Book Review: Cosmos
Here's everything you need to know about one of the best selling popular science books of all time
Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another. - Carl Sagan
Greetings, fellow Bohron
You may have wondered how am I able to write so many articles. Where does the inspiration come from? Why don’t I get bored writing all this stuff? So today, I’m doing a book review. Review of not just an ordinary book, but one of the all-time greatest science books ever written, Cosmos.
Book Description
Cosmos is a 1980 popular science book by American astronomer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan. Its 13 chapters correspond to the 13 episodes of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, a TV series presented by Sagan.
Cosmos tells the fascinating story of how fifteen billion years of cosmic evolution transformed matter and life into consciousness, of how science and civilization grew up together, and of the forces and individuals who helped shape modern science.1
Author: Carl Sagan
Publisher: Abacus
Language: English
Genre: Science, History
Page Count: 416
My Rating: 4.5/5
Contents
The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
Sagan begins by taking us on a quick tour around the universe. He familiarizes us with stars, comets, nebulae, our solar system and life. He talks about the city of Alexandria, its prominent dwellers and its library, from where humans first started to question their significance in the cosmos.
One Voice in Cosmic Fugue
Being an astrobiologist, Sagan considers the possibility of finding life somewhere else in the universe. He talks about the origin of life, Darwin’s theory of evolution, the structure of DNA, and his memories of working on evolutionary processes in biology labs.
The Harmony of Worlds
Astronomy and Astrology take centre stage here and Sagan tries to dismiss the latter with conclusive evidence. The lives and works of Ptolemy, Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe and Isaac Newton are brilliantly captured.
Heaven and Hell
Comets, asteroids and their impact on Earth and other planets of the solar system are discussed. Sagan talks in detail about Venus and its atmosphere which he describes as “Hell”. He raises an important question: where are our careless environment polluting activities leading us to: heaven or hell?
Blues for a Red Planet
As the name suggests, this chapter is all about our nearest neighbour and possibly what would be our first home outside Earth: Mars. Percival Lowell’s speculation that Mars already has its own civilization is extensively discussed. NASA’s Viking program to Mars is also covered in detail.
Travellers’ Tales
The main theme here is exploration. Scientific adventures of 17th-century Dutch explorers and the more recent Voyager space missions intended to study Jupiter, Saturn and their moons are discussed here.
The Backbone of Night
Sagan discusses two opposing beliefs that existed among ancient Greeks: Aristarchus, Thales, Anaximander, Theodorus, Empedocles freely pursued scientific knowledge, while Plato, Aristotle, and the Pythagoreans promoted slavery and secrecy of knowledge.
Travels in Space and Time
How do changing constellations portray changes in space and time, the doppler effect, advances in space travel, the consequences of Einstein’s theory of relativity including time travel are discussed.
The Lives of Stars
The life cycle of stars from their birth to death which in turn gives birth to red giants and beautiful explosions like supernovae turning stellar remnants into white dwarfs, neutron stars, pulsars, and even black holes; the relationship between the origin of stars and the origin of life is discussed.
The Edge of Forever
Dive deep into the most basic questions regarding the universe: its origin, structure, evolution and formation of galaxies. Sagan explores the idea of a multi-dimensional universe and the possible existence of multiverses.
The Persistence of Memory
What does it mean by intelligent life? This question is explored here by the means of computers, DNA and of course, the human brain.
Encyclopaedia Galactica
Does intelligent life exist somewhere else in the universe? What are the odds of finding an alien civilization? What do aliens look like? What means of communication do we have to reach out to them? Will we ever be able to meet them?
Who Speaks for Earth?
Sagan ends by reflecting upon the future of humanity. Just like ancient civilizations and their works were destroyed in deadly wars which we fought for selfish gains, he fears that any nuclear war could destroy what science has been able to build until now. He tries to spread his message to fellow earthlings: while we continue to explore the cosmos at the cost of exhausting natural resources, who speaks for Earth?
What will be one word/sentence description of this book?
A true classic.
What makes Cosmos different from other science books?
Science without History is like a Body without a Soul. Generally, popular science is dedicated to making a layman understand the natural laws in the easiest way possible. In addition to fulfilling this must-have characteristic, Cosmos also conveys a story. It starts from the time of ancient Greeks and tries to solve the puzzle of the scientific understanding piece by piece.
Why did I find this book so special?
Cosmos was the first popular science book I read. So it’s no wonder that I was so much impressed by “Sagan’s remarkable ability to make scientific ideas both comprehensible and exciting” 2
The way it explores the meaning of life from a cosmic perspective will touch your soul. It spreads a very important message: instead of wasting our time on unnecessary quarrelling over petty issues, we humans should come together and put a combined effort to understand our place in the universe.
A must-read for every science or philosophy enthusiast.
Order here: https://amzn.to/3imh7KV
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The book description as written on the back cover of the book.
This phrase is taken from the back cover.
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