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The Varieties of Scientific Experience

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 3,280 ratings · 250 reviews

On the 10th anniversary of his death, brilliant astrophysisist and Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sagan's prescient exploration of the relationship between religion and science and his personal search for God. Carl Sagan is considered one of the greatest scientific minds of our time. His remarkable ability to explain science in terms easily understandable to the layman in best...more On the 10th anniversary of his death, brilliant astrophysisist and Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sagan's prescient exploration of the relationship between religion and science and his personal search for God. Carl Sagan is considered one of the greatest scientific minds of our time. His remarkable ability to explain science in terms easily understandable to the layman in bestselling books such as Cosmos, The Dragons of Eden, and The Demon-Haunted World won him a Pulitzer Prize and placed him firmly next to Isaac Asimov, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sachs as one of the most important and enduring communicators of science. In December 2006 it will be the tenth anniversary of Sagan's death, and Ann Druyan, his widow and longtime collaborator, will mark the occasion by releasing Sagan's famous ""Gifford Lectures in Natural Theology,"" The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God. The chance to give the Gifford Lectures is an honor reserved for the most distinguished scientists and philosophers of our civilization. In 1985, on the grand occasion of the centennial of the lectureship, Carl Sagan was invited to give them. He took the opportunity to set down in detail his thoughts on the relationship between religion and science as well as to describe his own personal search to understand the nature of the sacred in the vastness of the cosmos. The Varieties of Scientific Experience, edited, updated and with an introduction by Ann Druyan, is a bit like eavesdropping on a delightfully intimate conversation with the late great astronomer and astrophysicist. In his charmingly down-to-earth voice, Sagan easily discusses his views on topics ranging from manic depression and the possibly chemical nature of transcendance to creationism and so-called intelligent design to the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets to the likelihood of nuclear annihilation of our own to a new concept of science as ""informed worship."" Exhibiting a breadth of intellect nothing short of astounding, he illuminates his explanations with examples from cosmology, physics, philosophy, literature, psychology, cultural anthropology, mythology, theology, and more. Sagan's humorous, wise, and at times stunningly prophetic observations on some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos have the invigorating effect of stimulating the intellect, exciting the imagination, and reawakening us to the grandeur of life in the cosmos.(less)

ebook, 304 pages

Published November 2nd 2006 by Penguin Books (first published 2006)

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Oct 01, 2007 Bin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Varieties of Scientific Experience is a transcript of Carl Sagan's presentation of the Gifford Lectures.

While each lecture is self contained, the come together as a whole - each obliquely addressing questions about man's place in the universe, basic science, the relationship of rational inquiry to religion, and the implications of belief in extraterrestrial life.

Here, Sagan is presented in his typical form. He is at once witty, understandable, profound, and compassionate.

Of particular inte...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Daniel Villines rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Daniel by: Jamie

Imagine that at some long ago point in human history, a human first looked at her hand, and knew for certain that that hand was her very own. And from there she would look at things, think about how things worked, and put things together in order to survive and ultimately to thrive.

Now imagine some distant point in the future. Where will we be? It’s impossible to say but the possibilities, if made simple enough, are clear. We will either be alive and thriving, or we will not be anywhere at all.

T...more

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Feb 20, 2008 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Dorks

Recommended to John by: Alece

An absolutely positive mindfuck, built as you know Carl Sagan would build a book of his own essays. I particularly liked the section in the back where he's transcribed the post-lecture questions and well-fielded answers. You'll be entirely entertained and interested, guaranteed.

The book is not solely about God, it's also about (other) extraterrestrial intelligence and many other interrelated fields. Also, Sagan's not one tenth so vehement an atheist as Dawkins, and potential readers afraid of le...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Erik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-faves

This is the first book of Carl Sagan's that I've read, and I think it's probably the perfect bridge for me between my science books and the books on religion (or atheism) that I've read.

I have seen Cosmos and found it remarkably ahead of its time, and the same is true for what Carl had lectured on at the Gifford Lectures, from which this book is transcribed. Always ahead of his time, and always showing amazing grasp of the topic at hand, the book is both funny and astonishing. Even though much...more

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Dec 29, 2008 Katherine Parker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-about-god-absence-thereof

Carl Sagan rules the Universe, kind of literally. I wish I were as smart as CS.

Eric got me this book for Christmas, and I read it straight through, even the Q&A transcripts in the back. If you are interested in spirituality but don't believe in the Big Daddy in the Sky, if our mere existence (not to mention manatees, ferns, toads, the molten core of the earth, and billions and billions of stars) makes you sorta awestruck when you pause to think about it, this book will not fail to delight. I...more

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Nov 04, 2008 Daniella rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Angela; anyone interested in the correllations/differences between science and religion

Recommended to Daniella by: No one

Shelves: non-fiction, science, natural-theology, history, to-buy, 2008, sagan

Vonnegut summarized this book far better than I ever could when he said:

"Find here a major fraction of this stunningly valuable legacy left to all of us by a great human being. I miss him so."

As do I.

The Varieties of Scientific Experience is largely a transcription of Professor Sagan's (and he truly deserves that title) 1985 Gifford Lectures, which may sound, to the uninitiated, rather dry and uninteresting. However, as I read this book I found myself wholly engrossed, as if he was speaking dire...more

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Jul 10, 2008 Mazola1 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In 1985, Carl Sagan gave the Gifford Lectures on Natural Theology in Scotland. His wife, Ann Druyan, found the transcripts, together with Sagan's notes for a book he had hoped to write with her about a synthesis of the spiritual perspectives they had derived from the revelations of science. Druyan, noting that William James turned his own Gifford lectures into his famous and influential book, The Varieties of Religious Experience, collected and edited Sagan's Gifford lectures, and titled the boo...more

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Mar 31, 2009 Schuyler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Who doesn't like Carl Sagan? I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't. Well, maybe some religious zealot. I always enjoy any opportunity to think about the ever-expanding universe. Sagan touches on all the cool stuff you want to talk about when talking about space, such as the possibilities of extraterrestrial life, the existence of God, and if the universe is ever-expanding, what is it expanding into? Huh? Answer me that! Some sort of Fourth Dimension!? Whoa. I think my brain ju...more

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Jun 12, 2008 Dustin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pop-science

Carl Sagan was one of the best at taking an exceptionally complex issue, often fraught with emotional and intuitional baggage, and rendering it into language that anyone can easily understand. He was also extremely generous in allowing that in any discussion of science or religion, no one, not even he, has all the answers, or maybe ever will.

This book is a transcript of a series of lectures he gave at Glasgow University, dealing with natural religion, which basically deals with the intersection...more

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Aug 21, 2008 Chad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Carl Sagan was a truly amazing man, and this relatively brief and accessible collection of talks he presented when he was invited to give the prestigious Gifford Lectures back in 1985 is only one of many reasons why. Though he's been dead for over 10 years now - and these speeches themselves are more than 20 years old at this point - he still seems light years ahead of so many of us, scientifically, intellectually, and spiritually. He makes you feel amazed just to be alive, to be a part of such...more

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Aug 30, 2009 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the land of platitudes and prophets, here is the real thing: an American hero. How tragic they we need to resort to Sagan's 1985 Gifford Lectures for a sober analysis of man's continual search (and redefinition) of his place in the universe. Avoiding the distracting (although admittedly funny) polemics of the "New Atheists" Sagan wrestles with God and green men alike, considering the likelihood of each with the same equanimity that he gives to all natural phenomena. No, it's not his most ambi...more

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Jan 15, 2008 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sagan quietly states in the middle of a sobering paragraph that "God is the sum of all natural laws in the universe." Yes, Sagan challenges the faithful to provide evidence acceptable to him (which is nothing less than a phenomenon observed and replicated by many), and his demand is contrary to the law of faith. However, Sagan's challenge motivates me to undertake careful inventory of my own knowledge, both secular and religious, to substantiate my personal beliefs. In the near future, I hope to...more

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Feb 19, 2008 Charlie Wilkins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These are the collected Gifford Hall lectures that Carl Sagan delivered in 1985. There's all the usual stuff about the need for healthy skepticism, as well as a brief tour of the various phenomenon involved in the creation of astronomical bodies, but the key thing I came away from this book with, is that Carl Sagan has found that the pursuit of science, the pursuit of real understanding about the natural world to be even more spiritually satisfying and profound than the mundane religions and fai...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: feeding-the-learning-hunger

Edited by his widow, this is a collection of speeches Sagan made trying to articulate his beliefs and they are powerful. A new concept of god: “something not very different from the sum total of the physical laws of the universe; that is, gravitation plus quantum mechanics plus grand unified field theories plus a few other things equaled god. And by that all they meant was that here were a set of exquisitely powerful physical principles that seemed to explain a great deal that was otherwise inex...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is so refreshing to finally finish a book. Since my life as an adult has begun (post-college), finishing a book is an increasingly rare event. I currently am on a science kick to such a degree that I have found myself wondering if I ought to go back to school and get an undergraduate degree in biology. Why? Just for fun. Anyway, this book is a book of recorded lectures that Sagan gave in Britain--something called the Gifford Lectures, which are probably prestigious. Anyway, they concern scien...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I do wish everyone would read this book. I know that those with minds that are closed - whether known or not or willingly or not - would still not respond to the arguments that Sagan makes, but it might make a difference for those who are willing to take inquiry seriously. Sagan was a genius, but it was his ability to communicate to the masses that made him historical.

Throughout his lectures, he evokes the wisdom of others --

From the intro: "he insisted with Bertrand Russell that 'what is...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Ziqi Wang rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Containing entrancing prose with beautifully formatted pictures, the book is comprised of a series of lectures Sagan gave at the University of Glasgow in the eighties, but reads like a continuous work (hats off to Ann Druyan's editing), and contains some Q and A's in the back. I read this a couple of months back, and the conversational passages Sagan penned still resonate in the back of my mind. This book, much like his others, begin with the classic Sagan treatment--pulling you back, back, back...more Containing entrancing prose with beautifully formatted pictures, the book is comprised of a series of lectures Sagan gave at the University of Glasgow in the eighties, but reads like a continuous work (hats off to Ann Druyan's editing), and contains some Q and A's in the back. I read this a couple of months back, and the conversational passages Sagan penned still resonate in the back of my mind. This book, much like his others, begin with the classic Sagan treatment--pulling you back, back, back into your proper place in the universe. This is achieved through the various pictures from the Hubble space telescope, along with insightful dialogue hinting at our own insignificant nature in the vast cosmos.

Sagan then jumps into conversations revolving around the future of space exploration, delves headlong into speculations concerning extraterrestrial life (Drake's equation and von Daniken), leading to complications in belief, in faith. Religion and science (and the battles between the two) are prevalent themes throughout the book. But instead of espousing one and degrading the other, Sagan weighs them with equal hands and treats the issue with an open mind. This, of course, as the title hints, is the meat of the book--leading the reader to question the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent being.

My favorite quote: "Many religions have attempted to make statues of their gods very large, and the idea, I suppose, is to make us feel small. But if that's their purpose, they can keep their paltry icons. We need only look up if we wish to feel small. It's after an exercise such as this that many people conclude that religious sensibility is inevitable." (from pg.28)

Through the open discussion and his own wit, Sagan's book transcends the traditional aporia surrounding science and religion, and lays the foundation for a clearer, more directed discussion leading you to make your own hypotheses.

I wholly recommend this book, for enlightened conversations will undoubtedly ensue.

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Sep 17, 2012 Douglas Dalrymple rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Here we have the transcripts of Sagan’s Gifford Lectures (on “natural theology”) from 1985, complete with the wonderfully selected and beautifully printed slides that he showed while lecturing. As one might judge from the write-ups by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris on the back of the volume, the book is being re-packaged these days as a relevant text for advocates of the so-called New Atheism.

I think it’s appropriate to be at least a little suspicious of this co-opting. When Sagan talks about a...more Here we have the transcripts of Sagan’s Gifford Lectures (on “natural theology”) from 1985, complete with the wonderfully selected and beautifully printed slides that he showed while lecturing. As one might judge from the write-ups by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris on the back of the volume, the book is being re-packaged these days as a relevant text for advocates of the so-called New Atheism.

I think it’s appropriate to be at least a little suspicious of this co-opting. When Sagan talks about astronomy and science in general, and the history of science, he really is compelling. His sympathy for wonder and his commitment to inquiry are infectious. But I don’t think his aims are quite the same as those of Dawkins and Harris et al. His ultimate goal is clearly not to crush any sense of or longing for the divine, but to deliver a lesson in epistemological humility (the same lesson, in fact, that Job gets when God speaks too him from out of the whirlwind). I think this is a difference that counts.

That said, the book frankly becomes less interesting when Sagan ceases to lecture on science per se and moves on to dismantle the Mr-Potato-Head arguments traditionally put forward to (supposedly) demonstrate the existence of God. Anyone who’s sat through an introductory Philosophy course in college and paid any amount of attention will know how easily this is done. But religion, whatever it is and for all its accretions over the millennia, is (like life itself) not founded upon or honestly reducible to rational argument or experimental demonstration.

The title of Sagan’s book, of course, recalls the American philosopher William James’s The Varieties of Religious Experience, which was similarly drawn from his own Gifford Lectures, delivered eighty-some years earlier. These two books are not, despite the implication, arguing from diametrically opposed positions. Both are open and curious, both can incite towards wonder. But James’s book has aged better than Sagan’s (which suffers from scientific progress in his own field as well as from an excess of Cold War hand-wringing) and is more substantial in both senses of the word.
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Jul 25, 2012 Long Nguyen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oozing with Carl Sagan's voice (it is a series of lectures after all), it is a meal best savored if slow, and if one is also talented enough, done in his voice mentally. I have long been seeking a book to give to my religious friends that doesn't attempt to dispute God's existence (we have Dawkins, Dennett, etc.), but merely provide them with those questions to challenge orthodoxy. Sagan also touches in this book various topics such as extraterrestrial life and the knowledge of neurology as is k...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Mathieu Debic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: essays, natural-sciences, non-fiction, philosophy

In this collection of talks Dr. Sagan gave in the mid-eighties at the Gifford Lectures (the same lectures that led to William James' "Varieties of Religious Experience," from which Sagan's book riffs its name) he clearly, concisely, and convincingly lays out his personal view of religion and religious experience as well as his views on how science can, contrary to popular belief, be just as useful to us in the search for the truth about the universe as can religious tradition.

One aspect of Dr. S...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Robert Lomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this book as a Christmas present and was both surprised and pleased to see part of Carl Sagan's unpublished archive had made it into the public domain. The work is a series of transcripts of a series of Gifford lectures, on the topic of natural theology, which Sagan delivered in Glasgow during 1985. The style of the book is different from those such as Cosmos of Contact which he deliberately prepared for written publication, as in this case the text is transcribed from his verbal pres...more I received this book as a Christmas present and was both surprised and pleased to see part of Carl Sagan's unpublished archive had made it into the public domain. The work is a series of transcripts of a series of Gifford lectures, on the topic of natural theology, which Sagan delivered in Glasgow during 1985. The style of the book is different from those such as Cosmos of Contact which he deliberately prepared for written publication, as in this case the text is transcribed from his verbal presentations in public lectures and includes his impromptu responses to unscripted questions.
The end results, sensitively edited by Ann Druyan, is a delightful opportunity to experience the rhetorical skill, and depth of thinking, of a man who had been brought up a Jew, had a great respect of the pervasive sense of order he discovered through his telescopes and remote controlled space craft and was genuinely opened minded about the root causes of reality.
The lecture topics begin with the sense of wonder which anyone can feel by looking out into the heavens on a clear night, move on discuss the place of humanity in the universe and then discuss the origins and probability of the emergence of life. Having established a foundation of the cosmos humanity inhibits Sagan's next lecture begins to pose the question "Are we alone?". He looks at the possibility of discovering and communicating with any intelligences which might have developed elsewhere in the universe, and whether any such contact has already taken place. Next his lectures move on to discuss the nature of the concept of God, and whether either human religious experiences or science can offer any insights. His penultimate lecture looks human condition and humanity's future prospects. He makes a strong case for the need to learn to love our fellow humans and to learn how to cooperate with individuals whose views we do not accept, it we as a species are to survive long-term. He makes the powerful point, in discussing the potential destructive power of humanity, that such cooperation is not needed to save the planet, as he comments
"Whatever the causes that divide us (humanity)... it is clear that the Earth will be here a thousand or a million years from now. The question, the key question, the central question - in a certain sense the only question - is, will we?"
The final lecture is an inspirational exhortation to use the skills of science, the insights of religion and the common cause of all earthlings to make the most of a tiny, island of life.

The book is a wonderful inspirational read. It shows the strength of science method, the motivational urge of religion and urges all humanity to realise how unusual or "pale blue dot" of a home is and how we should all try to take care of it.
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Aug 23, 2011 Kylene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was drawn to this book because I had read William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience years ago. And the title indeed was based on James' title, each book being a series of lectures given as the Gifford Lectures on Natural Religion at the University of Edinburgh.

Carl Sagan never really spells out what he believes about God. This is something everyone must discover for himself. Sagan gives us a set of tools for baloney detection which will work for every subject we come across. He spe...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Greg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science, religion

Another goodreads.com reviewer made a comment about this book being safe for those types that believe in big G to read, that it wouldn't offend. I think that reviewer may have read a different version of this book. Sagan casually lobs out atheism grenades to dismantle a whole slew of arguments in favor of whatever you'd like to call that omniscient, omnipotent, prime mover in the sky but he does it so politely and without necessarily pointing out that he is pulling apart entire proofs with just...more Another goodreads.com reviewer made a comment about this book being safe for those types that believe in big G to read, that it wouldn't offend. I think that reviewer may have read a different version of this book. Sagan casually lobs out atheism grenades to dismantle a whole slew of arguments in favor of whatever you'd like to call that omniscient, omnipotent, prime mover in the sky but he does it so politely and without necessarily pointing out that he is pulling apart entire proofs with just a few words. As much as I like the two arch-atheists who blurb the back of this book (Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris) Sagan's demeanor is what is missing in the fight between the believers and the 'new-Atheists', he's as effective as any of the current so-called Four Horsemen but he has a style that is less combative than at least 3/4's of them and slides doubts into his arguments that I imagine settling into someone's mind and then maybe a few months or a year or whenever later will ignite a few thoughts, like maybe when they are unable to fall asleep one night and their mind is just rifling through miscellaneous clutter scattered here and there in the cortex and that little doubt meme Sagan slipped in so innocently will spark something.

This book is a series of nine lectures about 'natural-religion', or religion that can be proved through observation. They were given in 1985 as part of the Gifford Lectures. The Gifford Lectures are apparently a pretty big deal and a who's who of intellectuals have been invited to give them over the years, and the basic topic is always natural-religion, which is a pretty open ended topic for one to talk about. Sagan begins by placing the Earth and it's inhabitants in a cosmic picture, he makes us realize how small we really are in the picture of the entire cosmos and he then gives a quick history of science lecture that shows how gradually the Aristotelean heliocentric view of the cosmos was decentered and from there begins talking about the painful process of having old cherished beliefs destroyed by new knowledge and the importance of putting our most cherished and emotionally held beliefs and doctrines to the most skeptical questioning.

The lectures are all great. Sagan's excitement and love for what he is discussing comes through in the book and it's inspiring to read someone who seems so genuinely interested in imparting what he finds awesome to others. And he talks about all of the things in this book without ever breaking into jargon, burying the read (or listener, since these are lectures) with scientific details or in seeming to ever talk down the reader.

Originally I thought I'd make this one of my rambling half-confessional half-diatribe reviews, but I think I'll just stick with what I have so far. I don't really like recommending books to people, but this one I will. Sagan does a great job making the world we live in seem great, wondrous, beautiful and full of mystery just as it is without having to resort to or add any myths or superstitious nonsense. (less)

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Oct 04, 2009 Jafar rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a good book. It would have been a lot better if a) I hadn’t already read a lot of its arguments in Contact; b) I had read it many years ago, before the rise of Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, and other intellectual-activist atheists who have beaten the subject to death.

I honestly don’t care about the big question. I can die happy not knowing if there is a god or not. But I liked how playful Sagan was in Contact and how he left open the possibility of a designed and purposeful universe. The c...more

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May 30, 2010 Tamara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had to read this for an english class, and wasn't expecting "hard science" but the second half was about folklore and the future; easier to follow! and in the end I felt grateful for having slogged through the first half, because I ended up with a better grasp of astronomy and physics. Sagan had a really calm, clear perspective and I honor his memory! The lectures were written for the 1984 Gifford Lectures in Scotland, and the immediate threat is nuclear war; in that sense it is a bit dated bu...more

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Nov 11, 2009 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, 2009

This book is a collection of the lectures Sagan gave during his Gifford Lectures appointment in Glasglow. Although he gave the lectures in 1985, they needed very little updating (done with minimal footnotes) upon their publication in 2006. I think the only thing I noticed that is irrelevant now is Sagan's musings about whether or not the universe is forever expanding, and the implications of a universe that expands and contracts (a footnote helpfully reveals that evidence now shows a rapidly exp...more

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Dec 03, 2011 David Spencer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stop what you're doing and go get this book from your local library or buy it and read it or borrow it from someone you know who has it. It is a breath of fresh and air and very beautiful. Seriously, it is utter genius, effortlessly compassionate and courageously sceptical and inquisitive. Ann Druyan picked a good 'un, and she continues to churn out the pinnacles of his legacy in a world after Sagan that is is still unfortunately largely pre-Sagan. The day when a post-Sagan world is achieved, I'...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Elise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before I was REALLY into science fiction, the one bit of science fiction I became interested in was the movie "Contact," which I saw as an adolescent - though admittedly, I was more interested in the tomboyish female heroine (go, Jodie Foster!) than in the stuff about outer space. Anyway, "Contact" was based on a novel of the same name by Carl Sagan. I bought the book soon after seeing the movie, but never really stuck with reading it - I remember feeling like a lot of it was going over my head,...more Before I was REALLY into science fiction, the one bit of science fiction I became interested in was the movie "Contact," which I saw as an adolescent - though admittedly, I was more interested in the tomboyish female heroine (go, Jodie Foster!) than in the stuff about outer space. Anyway, "Contact" was based on a novel of the same name by Carl Sagan. I bought the book soon after seeing the movie, but never really stuck with reading it - I remember feeling like a lot of it was going over my head, even though I had the advantage of knowing how Hollywood wanted me to imagine everything. Recently, a friend recommended "The Varieties of Scientific Experience," so I thought I'd give Carl Sagan another try.

The book consists of nine lectures Sagan gave in the mid-80s as part of the Gifford lecture series on natural theology. He tackles the issue that has perplexed both religious and non-religious people for years - how do we reconcile religious belief with scientific discovery and evidence, specifically evidence from the field of astrophysics, Sagan's specialty? The first few chapters/lectures were a bit science-heavy for me (which probably isn't true for most readers - I'm just not so good with science), but Sagan provides a couple of key takeaways, in my opinion: first, the universe is vast, and we are small; second, the universe has been around for much longer than we, humans, have.

In the second three-quarters of the book, Sagan goes more into the intersection between God and science, which is where I became more engaged. He also explores the question of the existence of extraterrestrials - another throwback, as I remember a period of time in my adolescenthood when UFO sightings seemed to be all over the news.

Sagan forces us to consider a number of questions, several of which I found particularly interesting. First, he basically goes into the creation debate: considering the vastness of the universe, both physically and in age, where and when did God enter? Did he create the entire universe, or did he just enter the picture that week humans entered the world? In other words, can we give God credit for having created the dinosaurs and all the other species of living things that existed before humans? Either way, since we know we are not to take the seven days literally, how do we reconcile the story of creation with the indisputable evidence that we evolved?

Another main point that I found intriguing is when Sagan discusses how advanced our means of self-extinction have become. The most natural instinct of all living beings is to preserve their species, and paradoxically, humans have spent years developing nuclear weapons that have the ability to wipe us all out. Sagan explains (in one of my most favorite images in the book) that if you take a picture of the earth from outer space, you won't see any country borders - they are human inventions, just like the equator. Yet, these invented borders have caused us to come close to obliterating entire cultures and nations. Sagan asks, do we have an obligation to continue preserving our species, which, after all, is the natural inclination of any species, or are we merely behaving according to some kind of destiny, as laid out in, say, the Book of Revelations? Either way, a bit freaky to think about.

I appreciated Sagan's skepticism, and how he both acknowledges the many forms of skepticism that exist. He also challenges the many justifications for the existence of God, without coming across as a non-believer. He doesn't go into whether or not he believes in or practices any kind of religion, but I imagine he often found himself in a position, as a scientist and an overall curious person, to constantly question what is real, and what should be believed. That's not something many people would be able or willing to talk about openly, but Sagan did so through the Gifford lectures - and inspired me, at least, to keep on with the search.(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, owned, physics, religion, science

I had been wanting to read this book since it first came out in 2006. First, it took me a while to procure a copy. Then, I convinced myself that I had to read James's The Varieties of Religious Experience first. For whatever reason, nas much as I was interested in James's work, I just could make any headway. (Perhaps it's because the edition I own is a bulky tome, and I just got sick of carting it around.)

But suddenly, this summer, it was time. We'd been watching Cosmos together as a family, and...more I had been wanting to read this book since it first came out in 2006. First, it took me a while to procure a copy. Then, I convinced myself that I had to read James's The Varieties of Religious Experience first. For whatever reason, nas much as I was interested in James's work, I just could make any headway. (Perhaps it's because the edition I own is a bulky tome, and I just got sick of carting it around.)

But suddenly, this summer, it was time. We'd been watching Cosmos together as a family, and while I found the first episode a little tedious, I've just been rapturously in love with it since then. Additionally, some recent conversations at Impression 5 about the big questions of physics have had me eyeing the science shelves of my collection much more seriously when I get home.

So in I dove. This book started out magnificently. Full of the awe at the grandeur of the universe that Sagan was always so enthusiastic about. And the first half contains absolutely gorgeous illustrations. I can hardly imagine anyone not being swept up in Sagan's sense of wonder. Well, anyone not too busy being offended by Sagan's skeptical approach to the claims of the religions of the world. Seriously. I got done with this book thinking I had no business going to church ever again. I'm still recovering.

Anyway, a third of my way into this book, I ran around declaring that this was going to be one of my top ten favorite nonfiction books of all time. Now that I'm finished, I'm not so sure. The problem seems to be a disconnect between what I was hoping for in this book, and what Sagan's intent was in giving these lectures. I eagerly sought out this book to understand better Sagan's spiritual understanding of the universe. To get a glimpse of how his scientific quest sustained and uplifted him. But of course, Sagan's faith? belief? understanding? propelled him further -- to action.

The final chapter focused on the likelihood of the human race exterminating itself before taking the next steps into the stars. Specifically, he focused on the nightmare scenario of nuclear holocaust. Which just felt dated. I know, I know, there are still enough nuclear warheads on this plant to blow us all up several times over, but the sense of urgency seems to have passed. Maybe we're deluding ourselves, but it no longer seems as likely a scenario. It seems much more likely to me, today, that if we are going to destroy ourselves, it will be through climate change/ecosystem collapse -- another concern that was near and dear to Sagan's heart. But the central idea of his conclusion -- that we much unite our religious and scientific efforts in the name of saving ourselves, remains powerful and true.

One of the most delightful features of the book was the excerpts from the transcripts of the Q&A sessions from this lecture series that concludes the book. It was wonderful to read his responses to multiple questioners who tried to back him into various corners -- his answers were always respectful, always assertive, always thoughtful. It did a good deal to pull me out of the funk of the "we're all gonna die" chapter. But still, I am left with the disquieting feeling -- what more could I be doing to protect the future of the human race?(less)

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Dec 28, 2009 Kaput rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, awesome-o, non-fiction

This might be the book for anybody who found The God Delusion unsatisfying. It's a series of lectures that Carl Sagan gave in the mid eighties concerning natural theology.

Sagan draws parallels between the search for god and the search for extra terrestrials and suggests that the more we want something to be true, the more vital it is we take a skeptical, rigorous approach to ensure we don't fool ourselves. He points out how easily any of us, even scientists, can be fooled by wanting to 'believe...more

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