his personality and voice. Reading this was almost a let down after watching dozens of his videos on Youtube. Not because the book is bad -- it isn't -- but because his in-person delivery is so good. I found the same thing after watching a ton of Richard Feynman videos and then switching to his books: when you subtract the voice, the smile, the laughter, the comedic timing, the dramatic pauses etc. then, I found, a great deal of the enjoyment was lost.
All to say: manage your expectations and you'll be fine, or read this before watching Cosmos! The aim, content and execution of the book is good: almost all human beings are trying to figure out meaning in their lives, connect with nature, and be captains of their own destiny -- it is simply that not all ways of doing this are equally true or successful. The book looks at why, and at why false or ineffective ways of doing this are so persistent, from a sympathetic point of view that we all deserve to have both the emotional consolations and everyday relevance of things like religion and astrology, but without turning away from the fascinating and effective truths of science and technology.
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Women's Prize for Fiction '21
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