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Summary: An Incredible & Thought Provoking Movie
Review: I just finished watching the movie again & each time I watch it, I manage to find something new in it that makes me think. The movie was wonderfully crafted & it involves so many themes & issues that I think people don't pay enough attention to (ex, religion vs. science & their search for truth, faith, etc.) All in all, it is one of my favorite movies & I highly recommend it to all the people who want a movie that will make them think & take a good look around.
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Summary: Finally...A must for any Atheist
Review: An awesome movie which also explains the big controversy between science and religion.
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Summary: Science v. Religion
Review: The old Science v. Religion is a classic bout of the ages, but this incarnation of it was, sadly, lame.
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Summary: Excellent Novel; Failed Political Point
Review: "Contact" is the story of one Dr. Eleanor Arroway, a radio astronomer whose work is responsible for Earth's first contact with an extraterrestrial species. From the start, Dr. Arroway is presented as a curious, confident, rational, independent lady--the ideal scientist. His description of her childhood and adolescence especially is poignant and serves to establish the Dr. Arroway we see throughout the novel.Though Dr. Arroway is the quintessential inquisitor, she is still a human being, subject to human yearnings and human desires--and, primarily, human failings. This plays significantly throughout the book, as the political obstacles she must deal with are often complicated by her romantic and professional involvement with scientists in key influential positions, both in and out of government. Faced with opposition from the Department of Defense, which is worried about what the Soviets; religious evangelists, who are concerned that they might not like the theological implications of contact with an alien species; and envious colleagues, who are worried that they might be publicly embarrassed, Dr. Arroway is forced to make compromises and concessions to reacher her one goal--the construction of the "Machine" described in blueprints transmitted to Earth by the alien civilization. It must be said, though, that the primary purpose of this novel is to build support for government funding of scientific work, especially projects such as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). At this, the novel fails miserably. Dr. Sagan's argument takes for granted that government has any place funding any sort of scientific work in the first place, a tenet that many (myself included) do not accept. Dr. Sagan wrote "Contact" to present a fantastic case for continued funding of SETI. What he produced was a fantastic story--in fact, the best science fiction novel ever written--but did not make his point.
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Summary: A flawless reading of an excellent book
Review: The only science fiction novel by a prominent astronomer who was the late twentieth century's foremost popularizer of science was bound to be something special, and Carl Sagan's "Contact" certainly is. No other science fiction novel is quite like it in its thrilling realism; one can easily believe that a sequence of events similar to that in the book could begin taking place tomorrow. The book is filled with a plethora of wonderful plot twists, fascinating details of scientific fact and speculation, and unexpected bits of characterization that only Sagan could have thought to include. Sagan, who apparently considered himself a "spiritual agnostic," explored religious as well as scientific issues in this work, and the result is arguably heretical if seen from a traditional religious standpoint -- but not heretical in the specific way a reader might initially expect. Indeed, the story's climactic twist makes "Contact" into a twentieth-century equivalent of "Paradise Lost" -- a work which, while subtly heretical, is one of the most awe-inspiringly religious books ever written. Jodie Foster's reading of "Contact" on this recording is absolutely superb. She differentiates between the voices of all the characters and her own voice as narrator -- even her voice for Ellie Arroway, the character she played in the movie of "Contact," is a subtly more energetic and characterful version of her normal voice. Foster also employs about seven different accents (counting her usual American accent) in the course of the recording, moving effortlessly from one to another when characters from several different countries have conversations. At one point, when Sagan's text describes a character as having an almost (but not quite) non-existent Russian accent, Foster even manages to produce exactly that! She also evokes all the varying moods of the story, conveying Sagan's sense of awe and wonder at the beauty and majesty of the universe. Foster's performance on this recording is probably the best reading of a book which I have ever heard. I listened to this recording over several nights, and was in suspense from one night to the next, wondering what would happen next. This superb example of the intelligence and artistry of Carl Sagan and Jodie Foster is highly recommended. Six out of five stars.
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Summary: A journey to the heart of the Universe..??.....
Review: ...Or to the heart of the human mind....?? This is indeed an excellent book which is worth reading a coupple of times to get all the details straight. There are so many neuances to it, and so many questions to think through. It differs from the movie, and that is probably why I didn't like it the first time I read it. I was also two years younger then, and I feel like I've gotten a much better perspective on things since then. I believe you have to be mature enough to read the entire book and not just skip the parts you find boring, to fully enjoy Contact. Carl Sagan has been critizised because he connected religion and science in the book. I think these people were very reigious, and couldn't handle that the two things may be compared to each other. Both come down to a search for something greater than ourselves, wether it is an omnipotent and omniscient god, the natural laws,or maybe something else out there.. Even though Man considers himself the center of the Universe, we are indeed not more than an ant in the unimaginable vastness of space..... I would like to recommend this book to everybody, but particulary to those who feel lost, cut off, alone. Because you're not. The only thing that makes the emptiness bearable is each other.....
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Summary: I want to be a radio astronomer now!
Review: Contact is a *very* believable story of humans detecting and decoding the first signal recieved from aliens. I don't want to reveal much more than that for if you are to read this book, there are so many exciting moments of mystery and discovery that unfold throughout the story. This book is captivating from the first page to the very last sentence. I highly recommend it to all.
For those that have seen Contact the movie already, in my opinion, the book is much better, and that is saying a lot since I thought the movie was excellent. If you enjoyed the movie, the book will dive deeper and reveal so much more that the movie did not.
One note... Sagan spends a good deal of time setting up and knocking down anything to do with religion. This is nothing new for Sagan (see almost any of his other books). For some, this might feel like old hat and a bit slow compared to the rest of the book. But it just made me crave more and more to get to the parts about the message and the amazing events that unfold after it is decoded.
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Summary: A true intellectual reading
Review: Few books will make your mind soar like this one can. Sagan's genius shows in this book again like it has in every other book he has written. What a wonderful book! It combines science, religion, philosophy, and literature. Each chapter begins with a wonderful quotation by some famous scholar or thinker.
The most enjoyable part of the book is the debate between believers and atheists/agnostics. Definitely a very thought provoking book.
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Summary: Excellent Choice!
Review: The novel Contact by Carl Sagan was an excellent read. Carl Sagan tells the story of Eleanor Arroway's search for extraterrestrial life. The trials and tribulations that she goes through in order to reach her goal are amazing. After many long years of research, she is rewarded with a transmission that appears to be coming from near the star Vega. Ellie immediately begins decoding the message. Ellie's life is forever changed by her discovery of the transmission.
Ellie has a rough time in becoming an astronomer and her life doesn't get any easier. Through college, she is the only girl in her glasses and is often made fun of by the other students. Following her graduation, she begins as an observer and works her way up to being the Head Supervisor of the Project Argus observatory in New Mexico. Fellow astronomers believe that the SETI project that Argus is focused is on is an extreme waste of time and money. Ellie must defend her position constantly. After Argus radio telescopes pick-up the transmission, Ellie is forced to deal with the constant nagging of government officials and religious leaders. Ellie never gives up on her search and continues it no matter what problems come up. The discovery of the Message spreads throughout the world and the decisions are no longer Ellie's to make. A great adventure begins that will leave the reader with a great desire to know what will happen next.
This science-fiction novel is an excellent choice if one is interested in adventure and the struggles of a woman to have equal respect in the world. Although the novel is slightly jumpy at times, the adventure that the people must face is not too hard to understand. The novel also digs deep into the feelings and thoughts of Dr. Arroway. It allows the reader to understand Ellie's decisions while enjoying the novel. I strongly suggest that everyone read this novel and enjoy the adventure.
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Summary: A Message from the Stars
Review: Although this science-fiction novel is different than the movie, it was an interesting and fascinating read. Contact, by Carl Sagan, is the story of a woman in search of extraterrestrial life. The main character, Ellie, encounters a transmission sent from the stars above and begins to decode the message. In the process of decrypting the message, Ellie is challenged by government officials, religious leaders, and personal feelings. While Ellie is allowed to finish deciphering the message, what it contains becomes a world issue causing world governments to take control of the project, and remove her from her position of supervisor. Although she is irate about the situation she has been put in, Ellie finds what she is looking for in the end.
This intriguing novel is a great story whether one is interested in astronomy or not. It is filled with the search of extraterrestrial life, but more so with the life of a woman who is obsessed with the search of other existence in the universe. If given the opportunity to read this novel, one should not pass the chance, but take advantage of it.
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