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Well, I do wish everyone would read this book. I know that those with minds that are closed - whether known or not or willingly or not - would still not respond to the arguments that Sagan makes, but it might make a difference for those who are willing to take inquiry seriously. Sagan was a genius, but it was his ability to communicate to the masses that made him historical. Throughout his lectures, he evokes the wisdom of others --From the intro: "he insisted with Bertrand Russell that 'what is...
Imagine that at some long ago point in human history, a human first looked at her hand, and knew for certain that that hand was her very own. And from there she would look at things, think about how things worked, and put things together in order to survive and ultimately to thrive.Now imagine some distant point in the future. Where will we be? It’s impossible to say but the possibilities, if made simple enough, are clear. We will either be alive and thriving, or we will not be anywhere at all.T...
My copy of this stays loaned out about ten months out of the year, so whenever it falls back into my hands for a week or two I’m practically duty-bound to eat it up as quick as I can. Verdict: best as ever. If you read this book and don’t have some fundamental opinions changed, then we’ll probably be friends because you hold them in the first place.Also, I always forget (though probably no longer, writing something down has a way of solving that problem) that Kurt Vonnegut is the only blurb for
Another goodreads.com reviewer made a comment about this book being safe for those types that believe in big G to read, that it wouldn't offend. I think that reviewer may have read a different version of this book. Sagan casually lobs out atheism grenades to dismantle a whole slew of arguments in favor of whatever you'd like to call that omniscient, omnipotent, prime mover in the sky but he does it so politely and without necessarily pointing out that he is pulling apart entire proofs with just
Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence.The burden of proof lies on you though.
Carl Sagan's Search For GodI was moved to read Carl Sagan's "The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God" (2006) after reading the classic study for which it is named: "The Varieties of Religious Experience" (1902) by the American philosopher and psychologist, William James. As was James's book, Sagan's book consists of the text of Gifford lectures, Sagan lectured in 1985, James in 1901 -- 1902. The Gifford lectures were established in Scotland in 1888 to "promo...
Carl Sagan was one of the best at taking an exceptionally complex issue, often fraught with emotional and intuitional baggage, and rendering it into language that anyone can easily understand. He was also extremely generous in allowing that in any discussion of science or religion, no one, not even he, has all the answers, or maybe ever will.This book is a transcript of a series of lectures he gave at Glasgow University, dealing with natural religion, which basically deals with the intersection
Where should I begin? A little over two years ago I watched the entire Cosmos television series on Netflix and - despite the fact I've always been scientifically literate and tried to live my day to day life with a healthy dose of skepticism, logic and reason - this television series rocked me to my core. I am not exaggerating when I tell people Carl Sagan changed my life. Never before had I experienced such depth of personal character and scientific knowledge. Never before had I witnessed such
The Varieties of Scientific Experience is a transcript of Carl Sagan's presentation of the Gifford Lectures. While each lecture is self contained, the come together as a whole - each obliquely addressing questions about man's place in the universe, basic science, the relationship of rational inquiry to religion, and the implications of belief in extraterrestrial life.Here, Sagan is presented in his typical form. He is at once witty, understandable, profound, and compassionate. Of particular inte...
Aw, Goodreads Recommendations Engine, you shouldn't have! I'm blushing.
transcribed from his 1985 gifford lectures in glasgow, carl sagan's the varieties of scientific experience is an intrepid, erudite, and remarkably lucid examination of the universe, cosmology, extraterrestrial intelligence, religion, god, nuclear warfare, and humanity's future. sagan's prose is frequently breathtaking and his ability to succinctly convey and richly illustrate ideas is utterly enchanting.published ten years after his death in 1996 (and edited by his widow, ann druyan), the variet...
"If you are searching for sacred knowledge and not just a palliative for your fears, then you will train yourself to be a good skeptic." ~Ann DruyanBelieve in something without evidence and you are superstitious. Believe in something that runs counter to mountains of existing, quantifiable evidence and you are religious. One of the most preposterous tenants of western theology is that everything exists for the benefit of man. The prevalent fundamentalist philosophy is one of anthropocentric smal...
Carl Sagan rules the Universe, kind of literally. I wish I were as smart as CS.Eric got me this book for Christmas, and I read it straight through, even the Q&A transcripts in the back. If you are interested in spirituality but don't believe in the Big Daddy in the Sky, if our mere existence (not to mention manatees, ferns, toads, the molten core of the earth, and billions and billions of stars) makes you sorta awestruck when you pause to think about it, this book will not fail to delight. I was...
Sagan quietly states in the middle of a sobering paragraph that "God is the sum of all natural laws in the universe." Yes, Sagan challenges the faithful to provide evidence acceptable to him (which is nothing less than a phenomenon observed and replicated by many), and his demand is contrary to the law of faith. However, Sagan's challenge motivates me to undertake careful inventory of my own knowledge, both secular and religious, to substantiate my personal beliefs. In the near future, I hope to...
Carl Sagan, a brilliant and humble man.This is a compilation of the Gifford Lectures on Natural Theology which he presented in 1985 at the University of Glascow.If there were ever a champion for science, it was Sagan. And thank "God" for him. The beauty and eloquence of his words are only superceded by the beauty and eloquence of his ideas.Some passages that stood out for me (view spoiler)[These (referring to technological advances and advances in human right's issues etc) are all things that ha...
This is the first book of Carl Sagan's that I've read, and I think it's probably the perfect bridge for me between my science books and the books on religion (or atheism) that I've read. I have seen Cosmos and found it remarkably ahead of its time, and the same is true for what Carl had lectured on at the Gifford Lectures, from which this book is transcribed. Always ahead of his time, and always showing amazing grasp of the topic at hand, the book is both funny and astonishing. Even though much
This book is a collection of the lectures Sagan gave during his Gifford Lectures appointment in Glasglow. Although he gave the lectures in 1985, they needed very little updating (done with minimal footnotes) upon their publication in 2006. I think the only thing I noticed that is irrelevant now is Sagan's musings about whether or not the universe is forever expanding, and the implications of a universe that expands and contracts (a footnote helpfully reveals that evidence now shows a rapidly exp...
An absolutely positive mindfuck, built as you know Carl Sagan would build a book of his own essays. I particularly liked the section in the back where he's transcribed the post-lecture questions and well-fielded answers. You'll be entirely entertained and interested, guaranteed.The book is not solely about God, it's also about (other) extraterrestrial intelligence and many other interrelated fields. Also, Sagan's not one tenth so vehement an atheist as Dawkins, and potential readers afraid of le...
It is so refreshing to finally finish a book. Since my life as an adult has begun (post-college), finishing a book is an increasingly rare event. I currently am on a science kick to such a degree that I have found myself wondering if I ought to go back to school and get an undergraduate degree in biology. Why? Just for fun. Anyway, this book is a book of recorded lectures that Sagan gave in Britain--something called the Gifford Lectures, which are probably prestigious. Anyway, they concern scien...
This is quite possibly my favorite book of all time, at least up until this point. While, of course, almost every page could stand to be expanded upon, this book is a wonderful introduction to the orientation of humanity in the universe and the search for God through the eyes of a scientist- or somebody armed with only scientific truths. It put into words some of the elements of astronomy that caused cognitive dissonance for me when I took my ASTR 101 class in college as a very educated Catholic...