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The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark |  | Authors: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
Publisher: Ballantine Books
List Price: $17.00
Buy Used: $4.17
as of 11/24/2009 06:29 CST details
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Seller: owlsbooks
Rating:  416 reviews
Sales Rank: 1156
Media: Paperback
Pages: 480
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.4
ISBN: 0345409469
Dewey Decimal Number: 001.9
EAN: 9780345409461
ASIN: 0345409469
Publication Date: February 25, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
Carl Sagan muses on the current state of scientific thought, which offers him marvelous opportunities to entertain us with his own childhood experiences, the newspaper morgues, UFO stories, and the assorted flotsam and jetsam of pseudoscience. Along the way he debunks alien abduction, faith-healing, and channeling; refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious, and other issues.
Product Description
"A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought." *Los Angeles Times "POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing." *The Washington Post Book World How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. "COMPELLING." *USA Today "A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity." *The Sciences "PASSIONATE." *San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 416
 How utterly UNscientific! November 24, 2009
all love based paths lead to God (Planet Earth)
I have great respect for Carl Sagan...when he sticks to his chosen area of expertise! But any scientist knows that you can't prove a negative. Why, then, does Carl attempt to do just that? Why does he venture into the fields of the unknown...UFOs, crop circles, the paranormal...areas that are each so very vast that it is scientifically impossible to prove them all bunk!
Apparently, Carl has not educated himself adequately on these subjects. For example, he evidently is not aware that many crop circles the size of 2 football fields have appeared in as little as 15 minutes! Or that the plants display features not duplicatable by mechanical means. Clearly, SOMETHING unexplainable is afoot! To so readily discard crop circles as 'hoaxes' displays a clear LACK of education on Mr. Sagan's part. He may be an expert, even genius, in the area of Astronomy, but, sadly, he is NOT an expert on unexplained physical phenomena such as crop circles, or paranormal phenomena, which is a vast field of study in itself!
My hitherto high respect for Mr. Sagan was diminished upon learning of his biases against that which has not yet been satisfactorily explained. I would have preferred to continue to hold him in the exalted status I had originally viewed him in. It is with regret that I realize that even gifted scientists like Mr. Sagan are often swayed by agendas. What is Mr. Sagan's agenda here? That much is obvious!
The gifted Mr. Sagan would do better to stick to the areas he is gifted in - the physical UniVerse - and leave speculation of the unknown to those who are educated on those subjects.
 Sciene & skepticism... November 12, 2009
Michael Meadon (Durban, South Africa)
The locus classicus of the modern skeptical movement is arguably Carl Sagan's last book, "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark". I figured it's about time I read it. Hopefully this isn't too blasphemous, but I wasn't as impressed with it as many others seem to be. For one thing, Sagan patches together a lot of recycled material from essays and speeches and the result is a book that occasionally doesn't quite flow or fit together coherently. (Books of essays that pretend to be monographs are a pet peeve of mine). Don't get me wrong: the writing is great but, while the individual paragraphs are all good, they often don't fit together.
I don't want to overdo my criticism though; "The Demon-Haunted World" is certainly a fantastic book and one very much worth reading. I particularly liked Sagan's explanations of the scientific method (and `baloney detection'), and he covers the European witch craze brilliantly. Also impressive is his trademark mixture of critical analysis and wonder: the universe, contends Sagan, is beautifully intricate and deserving of awe. Also significant is his explanation of how science combines radical open-mindedness with ruthless criticism of ideas. (
One final comment: contrary to a blurb on the book that Sagan is "unfailingly respectful of religion", I was quite surprised to see how critical he is of it. He doesn't seem to belong to the school that strictly adheres to the principle that advocating scientific skepticism and atheism should be kept separate. I say right on.
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 Enlightening Book November 2, 2009
Dennie W. Lee
Too bad Carl Sagan has passed away... he seemed to know quite a bit about this world. His book was fascinating!
Changed my life October 22, 2009
Avery Morrow (USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
What makes this book so powerful is that it has nothing to do with metaphysical beliefs, but only about the world we see and how we can make accurate conclusions about it. In other words, it's about science, not religion-- it's the polar opposite of an atheist screed. For this reason the entire work is extremely respectful and can be a cornerstone in the life of any thinking person. It provides the secret to understanding and appreciating the universe.
When I first read this book I was 13 years old and believed in many silly things like UFOs and angels. My life was completely changed. I have read it over and over again since, for the sake of holding my beliefs up to Sagan's compassionate but fierce rigor.
A Must Read September 2, 2009
Chuck Easttom (Texas)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is a must read for everyone. It gives clear insight into why people are so willing to believe things that have no evidence at all.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 416
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