Rating: Summary: A jargon-free book that invokes the imaginaton Review: The best science book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Sagan describes the Cosmos in such a wonderful way I actually regret never having pursued astronomy at a younger age. Cosmos should be made required reading, if not for the insight it provides about the universe, then for its ability to make one imagine limitless possibilities. From Thales math to Keplers physics to Hubbles astronomy, Sagan is coherent yet entertaining. Cosmos is excellent.
Rating: Summary: an excellent book for anyone entering the realm of astronomy Review: A very good book, written for the layman. I read this book when i was 10 and read it again now. I did find it a little boring now that i have gone much deeper into astronomy, but nevertheless this is an excellent book. I liked the TV series as well. The late Carl Sagan along with Stephen Hawking, Asimov and Kaku is one of my favorite authors. I also recommend you read his books "Broca's Brain" and "Dragons of Eden".
Rating: Summary: Enjoyable summary of science and astronomy. Review: 323 pages with 16 pages of color photographs. Sagan presents a good introduction to science for non-scientists. Sagan is at his best when describing the destiny of planetary exploration and the wonders of the universe, but the entire book is well presented. Sagan's life-long passion for seeking out extraterrestrial life is evident throughougt, as are his fears of possible nuclear annihilation. He also shows how human's have shown great ignorance and great achievement, while advancement in technology has aided both human good and evil. With examples (including himself), he shows that scientists care about the world and attempt to do good, while ignorance, distrust, and superstition are to be avoided. Although some of the conceptions of the universe are becoming somewhat out of date, that only gives due reason for reading this book now. Most of my understanding of the universe I aquired by watching Cosmos, and this book provides a suitable alternative to purchasing the expensive video set.
Rating: Summary: We need more people like Sagan. Review: This is the best astronomy book of all time , it not only speaks about astronomy , but many other interesting stuff , the brain , life , DNA , etc. I really enjoy the analysis about extraterrestrial life. I knew that comets are made in most of the sense with water ice , but I didn't know that they are also made by methane ice and amonia ice. A greate master piece of science. I really miss Carl Sagan.
Rating: Summary: Excelent, discuss about life in others planets, Review: Es un libro excelente, donde se discute sobre la posibilidad de la vida en otros mundos, no solo en nuestro sistema solar. Da un punto de vista muy interesante acerca de como buscar la vida fuera de la tierra. Expone acertadamente que estamos buscando una forma de vida organica basada en el Carbono, pero la vida se puede desarrollar de otra forma indecifrable para nosotros, ya que esta forma de vida ha evolucionado en un mundo diferente. Lo recomiendo para los que les gusta estos tópicos, pero esta vez visto desde el punto de vista de un cientifico no de los desaciertos de la seudociencia.
Rating: Summary: The Universe is all that ever was or ever will be Review: THE UNIVERSE IS ALL THAT EVER WAS OR EVER WILL BE. These eight words are the opening of Cosmos. The book that was the companion to the thirteen- part 1980s television miniseries that made science and astronomy knowable to the average American. Cosmos takes our understanding of the universe from the Stone Age to the Space Age.Written and shown at the time when the Voyagers were making their surveys of Jupiter and Saturn, it explained our place in the universe and made think about what would happen if we had a nuclear war. He took us from harsh Venus to Mars and beyond. All the while being the patient, tolerant professor that he was. Whether he was talking about Leonardo da Vinci or Albert Einstein, he held us in rapt attention. Blair Colquhoun @cybertours.com
Rating: Summary: A classic. Review: This is the classic book that got me interested and excited about science in general and astronomy in particular when I was 12 or 13 years old. I haven't read it in a while, but remember it being an exciting read not just becuase it introduces you to some fundamentals about science, but because Sagan personalizes and humanizes everything in his book, from the ancient astronomers to the possibility of life outside of our solar system. It's a book full of wonderment and hope and optimism for the future, but with cautionary warnings and thoughtful musings.
Rating: Summary: God has a Brother Review: Cosmos transcends the workaday organic mess of Earth by taking a look at the nature of things with what is ultimately a spiritual view of the Heavens and Earth. Cosmos handles molten magma alongside the precariously fragile matter of human understanding with every word, but never takes itself too seriously. It is engaging (with oneself a kind of main character), inspiring, and dense with wonder, a masterful work by an extraordinary scientist which reveals our active participation in a living, moving design previously undreamt of in scientific philosophies. Intricate, vivid, exhilarating, and a tough education, Cosmos is a walk with a wily guide through the gallery of God which allows us to see Him as He truly is: an artist with a scientist's day job. If you have a soul, read this book.
Rating: Summary: This Is A Must Read Book Review: Simply put, this is one of the books that makes you both extremely proud and extremely amazed to be alive here and now. Nobody should go without reading this wonderful work of nonfiction.
Rating: Summary: The most inspiring book I've ever read. Review: Carl Sagan's Cosmos is the best book I've ever read. He takes the apparent loneliness and emptiness of the vast universe and opens our minds to all its wonders, and he does this in layman's terms so the average reader isn't overwhelmed by terms he or she has never encountered before. This book has served as a source of inspiration to me ever since I first read it 14 years ago. -Craig Gooding
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