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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Sagan published this one in the year preceding his death, and you do get to experience a small bit of grouchy old man in his writing style. When compared to his prior works, there's an edge of sarcasm and criticism, but it's nonetheless wrapped in the same comfortable, familiar, and thoughtful writing style. The societal issues outlined in this book are a snapshot of the '90s, and yet some of these topics are making a surprising comeback in recent years. The critiques presented here are widely-applicable and carefully-balanced between curiosity, humility, and intellectual rigor, allowing one to arrive at their own pace to a uniquely fleshed-out scientific method of thinking—while also inoculating against the sensationalist tendencies of the press. I'd strongly recommend it for both the sarcasm and the careful treatment of complex cultural issues.
I heard about this book on the Reading Envy Podcast 093: Spewing Science. After listening to Jeff Koeppen talk about Carl Sagan I had to download and start listening to this immediately. It totally satisfied my Carl Sagan appetite.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
The book was a little longer than it needed to be and nothing really surprised me but it was still kinda interesting. Most of what Sagan said about society still seems to hold today although some of the specific conspiracy theories he spends the most time discussing are probably a little less relevant. Also I'd push back against the idea that more hours spent in K-12 school and on homework is necessarily part of the solution to better American education.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced