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A review by vikingvisuals
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
5.0
I have a soft spot in my heart for anything Carl Sagan writes. "Cosmos" was the book that made my interest in science and space become a fervent passion. The writing in this book is no less engaging.
Multiple topics are tackled and given extremely fair treatment, even the topic of skepticism itself. The book is a journey into how people can mislead themselves and how science is an extremely important tool to steer clear of such folly.
When dealing with pseudoscience Carl Sagan is careful not to just call out the bullshit but to try and understand where these misguided beliefs come from and how they can better be combated in the future. For example he looks at the education system in the US compared to other nations and pleads for more general understanding of basic scientific concepts and the need for encouraging a sense of curiosity and wonder over brainless memorization of facts for passing exams.
There are so many beautiful passages in this book. It truly is a wonderful experience reading his words and taking on his lessons. I envy all students who got to sit in one of his classes. Highly recommend this book.
Multiple topics are tackled and given extremely fair treatment, even the topic of skepticism itself. The book is a journey into how people can mislead themselves and how science is an extremely important tool to steer clear of such folly.
When dealing with pseudoscience Carl Sagan is careful not to just call out the bullshit but to try and understand where these misguided beliefs come from and how they can better be combated in the future. For example he looks at the education system in the US compared to other nations and pleads for more general understanding of basic scientific concepts and the need for encouraging a sense of curiosity and wonder over brainless memorization of facts for passing exams.
There are so many beautiful passages in this book. It truly is a wonderful experience reading his words and taking on his lessons. I envy all students who got to sit in one of his classes. Highly recommend this book.