This is the third book of Carl Sagan's work's, that I have read recently. Yet again, Mr Sagan has not left me disappointed.This book consists of a collection of short essays on subjects that can be most complex, but Sagan explains it all, in such a way, so that we can all understand and enjoy it. It tells us about the Solar system, and touches on the topic of extraterrestrial life. Maybe the best thing about reading Sagans books, is I can hear his voice talking when reading. Even though this boo...

This collection of essays is a justifiable predecessor, in many ways including the chronological order, of Carl Sagan's latter books. The topics that are briefly brushed upon here, have been thoroughly explored in his subsequent works and this piece of text does well to introduce to the reader all those aspects of planetary astronomy and sub-fields of it; namely exploration, terraforming and colonization of planets, communications with extra-terrestrial and terrestrial non-human intelligences, u...

Superb, just like anything Sagan wrote. I look at Sagan’s writings and teachings the way some people look at the Bible for inspiration and guidance

Much of the information is now dated but the book is still a compelling, cogent and well thought out argument for a continuing and active human presence in space. The gutting of the manned NASA missions by the Carter administration shortly after this was published and the struggle for both funding and clear cut purpose following the end of the Apollo program make the optimistic tone of the book ring somewhat hollow today, but just imagine what if...

It is an optimistic dream of scientists of all ages to contact or be contacted by extraterrestrial lives. In cosmic connection, Carl Sagan, breaks down the possibilities, the efforts taken by different scientific societies at different times, fuelled by curiosity and funded by national pride and profits. Speaking for both sides of the debate, as always, Carl Sagan allows the reader to side with a more reasonable argument according to their knowledge and belief. From the year the book was publish...

A nice book of mr. Sagan with a little less thunder than his bigger works. This means that this book is rather more personal and written in a more casual way, describing his personal touch for matters like some of his experiments and space programs he participated in. I loved the part on the pioneer’s golden plaque, the debate around it and the many weird comments he got in the mail. it’s also rather interesting to read which of his predictions came true (probes to the sun just recently!) and w...

Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective is an anthology of essays or scientific papers written by Carl Sagan and edited by Jerome Agel. In this particular edition, there are also contributors from Ann Druyan, Freeman Dyson, and David Morrison. This anthology explores humanity's place in the grand scheme of things – in a galactic or even universal sense.Carl Sagan covers several topics, and focuses mainly on the possibility of extra-terrestrial intelligence, the likelihood of the exist...

One thing that is so attractive about Sagan is his ability to be humbled in the face of someone else’s intelligence, including a room full of first graders. “A friend asked me to come to talk to his class,” Sagan writes in one essay in The Cosmic Connection, “which, he assured me, knew nothing about astronomy but was eager to learn.” So Sagan goes to his young friend’s class, armed with slides of colorful gaseous nebulas to entertain the kiddies, and then makes the mistake of asking the class ho...

Having watched a few Carl Sagan videos caused me to recognize and memorize the color of his voice. I've noticed that while reading the book the little voice in my head is imitating the way he speaks. Carl Sagan's voice is one of understanding and reason. It's soothing and hopeful just like the tone of this book.Carl Sagan (1934-1996), discusses with youthful enthusiasm and optimism the possibility and probability of the existence of extraterrestrial life. Also, his personal involvement, in the N...

Finished another glorious book by Carl Sagan which is fantastic as usual. Here are some highlights :From the first chapter, “A Transitional Animal”, describing the 5-billion year history of Earth."In Man, not only is adaptive information acquired in the lifetime of a single individual, but it is passed on extra-genetically through learning, through books, through education. It is this, more than anything else, that has raised Man to his present pre-eminent status on the planet Earth.""We are the...

Wow!!! Happy birthday Carl Sagan. You would have been 79 today. It's almost like a magical reality to read your book as a tribute, unintentionally and accidentally, on your birthday. After the discovery of your birth date, I can only imagine by this random co-incidence, an ordinary mind like myself from a different sub-continent, who is not currently engaged in any scientific pursuit, is reading your book purely for entertainment and enlightenment. This is what you have to know, to understand h...

Two language review :I am saying this again: I read non-fiction books too sloooowwww...Carl Sagan is my favorite astronomer. His writing style is flowing, easy and funny. His optimism and fascination towards the science and cosmos are inspiring.I loved most of his essays about space explorations and ideas. Some were a bit repetitive and boring, so I skipped those parts. However most of them were enjoyable. Kitabı uzun müddətə oxumağıma baxmayaraq çox hissəsini bəyəndim. Carl Saganın dili axıcı v...

“I have just finished The Cosmic Connection and loved every word of it. You are my idea of a good writer because you have an unmannered style, and when I read what you write, I hear you talking. One thing about the book made me nervous. It was entirely too obvious that you are smarter than I am. I hate that.” —Isaac Asimov to Carl Sagan

Although outdated, it is an interesting reading, with a lot of funny moments from Sagan's experience.

Carl Sagan's collection of short essays on all things cosmic is a very interesting and enjoyable read. The author presents cosmology, physics, biology and nuclear electrickery that can be understood by small children. (Somebody fetch me a small child.) His views of the universe from some thirty years back are still relevant and topical today. Not certain I agree with his ideas on extra terrestrial life forms and our ability to locate same. None the less, Sagan throws in human history, chemistry

Carl Sagan is a genius. I only gave this 4 stars, because after 40 years some of the material is a bit dated. For example, in 1972 he's very positive that humans will keep exploring the solar system. In fact, he predicts that by 2000 there will be habitats on Mars. This only goes to show how difficult it is to predict the future. His Chapter 37 - "Starfolk: A Fable" is the history of the universe in 6 pages. Everything from the Big Bang to the creation of the elements inside stars to the formati...

For awhile, I've sided with the late Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki's view of space exploration. In his 1969 speech, he says of the moon landing: "to me it is not so interesting a thing." He's trying, I think, to make his listeners aware of human's insatiable appetite for the next shiny thing, the thing outside ourselves that will make us satisfied. Going inside ourselves, Zen, is the antidote to this material searching. After seeing "Gravity" I thought the same thing: why would anyone want to go to...

"Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective", the tenth Carl's book I've read so far, is a collection of essays by the one and only Carl Sagan during the 60s and 70s. Most of the chapters later were improved with exquisitely detailed explanations by Carl himself in his next books. His experience working with NASA on space missions, his surprising day with schoolchildren, his perspectives on extraterrestrial and terrestrial intelligence, scientific histories of Mars and Venus, terraformin...

I found Carl Sagan's book to be quite fascinating. Being published in 1970, it had quite a few interesting ideas that we now think differently about. One of the most interesting things I found was that at the time he referenced the world's human population to be 3.6 Billion, it's incredible that in our modern time we see our world filled with over 7 billion people. Another part that I loved in the book was his writing about dolphins. It was quite fascinating to see the studies he discovered and

A stellar and cohesive approach to educating on the cosmos. Split into three parts, the first is a basic rundown with scientific facts about the cosmos we perceive, then the book advances (still with scientific fact) to the solar system and further. Finally, we enter the mind of Carl Sagan. The third part is scientific for certain, but weighed heavily by speculation; pessimistic, optimistic, and realistic speculation using science to route Sagan's wonders.A powerfully mind-altering read, quite e...