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Summary: Humans are fallible -- that's the lesson here
Review: It's difficult to write such an astonishingly good book about the fallibility of humans and the ability of science as a tool to help us correct most of our mistakes. Why? Because such a book, written by a human who is himself fallible, will certianly contain little problems. For example, Carl Sagan is often under attack for being *too* skeptical and scientific. Maybe so, but that doesn't negate his message. Humans are fallible, and science and skepticism may be as well, but they are the best tools we have.
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Summary: Making Contact...with Reason & Common Sense
Review: This is the one book I couldn't put down, even after reading it. I had to read it again. Sagan takes the intimidation out of science for any reader. This book is fun and feels good. The Demon Haunted World is the voice of reason in a superstitious world. And, well, he's just pretty damn funny at times. This great man and mind are greatly missed.
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Summary: Very impressive, except . . .
Review: As per most of the reviews, ditto for me. My only complaint is that Sagan -- in this book and in others -- had a patronizing attitude toward faith and religion, and I thought that his claims of being fair-minded and open on this issue was undercut by some unfair and pointless attacks here and there on thinkers like Thomas Aquinas. Sagan accuses him in particular of "dubious reasoning" in his proof of God, while failing to mention that Aquinas's system help lay the foundation of Western science -- it was the first time a system had been developed to seek an earth-based understanding of the cosmos. It's a useful and refreshing critique at points, but it often becomes offensive, particularly for Roman Catholics who have to endure a few potshots at their church and their Pope. But this is otherwise a fantastic book with a very convincing argument for increased scientific literacy. I can't think of another book that's made me so interested in science as a discipline and a means of evolving the species. Thank god for Carl Sagan -- he died too soon for our society.
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Summary: The best non-fiction book I've ever read
Review: People often say that science, though it has increased the standard of living in a technological sense, has not increased the quality of life. They neglect that science has literally tripled the human life span. You can't be happy if you're dead. Sagan was a genius in at least two ways-- as a scientist and as a writer. This book will give you new respect for science as a philosophy and as a societal institution. Get it. Read it.
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Summary: It changed my whole personality.
Review: This book's amazing , it changed my way of seeing things all around me , thanks by what it is said in this book at High school the call me atheist ! (although I'm not) this one for sure changes a person for good. I'm proud to say that I'm a die-hard fan of Carl Sagan and that also he has inspired my personality in many other ways. I prefer to be a fan of this greate man , who changes you for good , than being a hollow Marlyn Manson fan.(althoug I'm not going to deny that I'm also fan of many virtuoso guitarrists)I'm going to try hard to make this book require reading at least on the high scool I'm currently now. I really mis Carl Sagan.
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Summary: A necessary book. The book that really changed my life.
Review: An incredible book. I have to say that after reading this book, everything in the world became clear. Although I certainly don't agree with Sagan on everything, the book gave me reasons why I shouldn't, and why I should be passionate about some things and critical about things for which there is no evidence. This book drove me to read more, to become more political, to become more scientifically literate, to generate discussions, to quest for knowledge, and to understand why people believe in things for which there is no proof. I say that not to look down on others, but to understand them. In a way, this book generated a "religious experience" in that it totally changed my view of the world in a positive way. Read it. Everyone should read it. To that end, I have purchased three copies to give away to friends.
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Summary: Sheds light on the dangerous results of unreason.
Review: A perfect book. You must read it. It will change the way you think about everything. It illuminates a path to reason and science. Read _Cosmos_ first, then _Demon Haunted World_, then _Billions & Billions_. But you must read!
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Summary: Landmark Sagan, required reading for budding skeptics.
Review: Nothing entertains quite like the naked truth. Everyone who reads this will instantly recognize it's value and veracity.
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Summary: Interesting but limited
Review: The Demon-Haunted World is a good read if for no other reason than that it is written in Carl Sagan's usual engaging style. Sagan is a wonderful storyteller... As an antidote to popular misunderstandings, the book will probably be less successful. Anybody who has the intellectual wherewithal or ambition to read a 400-page book on critical thinking probably already has enough common sense to doubt alien abduction stories.
Sagan's audience will largely consist of the already-converted.
But The Demon-Haunted World is most interesting as a curious example of skeptical thinking naively taught. Exhorting the reader to skeptical thnking in all fields, it does not seem to have occurred to Sagan that the reader might train his newly acquired skeptical guns on the author himself. Sagan wishes to aim the skeptical blunderbuss primarily at the more vulgar examples of popular belief such as crop circles, astrology, etc. But the book is also larded with Sagan's views on a wide range of controversial issues such as global warming, overpopulation and arms control. Far from issuing invitations to skeptical inquiry into his self-confident assertions in these areas, Sagan seems to assume that no reasonable person would ever doubt them. He includes a section of mea culpas for his past errors, but these are restricted to mistakes on arcane scientific issues and include no examples from the cultural or political issues on which he passionately wrote.
The book ends with a ringing call-to-arms to employ critical thinking in addressing the problems that face the world. The reader is well-advised to listen to Sagan, but may wish to skeptically evaluate Sagan's views as well as everybody else's.
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Summary: Got me off the Fence
Review: Given all the praise above, I'd just like to relate my personal experience. Before I read DHW, I was a deist agnostic who thought that the "jury is still out" on crop circles. I withheld judgement in face of the paucity of good info in the popular media. Now after about ten re-readings, I recognize all claims of paranormal and spritual activity for what it is.....Wishful thinking.
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