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154th out of 596 books
—
1,315 voters
Billions and Billions
by
Carl Sagan,
Ann Druyan
In the final book of his astonishing career, Carl Sagan brilliantly examines the burning questions of our lives, our world, and the universe around us. These luminous, entertaining essays travel both the vastness of the cosmos and the intimacy of the human mind, posing such fascinating questions as how did the universe originate and how will it end, and how can we meld sci...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
May 12th 1998
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1997)
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I bought this book on a whim because I found a cheap, decent & used copy for a price I couldn't pass up. I've gotten more than my money's worth for this one. It's a great book & demonstrates how thoughtful Sagan was. I remember Bill Nye growing up but definitely wished I had been exposed to Carl Sagan as well. It's his memoirs written a little before his death. His thoughts on important issues such as Global Warming (Climate Change), our history as a species, our growth as a species &...more
Carl Sagan writes about many topics in this book, but manages to make them all readable and understandable. My favorites are his essays on exponential growth and decay, the universe, and abortion. He really clearly lays out his thoughts and makes hard to understand concepts reachable in science and mathematics. He makes what is probably the most logical argument I have ever read in the abortion debates about our need to decide what makes us human and determine at what point that happens. His sho...more
I liken Carl Sagan's explanation of physics, mathematics and astronomy in Billions and Billions and all his books to what Steven Pinker did for the field of linguistics in The Language Instinct: he takes extraordinarily complex phenomena and breaks them down so the intelligent reader fascinated by such quandaries, but who just didn't have the passion to study them academically, can understand and muse upon. I used Pinker's work when teaching linguistics in graduate school, and I could see physic...more
This is I think Carl Sagan's last published book, published in 1996. His chapter/essay, entitled "The Twentieth Century," is one of the most insightful summaries of what the universe is that I ever read. Well, maybe not the most insightful, but surely in the top three:
"Perhaps the most wrenching by-product of the scientific revolution has been to render untenable many of our most cherished and most comforting beliefs. The tidy anthropocentric proscenium of our ancestors has been replaced by a co...more
"Perhaps the most wrenching by-product of the scientific revolution has been to render untenable many of our most cherished and most comforting beliefs. The tidy anthropocentric proscenium of our ancestors has been replaced by a co...more
Written at the end of his life and published with an post script illuminating his unsuccessful battle with myelodysplasia, as well as a touching epilogue by his widow Ann Druyan. The book starts out with a kind of fleshing-out of humanity by its numbers, things like human population and resource usage and the age of the species are all implicitly synthesized into a description of people by very large numbers. It then touches on social and environmental issues, how people react to them, and what...more
I first read this book in Spanish when it was published. It must have been in the nineties, and I guess I was not older than twelve. I didn't understand a thing and never went further past the first chapter. Then one night I found myself watching Cosmos on Youtube and decided I had to read this book. It didn't deceive me. One after another, Carl Sagan expresses his own ideas and some of the greatest scientific achievements of humanity, entangling it with personal considerations. The book also re...more
Being the first book of Carl Sagan's that I've ever read, I imagine that this is an excellent introduction to the brilliance, style, and great variety of his thought. It suffers only from being somewhat superficial, as any book of essays must necessarily be (indeed, this is more a personal preference of mine than an objective condemnation of the book).
The clarity of Sagan's thought and his conversational tone of argumentation make the ideas contained here exceedingly accessible and refreshing....more
The clarity of Sagan's thought and his conversational tone of argumentation make the ideas contained here exceedingly accessible and refreshing....more
Quizás el más débil de los libros que he leído de Carl Sagan, más una recopilación de ideas que un denominador común, de todas formas sigue teniendo el estilo educador e informador de Sagan.
Mención aparte es el final del libro, el diagnostico y posterior lucha contra su enfermedad, al ser tan cercana a la experiencia que yo mismo tuve, el llegar a la misma conclusión que experimentar la muerte es una experiencia fantástica, el como un agnóstico enfrenta esta situación, la cruda verdad por sobre...more
Mención aparte es el final del libro, el diagnostico y posterior lucha contra su enfermedad, al ser tan cercana a la experiencia que yo mismo tuve, el llegar a la misma conclusión que experimentar la muerte es una experiencia fantástica, el como un agnóstico enfrenta esta situación, la cruda verdad por sobre...more
One of Sagan's best nonfiction works (and his last before his death.) The title of the book does not do justice to the topics he explores, but his main theme centers around global synergy and cooperation to solve the ills of modern society: ozone depletion, global warming, population control, economic parity, etc. The two chapters on the ozone and global warming are the BEST scientific yet approachable renditions on the topics and can be read out of context of the rest of the book for great educ...more
Carl Sagan's last book, finished shortly before his death, is an interesting and, at times, curious work. Dr. Sagan starts out a bit off form: the first third or so of the book is rather lacking in his signature eloquence, and he makes a couple of uncharacteristic errors. In the chapter "Monday-night Hunters," for example, he overextends our knowledge of the evolution of behavior in making sweeping, unsupported conclusions about our (and here, by "our", I mean "society's", and not my own) love o...more
A collection of essays about a wide variety of topics, including global warming, abortion, and the threat of nuclear annihilation. Sagan is best at synthesizing vast amounts of information to show that while we have made incredible improvements as human beings, we are also on the brink of ruining the planet and killing ourselves. He also provides historical and political background to these huge problems to back up the science, which I appreciate. He was very aware of and spoke out about the fac...more
“Billions and Billions” reads as a collection of essays by Carl Sagan, grouped by broad themes.
Part one is perhaps the most eclectic, navigating topics from the evolutionary history of homo sapiens to discoveries of solar systems with potentially life-supporting planets. This part of the book also contains a very accessible but surficial overview of a handful of physical phenomena, such as electromagnetic radiation, and mathematical fundamentals, such as exponents and progressions – concepts th...more
Part one is perhaps the most eclectic, navigating topics from the evolutionary history of homo sapiens to discoveries of solar systems with potentially life-supporting planets. This part of the book also contains a very accessible but surficial overview of a handful of physical phenomena, such as electromagnetic radiation, and mathematical fundamentals, such as exponents and progressions – concepts th...more
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For some reason I was very hesitant to pick up the book. Perhaps it is the intimidating content, however, it is incredible. I am no where near finished yet as I am re-reading several topics. Sometimes I like to breeze through books, other times I like to soak in every letter.
While I am a great admirer of Carl Sagan, this book isn't his best work. That is understandable, considering he was dying while he was finishing it. Much of it is preaching to the choir, like the meticulous case he makes for fighting global warming. Scientifically literate readers already understand the global warming threat, Carl. It's everyone else we need to worry about. The book also feels a bit dated. Consider the title itself, a reference to a recurring joke Johnny Carson would make at Car...more
This was the last book written by the late and great Carl Sagan before he passed away. Carl Sagan was a legend of our time who helped popularize science and to encourage the youth to be excited with the possibilities offered to the world through scientific exploration and reason. In "Billions and Billions", Carl Sagan tried to bring forth our understanding of humanity in connection with the grand scheme of the cosmos. This book is a read that helps put tenderness and realism in one's heart. Huma...more
Easier to read than "Cosmos," it's insightful, underscored with sadness as Sagan comes to grip with his own pending death. This work is more about his personal life than anything, and for those who have ever fallen in love with someone unavailable, it's almost like pricking your finger on a needle - that sudden hot, pointed breakage.
As an aside, this book is (obviously) not in the Christian section of the bookstore, but the woman Sagan loves goes to great lengths to shut herself off from "anythi...more
As an aside, this book is (obviously) not in the Christian section of the bookstore, but the woman Sagan loves goes to great lengths to shut herself off from "anythi...more
Sagan was a salesman for atheism/humanism and I didn't even realize I was buying his goods. I was enamored with the "Star Trek" view of the universe, and Sagan's view of the impersonal universe was incorporated in my "hodge-podge" faith because it made me feel sophisticated and learned. Sagan can be trusted as an astronomer but he can't be trusted to stay out of matters he does not understand. That's when I should have read How Should We Then Live?. I was very certain that God had created the un...more
Miles de datos relevantes y cifras significativas que el autor comparte con nosotros:el valor de la cuantificacion,datos cognoscibles y el riesgo-engaño de la especulacion,el riesgo latente de la sobrepoblacion mundial,reacciones nucleares,competitividad deportiva ligada al nacionalismo y la guerra,chovinismo,etnocentrismo,xenofobia,existencia de vida extraterrestre,exploracion espacial,evolucion,supervivencia,ecologia,el futuro de la especie,oraculos(Creso y Herodoto,Cassandra de Troya y Apolo)...more
This is probably one of the most accessible of Sagan's books - I read it easily in a few sittings. It goes into topics that one can scarcely wrap their mind around and somehow, at the end of the chapter, you get it. Sagan is more than just a physicist, or an astronomer, he is a philosopher. I imagine doing the work of a physicist and exploring what might be out there in the universe could cause one to often reflect the nature of life and man. Just looking up at a distant star can make my life se...more
I went into this book, my first Carl Sagan book, with high hopes. I had heard all about how wonderfully Mr. Sagan could explain the most complex of scientific concepts in easy-to-understand language; and how his essays on society and life were profoundly philosophical. I was excited to grab this off the shelf at the library.
And sadly, I expect that is why I found myself enjoying the book about as frequently as I was bored with it. The fact remains that I have encountered better essayists, and b...more
And sadly, I expect that is why I found myself enjoying the book about as frequently as I was bored with it. The fact remains that I have encountered better essayists, and b...more
Brilliant in the way Sagan so often was, this collection is also even more personal and shows even more insight into the person he was than the other things I have read. One of the pieces that stands out in my mind, perhaps because it was a topical departure than his normal material, is a piece he and his wife wrote regarding abortion and at what point, scientifically, it could be said life begins. I do not agree with everything in the article, but the way in which is was written is something I...more
This was my first Carl Sagan book and I'm very happy I read it - and would totally recommend it.
The "story" itself is just a list of some of the author's thoughts and opinions (just like the title says). Some of which I couldn't completely understand as they refer exclusively to USA and some of which I can completely relate to/agree with. In general, they are not only thoughts, but information - I can honestly say I'd never really understood the ozone and global warming issues til now, for insta...more
The "story" itself is just a list of some of the author's thoughts and opinions (just like the title says). Some of which I couldn't completely understand as they refer exclusively to USA and some of which I can completely relate to/agree with. In general, they are not only thoughts, but information - I can honestly say I'd never really understood the ozone and global warming issues til now, for insta...more
Carl Sagan is fierce and so is this book. Insightful and educational, captures your attention right away, especially if you have an interest in science.
In his last published work Carl Sagan explores the beauty of quantification, the dangers humans pose to the environment, and human morality through his many speeches and essays. All the essays and speeches presented well reasoned arguments and simple explanations that made Sagan such a powerful spoke person and popular figure. While some of the material is dated and the dire warnings of ozone depletion, global warming, and all out nuclear war can get repetitious, they are still worthy of our att...more
Wonderful piece of work. This book trully reaffirmed my by now greatly grown inspiration towards science and skepticism. Carl's success in conveying such crucial reflections on the delicate nature of our continuty as species and the seriousness of a needed change in our thinking, in order to surmount the dangers and perils, that accompany the disproportionality between our technological advance and wisdom, is fascinating. I'd say he lived well, and left much for us. He lived like a real heroe, a...more
Please refer to my review of "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan for my thoughts on Sagan's work. This one, at the time it was written, was quite revolutionary in that it introduced the basic scientific theory that was the foundation for the entire Climate Change movement. What scientists have done with that concept today leaves much to be desired, (and the people who represent the spearhead of the movement are not leading it the way Sagan would have) but the fundamental ideas for Climate Change / Global War...more
3 and a half stars:
This was an interesting read. However, Sagan gets a bit monotonous in this one. Two thirds of the book discusses global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Although he explains these problems better than most, and gives clearer insights into the science behind these phenomena, at some point I found myself thinking "OK. Enough is enough. Next topic, please!"
His other views on nuclear weapons, abortion, and his own mortality redeem the book. If he never deviated from g...more
This was an interesting read. However, Sagan gets a bit monotonous in this one. Two thirds of the book discusses global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Although he explains these problems better than most, and gives clearer insights into the science behind these phenomena, at some point I found myself thinking "OK. Enough is enough. Next topic, please!"
His other views on nuclear weapons, abortion, and his own mortality redeem the book. If he never deviated from g...more
Okay, there are definitely chapters here that should be required reading for honors science and/or math students here. There are definitely chapters that I think any science-minded adult or even those that are at least fascinated by science should be reading. For myself, it was the book that opened up my first thoughts that perhaps religion as an institution could be detrimental, and that there was a beginning of a dividing line between the institution and the spirituality that the institution t...more
I didn't enjoy this as much as Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World, mostly because I read Demon much closer to its 1996 publication date. I would have enjoyed Billions much more had I read it closer to when it was released (1997), as opposed to 12 years after Sagan's death. Many of the chapters comprising Billions were written in the 80s and are dated now. There were still some good parts, and obviously the more cosmic "big picture" stuff isn't much effected by 10-20 years. In fact, some of Sagan's...more
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An American Astronomer, author, and renowned promoter of sciences, Carl Edward Sagan was the co-writer and presenter of the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, seen by more than 500 million people in over 60 countries.
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“I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But as much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking.”
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“Perhaps, in retrospect, there would be little motivation even for malevolent extraterrestrials to attack the Earth; perhaps, after a preliminary survey, they might decide it is more expedient just to be patient for a little while and wait for us to self-destruct.”
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Jun 28, 2010 01:36am