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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
informative
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I cannot rate this book poorly, however I would not have chosen to listen to it (I had an Audible version) had I known what it actually was. All of the descriptions of the book say that it is about life and death, the vastness of the cosmos, and the intimacy of the human mind. The descriptions to me sound like a scientific book with a bit of philosophy thrown in.
This book is actually a series of essays written over the period of Sagan's career, which are for the most part political in nature. Topics cover various environmental issues, nuclear arms and weapons spending, abortion, as well as other political and moral topics. Some of the essays are a bit dated. I do actually agree for the most part with what he says, I just really wasn't looking for quite a political book, and I wish the descriptions of the book had been a bit more accurate.
The book is thoughtful and well written, and Sagan was obviously a thoughtful and intelligent man who attempted to approach issues from all sides. He does seem to fall a little bit more on the liberal side of things. The last chapter and the epilogue were different than the rest of the book. They were very personal and emotional, dealing with Sagan's illness and death.
If you are looking for a book that covers world issues and political topics from a scientific perspective this would be a good choice. Also, if you would like to know a little more about the final days of Carl Sagan's life you might enjoy the last couple of chapters.
If you are not wanting to read about politics or science it will not be a good choice. Also, if you are a conservative person who does not appreciate reading the opinions of others who don't agree with you, maybe avoid it.
This book is actually a series of essays written over the period of Sagan's career, which are for the most part political in nature. Topics cover various environmental issues, nuclear arms and weapons spending, abortion, as well as other political and moral topics. Some of the essays are a bit dated. I do actually agree for the most part with what he says, I just really wasn't looking for quite a political book, and I wish the descriptions of the book had been a bit more accurate.
The book is thoughtful and well written, and Sagan was obviously a thoughtful and intelligent man who attempted to approach issues from all sides. He does seem to fall a little bit more on the liberal side of things. The last chapter and the epilogue were different than the rest of the book. They were very personal and emotional, dealing with Sagan's illness and death.
If you are looking for a book that covers world issues and political topics from a scientific perspective this would be a good choice. Also, if you would like to know a little more about the final days of Carl Sagan's life you might enjoy the last couple of chapters.
If you are not wanting to read about politics or science it will not be a good choice. Also, if you are a conservative person who does not appreciate reading the opinions of others who don't agree with you, maybe avoid it.
Sagan is erudite and eloquent as ever. Although the chapters on technology and economics are a tad dated and meandering, this interdisciplinary book covers a lot of ground worth revisiting for anyone intellectually curious. The last section, In the Valley of the Shadow, is such a profoundly poignant and personal rumination about life, love and meaning that alone is worth regular re-reading.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
medium-paced
An amazing collection of thoughts and discussions that are so important to our present and future that I believe this should be mandatory reading for all adults and high school students. This was written over 20 years ago, and we were out of time then. I feel ashamed on behalf of humanity that we have not taken enough action to preserve and protect our planet.
Thoughtful reflections from a highly intelligent scientist written in an easy to understand and approachable form. I leave this book both inspired and humanized.
Sagan'ın müthiş öngörüleri ve humanizmi yine başrolde...
"Şu anda insan nüfusu 6 milyar dolayındadır. Katlanma süresi sabit kalırsa, bu sayı 40 yıl sonra 12 milyar, 80 yıl sonra 24 milyar, 120 yıl sonra 48 milyar olacaktır. Ancak Dünya'nın bu kadar insanı doyurabileceğine inanan pek yoktur. Katlanarak büyümenin bu gücünden dolayı, küresel yoksulluğa karşı bugün mücadele etmek, gelecekte bulabileceğimiz çözümlere kıyasla çok daha ucuz ve insanca olacaktır. Görevimiz dünya çapında bir demografik geçiş sağlamak ve katlanarak çoğalma eğrisini düzleştirmek olmalıdır. Bunu da yoksulluğu ortadan kaldırarak, güvenli ve etkili doğum kontrol yöntemlerini yaygınlaştırarak ve kadınlara gerçek siyasi güç vererek (yürütmede, yasamada, yargıda, askeri ve kamuoyunu etkileyen kurumlarda) yapabiliriz. Eğer başaramazsak, pek kontrol edemediğimiz diğer bazı süreçler bunu bizim yerimize yapacaktır."
"Şu anda insan nüfusu 6 milyar dolayındadır. Katlanma süresi sabit kalırsa, bu sayı 40 yıl sonra 12 milyar, 80 yıl sonra 24 milyar, 120 yıl sonra 48 milyar olacaktır. Ancak Dünya'nın bu kadar insanı doyurabileceğine inanan pek yoktur. Katlanarak büyümenin bu gücünden dolayı, küresel yoksulluğa karşı bugün mücadele etmek, gelecekte bulabileceğimiz çözümlere kıyasla çok daha ucuz ve insanca olacaktır. Görevimiz dünya çapında bir demografik geçiş sağlamak ve katlanarak çoğalma eğrisini düzleştirmek olmalıdır. Bunu da yoksulluğu ortadan kaldırarak, güvenli ve etkili doğum kontrol yöntemlerini yaygınlaştırarak ve kadınlara gerçek siyasi güç vererek (yürütmede, yasamada, yargıda, askeri ve kamuoyunu etkileyen kurumlarda) yapabiliriz. Eğer başaramazsak, pek kontrol edemediğimiz diğer bazı süreçler bunu bizim yerimize yapacaktır."
The last chapter (and the Epilogue) alone warrants a 5-star review - I teared up twice there, and I don't tear up, period. You can buy this book, skip the first 18 chapters, read the last 20 pages or so, and still be happy you spent the money on it.
But that aside, the rest of the book has its ups and downs. While the writing is beautiful, simple, and comprehensible in every chapter, there are some things to keep in mind. I, perhaps wrongly, expected more science - there is very little "hard" science in this book. In fact, the first few chapters mostly cover basic ideas, such what mathematical exponents are, or what a chemical molecule is. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was all mostly a build-up towards the issues of global warming, ozone layer depletion, and (global) wars. For a while it felt that it was those issues the book was all about - but the concluding few chapters tied things up and discussed what I had been waiting for since I started reading: thoughts on life and death.
But that aside, the rest of the book has its ups and downs. While the writing is beautiful, simple, and comprehensible in every chapter, there are some things to keep in mind. I, perhaps wrongly, expected more science - there is very little "hard" science in this book. In fact, the first few chapters mostly cover basic ideas, such what mathematical exponents are, or what a chemical molecule is. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was all mostly a build-up towards the issues of global warming, ozone layer depletion, and (global) wars. For a while it felt that it was those issues the book was all about - but the concluding few chapters tied things up and discussed what I had been waiting for since I started reading: thoughts on life and death.
If I could give this book 6/5 stars I would. There aren't words to describe the intelligence and beauty this book carries. I see myself rereading it every year in hopes of trying to recreate the joys of reading it for the first time.