book data
835 ratings,
4.04
average rating, 64 reviews
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published
December 12th 1986
(first published 1977)
by Ballantine Books
binding
Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
literary awards
Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (1978)
isbn
0345346297
(isbn13: 9780345346292)
description
Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great reading adventure, offering his vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast, the origin of human in...more
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avg 4.04
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in March, 2007
This was an interesting book to read after all of the recent research and groundbreaking discoveries of the human brain. Clearly, Sagan smokes weed. However, there are times when he must be coming off his high that his insights are both subtle and poignant. Oxymoronic, to be sure, but so was most of Sagan's keen skepticism amidst his psuedoscientific platitudes.
I use big words.
That being said, some of the best parts of this book are the drawings related to studies conduc...more
I use big words.
That being said, some of the best parts of this book are the drawings related to studies conduc...more
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Read in July, 2007
I'd read this book a few years ago, and loved it. It's a great introduction to brain anatomy, consciousness/subconsciousness, and evolution. An "easy" read, if any book that deals with these types of topics can be considered as such. Sagan is good at presenting complex material in an interesting and palatable way. It made me want to start paying more attention to my dreams. (He also relates one of his personal experiences of smoking marijuana, and his theories of the effects it mi...more
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recommends it for:
humans
"There is a popular game, sometimes called Pong, which simulates on a television screen a perfectly elastic ball bouncing between two surfaces. Each player is given a dial that permits him to intercept the ball with a movable "racket". Points are scored if the motion of the ball is not intercepted by the racket. The game is very interesting. There is a clear learning experience involved which depends exclusively on Newton's second law for linear motion. As a result of Pong, the pl...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone who is curious about themselves and the world
I feel strongly that this book should be included in mythology courses because better than any textbook I've ever encountered it addresses the connections that exist between mythology and science. Not to say that mythology is scientific, but rather the ways of viewing the world, both contemporary and historical, that human beings seem to return to again and again often are the way they are for very sound biological reasons.
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Read in May, 2007
Interesting questions on the origin and development of human intelligence. Still worth a read despite lots of progress since he wrote this. Gives a good description of left/right brain competencies. Has piqued my interest in evolutionary development. The guy was taken from us too early but sure made a name for himself in what time he had.
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recommended to David by:
Dan Loss
recommends it for: young philosophers, college students, anyone who is considering science in their career goal
recommends it for: young philosophers, college students, anyone who is considering science in their career goal
This is simply the best book I was lucky enough to receive as a gift. Written thirty years ago, Sagan's principles in science, philosophy, and humanity seem to grow more valid as the years go on. I used to be an existentialist nutcase in high school, but this book straightened me right out. I can't wait to re-read this beauty
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Read in August, 2007
The copy of the book I got was published in 1977 and what isn't out of date is wrong. The subtitle is "Speculations on the evolution of human intelligence",
but little in the book is about that topic.
The book rambles from from one subject to another,
from cute drawings by everyone's favorite: M.C. Escher,
to the chemical composition of distant stars.
Perhaps the most interesting part is the chart that shows
Brain mass vs. Body weigh...more
but little in the book is about that topic.
The book rambles from from one subject to another,
from cute drawings by everyone's favorite: M.C. Escher,
to the chemical composition of distant stars.
Perhaps the most interesting part is the chart that shows
Brain mass vs. Body weigh...more
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Read in October, 2006
This book is dated, but good. I love reading about research on the human brain. Sagan makes lots of corny jokes and asides that are not really appropriate but sort of endearing. The evolution of the brain is the focus and Sagan talks a lot about the "reptilian" brain, the part that we had before we became human. Also the discussion of what really makes us human is so interesting. On the radio some modern researcher said that the brain is a record, a story of what has happened to t...more
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Read in January, 2007
A look into the evolution of the human mind. Sagan closes the first chapter giving the reader a perspective on their position in history: If the history of the universe was represented by our 12-month year, the history of mankind would exist in the last second of the last minute of December 31. Exploring the pains of childbirth, warring subhuman species, and simplified understandings of how the human brain works, "The Dragons of Eden" is written in a way that anyone can enjoy (it was a...more
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Read in June, 2005
recommends it for:
anyone from Ancestry.com !! LOL!
This somewhat difficult read will certainly open your eyes to who and what we are, and how we came to be the dominant species on the planet. You may find yourself not too proud to be human, as the origins of our much-touted intellegence which separates us from the beasts comes into focus. Evolutionary Anthropology rewritten for the masses, but still sometimes tedious and hard to follow; I found myself rereading several pages just to absorb all the information. I'm looking forward to more Sagan,...more
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Read in January, 2007
i learned about the incatricies of the human mind, and how we, as a species, are unique out of all of the life on earth. It is a complex and in-depth look at sociological behaviors, psychology, intellect and thought.
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I kind of thought this was going to be -- I don't know, something about mythology. Like, Jungian myth, maybe. So I shouldn't judge it for not being the book I wanted to read, but...
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05/09/07
Aaron Crossen
added it
I read this when my family vacationed to Lexington like 8 years ago. I don't remember anything about it, other than it made me want to read Cosmos.
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I would recommend this book to those interested in a highly speculative supplemental essay (at best) disguised as a novel.
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Extraordinarily well written, this book covers the extent of history according to modern science, with an emphasis on the principles of evolution and the progression of man-like species. The subtitle betrays that a lot of the work is speculative, but this is not to say that it is far-fetched. Sagan's ideas are always based upon factual data and are admirable if only for the fact that they are honest and informed attempts. For example, Sagan talks about how animals such as monkeys have specific c...more
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One of the better 'easy' scientific reads out there. Although it's more than 40 years old and some of the writing is outdated (the chapter about computers) Sagan brings up interesting points and writes about them in interesting ways.
Too bad I came after his time. I would have loved to sit around, get high, and talk about Apes with him.
Too bad I came after his time. I would have loved to sit around, get high, and talk about Apes with him.
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Read in July, 2006
This book is about the evolution of human intelligence, and it provided insight into the workings of human cognitive thought. It explained the evolutionary background that causes our brains work the way they do, and it also gave a thorough explanation of the hardware responsible for each behavioral trait.
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I actually found this much more intriguing than Cosmos. Some of the ideas are a trifle half-baked...or maybe not. It gave me a new way to think about the human condition, which, I think, is always to the good.
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Read in June, 2006
Sagan’s Cosmos series had a segment where he illustrated the metaphor of one calendar year representing the earth’s time from the big bang to the present. The first chapter of this book expands on that example, showing that all of recorded history would fit into the last 10 seconds of December 31st.
Carl continues, writing on the importance of the brain, its limbic system, right and left hemispheres, and brain science theories from the 70’s and 80’s. There are various chapters cover...more
Carl continues, writing on the importance of the brain, its limbic system, right and left hemispheres, and brain science theories from the 70’s and 80’s. There are various chapters cover...more
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Read in December, 2008
An interesting read even if a bit dated. The book goes from reptilian and aviary brains to mammalian, non-human primate, then human brains, showing which parts are shared and which are exclusive to humans. A good introduction to the various parts and corresponding functions of the brain. Particularly interesting were the stories of chimpanzees conversing with humans via computer terminals and the effects of certain brain injuries. Less interesting was the wild speculation on the author's par...more
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quotes from this book
"And after we returned to the savannahs and abandoned the trees, did we long for those great graceful leaps and ecstatic moments of weightlessness in the shafts of sunlight of the forest roof?"
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