Last night, on a whim, I started rereading Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World. It's been about four years since I first read the book, and I have matured as a reader since that time. While before I thought it was a good book, I now think it is a great book. Quite possibly one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. I would strongly encourage anyone who hasn't read it to do so.
The Demon-Haunted World is a book about skepticim and wonder, the two central components of science. More importantly, the book is about moving forward as a culture in an honest way. To paraphrase the author, I'd rather know the painful truth than a pleasant lie. The book's subtitle, Science as a Candle in the Dark, puts it quite nicely.
Carl Sagan was one of the greatest popularizers of science, and I can't recommend his work enough. The Demon-Haunted World is certainly the most in-the-moment relevant, but all his books are fantastic.
Yes, it is an absolute crying shame more people don't appreciate Carl Sagan.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the most important book I've read so far, and I doubt I'll ever read one that will change my life in the same way. What I guess I'm trying to say is is... I second this post :).
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