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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
hopeful
informative
inspiring
Sagan is as helpful with his language as he is thoughtful. A much needed jolt of rational thinking to keep us from sliding back into days of witch trials and inquisition. He provides bridging language from the world of make beleive to the world of what we can actually know, rather than using harsh us-them dialectic that encourages scared poeple to double down on their bad ideas and blind faith.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This book is Sagan's Science promotion masterpiece. Covering a wide array of topics from aliens, to conspiracy, to common superstition and hallucinations Sagan offers a skeptical take on how to apply science and temper the wildly appealing supernatural beliefs. It is evident how strongly he cares for scientific thought and it's positive effect on society and the world. Carl includes several ominous messages about society's progression towards a lazy, science ignorant populace which eerily reflects today's society. For those who have the patience, this is a great read for science and its fans.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Si piensas que la ciencia engloba solo descubrimientos, teorías inútiles y teoremas que nunca vas a utilizar en el mundo real, es necesario leer este libro.
La ciencia es un método, una manera de ver el mundo y no solamente en lo práctico, sino como una especie de verificación de ideas, para que no tengan efectos nocivos en nosotros.
Por otro lado. Tiene algunos puntos negativos el autor. Dentro de su pasión por defender la ciencia, se nota que se deja llevar por su rechazo por cualquier creencia fuera de lo científico, en especial la religión, la cual se percibe un rechazo irónicamente irracional, ya que, aunque plantea argumentos, estos no son lo suficientemente sólidos ni exhaustivos como debieran. Simplemente se deja llevar por su prejuicio.
Aunque es importante decir que esto no lo lleva a parecer odioso ni cínico, es un rechazo más o menos leve.
La ciencia es un método, una manera de ver el mundo y no solamente en lo práctico, sino como una especie de verificación de ideas, para que no tengan efectos nocivos en nosotros.
Por otro lado. Tiene algunos puntos negativos el autor. Dentro de su pasión por defender la ciencia, se nota que se deja llevar por su rechazo por cualquier creencia fuera de lo científico, en especial la religión, la cual se percibe un rechazo irónicamente irracional, ya que, aunque plantea argumentos, estos no son lo suficientemente sólidos ni exhaustivos como debieran. Simplemente se deja llevar por su prejuicio.
Aunque es importante decir que esto no lo lleva a parecer odioso ni cínico, es un rechazo más o menos leve.
challenging
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Up to the halfway mark, I thought that I would not like this book. I admire and respect Carl Sagan and I totally understand the importance of critical thinking and skepticism in our lives but did he really need hundreds of pages to make the same point? That pseudoscience must be taken with a grain of salt??? That astrology, superstition, UFOs, faith healing are all hoaxes and must not be considered???
BUT...my opinion of the book changed on its second half where the curmudgeonly tone mellowed and he discussed the importance of science, the Bill of Rights, democracy, which are all things close to my heart. In fact, I was a bit sore that the book had to end because I wanted him to go on and on about how science must be protected and promoted at all costs.
This book reads like a treatise, like Luther's 95 Theses or any such important proclamation, on how we must be rational at all times to keep 'demons' at bay and recognize science as a beacon of hope for our times. Had a good time reading this, or more accurately, had a good time reading the second half.
BUT...my opinion of the book changed on its second half where the curmudgeonly tone mellowed and he discussed the importance of science, the Bill of Rights, democracy, which are all things close to my heart. In fact, I was a bit sore that the book had to end because I wanted him to go on and on about how science must be protected and promoted at all costs.
This book reads like a treatise, like Luther's 95 Theses or any such important proclamation, on how we must be rational at all times to keep 'demons' at bay and recognize science as a beacon of hope for our times. Had a good time reading this, or more accurately, had a good time reading the second half.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced