Scan barcode
rodrigoitao's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
5.0
"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 Druyan
Believe 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 smallness and irrefutability, a philosophy that only works if truths are somehow distorted or ignored. Carl Sagan, himself well versed in scripture, plows through these ideological conundrums to reveal a universal order many times more vast and awe-inspiring than anything the pulpit propagandists would like you to believe. Sagan's contention here is simple - if something as important as religion cannot withstand rational scrutiny, then it has no more validity than Greek mythology or Mayan astrology.
"If a Creator God exists, would He or She or It or whatever the appropriate pronoun is, prefer a kind of sodden blockhead who worships while understanding nothing? Or would he prefer his votaries to admire the real universe in all its intricacy? I would suggest that science is, at least in part, informed worship. My deeply held belief is that if a god of anything like the traditional sort exists, then our curiosity and intelligence are provided by such a god. We would be unappreciative of those gifts if we suppressed our passion to explore the universe and ourselves." ~C.S. (pg 31)
Believe 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 smallness and irrefutability, a philosophy that only works if truths are somehow distorted or ignored. Carl Sagan, himself well versed in scripture, plows through these ideological conundrums to reveal a universal order many times more vast and awe-inspiring than anything the pulpit propagandists would like you to believe. Sagan's contention here is simple - if something as important as religion cannot withstand rational scrutiny, then it has no more validity than Greek mythology or Mayan astrology.
"If a Creator God exists, would He or She or It or whatever the appropriate pronoun is, prefer a kind of sodden blockhead who worships while understanding nothing? Or would he prefer his votaries to admire the real universe in all its intricacy? I would suggest that science is, at least in part, informed worship. My deeply held belief is that if a god of anything like the traditional sort exists, then our curiosity and intelligence are provided by such a god. We would be unappreciative of those gifts if we suppressed our passion to explore the universe and ourselves." ~C.S. (pg 31)
hvogado's review against another edition
4.0
Primeiro livro da coleção renovada do Carl Sagan da Editora Gradiva. Gostei muito das questões que são colocadas no livro que relata as palestras gilford realizadas em 1985 sobre religião e ciência.
Neste livro pude confirmar a excelência na divulgação cientifica de Carl Sagan. O modo como apresenta os assuntos, alguns tabus outros controversos, mas sempre de uma perspectiva aberta e por vezes um pouco mais fechada na ciência.
Confirma o que já tinha admirado na antiga série "Cosmos" e mesmo no livro "Contacto". Há várias ideias que vi aqui e já tinham sido referidos no romance "Contacto". Temos de ter provas científicas, mas há também uma grande fé e crença na existência de coisas para as quais não temos explicação.
Não tenho conhecimentos científicos para avançar para livros mais técnicos, mas este livro é muito acessível a todos e uma boa base para mais questões que iremos fazer na nossa vida e que veremos algumas serem respondidas pela humanidade nas próximas décadas.
As palestras foram realizadas ainda em clima de guerra fria, mas não estamos livres de voltarmos atrás se nos deixarmos apanhar pelos fundamentalismos que existem e existirão.
Neste livro pude confirmar a excelência na divulgação cientifica de Carl Sagan. O modo como apresenta os assuntos, alguns tabus outros controversos, mas sempre de uma perspectiva aberta e por vezes um pouco mais fechada na ciência.
Confirma o que já tinha admirado na antiga série "Cosmos" e mesmo no livro "Contacto". Há várias ideias que vi aqui e já tinham sido referidos no romance "Contacto". Temos de ter provas científicas, mas há também uma grande fé e crença na existência de coisas para as quais não temos explicação.
Não tenho conhecimentos científicos para avançar para livros mais técnicos, mas este livro é muito acessível a todos e uma boa base para mais questões que iremos fazer na nossa vida e que veremos algumas serem respondidas pela humanidade nas próximas décadas.
As palestras foram realizadas ainda em clima de guerra fria, mas não estamos livres de voltarmos atrás se nos deixarmos apanhar pelos fundamentalismos que existem e existirão.
remlezar's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely wonderful book. It does a masterful job of putting the universe into perspective. It's humbling and awe-inspiring in a way that I never got from religious texts growing up. Highly recommended to anyone with a pulse.
kb_208's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to find good scientists who are also good writers that can convey fairly complex information to the general population. Before there was Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, there was Carl Sagan. This book is a series of his Gifford Lectures he gave in 1985. Everything except a few updated points here and there are still so relevant today and needed more than ever. In these lectures he talks about using scientific process and evidence to back up beliefs and ideas instead of going purely on faith or the beliefs of ones family or community. He doesn't bash religion, but he does make many excellent cases for denying the faulty evidences people make for the existence of gods and miracles.
danchibnall's review against another edition
5.0
This is a collection of the Gifford lectures that Carl Sagan gave back in the late '80s. They were on the topic of science's pursuit of knowledge and truth and how religion fit into that structure. It was wonderful to read Carl Sagan's words again. I wish he were still around. He is desperately needed in the 21st century.
Carl Sagan had many unique abilities, but his best was the ability to clarify the complex. There is a question-and-answer section in the last chapter. He is incredibly patient, clear, and energetic in his answers and does such a good job at using the scientific method in so many situations.
Carl Sagan had many unique abilities, but his best was the ability to clarify the complex. There is a question-and-answer section in the last chapter. He is incredibly patient, clear, and energetic in his answers and does such a good job at using the scientific method in so many situations.
mtzfox's review
5.0
I'm quite astounded by this book.
Carl Sagan has something so unique in his scientific perspective that really sets him far apart from others in the "new atheist" movement. He approaches the universe with wonder and curiosity, admitting what he doesn't and cannot know, and seeks compassion and tries to find agreement where he can with those who believe in a higher power. But at the same time he doesn't shy away from pointing out the flaws in religious thinking throughout history, no matter what ideology it may be.
In a part of these talks, he seeks to find positive examples of times religion has played an important role in confronting power, and encourages us to align with the best examples in those traditions. He doesn't talk down to believers in a higher power, he only encourages turning a critical eye toward our beliefs: Think rationally, question your assumptions, take special care to analyze the basis of your most emotionally-driven beliefs. But also take awe of the beauty and magnitude of the universe, our place in the cosmos, and the challenges we face as a species if we hope to survive extinction.
Even the question and answer sessions for each chapter display how incredibly brilliant and surprising Carl Sagan can be. He's truly a hero of mine.
A great excerpt:
“We kill each other, or threaten to kill each other, in part, I think, because we are afraid we might not ourselves know the truth, that someone else with a different doctrine might have a closer approximation to the truth. Our history is in part a battle to the death of inadequate myths. If I can’t convince you, I must kill you. That will change your mind. You are a threat to my version of the truth, especially the truth about who I am and what my nature is. The thought that I may have dedicated my life to a lie, that I might have accepted a conventional wisdom that no longer, if it ever did, corresponds to the external reality, that is a very painful realization. I will tend to resist it to the last. I will go to almost any lengths to prevent myself from seeing that the worldview that I have dedicated my life to is inadequate. I’m putting this in personal terms so that I don’t say “you,” so that I’m not accusing anyone of an attitude, but you understand that this is not a mea culpa; I’m trying to describe a psychological dynamic that I think exists, and it’s important and worrisome.
"Instead of this, what we need is a honing of the skills of explication, of dialogue, of what used to be called logic and rhetoric and what used to be essential to every college education, a honing of the skills of compassion, which, just like intellectual abilities, need practice to be perfected. If we are to understand another’s belief, then we must also understand the deficiencies and inadequacies of our own. And those deficiencies and inadequacies are very major. This is true whichever political or ideological or ethnic or cultural tradition we come from. In a complex universe, in a society undergoing unprecedented change, how can we find the truth if we are not willing to question everything and to give a fair hearing to everything? There is a worldwide closed-mindedness that imperils the species. It was always with us, but the risks weren’t as grave, because weapons of mass destruction were not then available.”
Carl Sagan has something so unique in his scientific perspective that really sets him far apart from others in the "new atheist" movement. He approaches the universe with wonder and curiosity, admitting what he doesn't and cannot know, and seeks compassion and tries to find agreement where he can with those who believe in a higher power. But at the same time he doesn't shy away from pointing out the flaws in religious thinking throughout history, no matter what ideology it may be.
In a part of these talks, he seeks to find positive examples of times religion has played an important role in confronting power, and encourages us to align with the best examples in those traditions. He doesn't talk down to believers in a higher power, he only encourages turning a critical eye toward our beliefs: Think rationally, question your assumptions, take special care to analyze the basis of your most emotionally-driven beliefs. But also take awe of the beauty and magnitude of the universe, our place in the cosmos, and the challenges we face as a species if we hope to survive extinction.
Even the question and answer sessions for each chapter display how incredibly brilliant and surprising Carl Sagan can be. He's truly a hero of mine.
A great excerpt:
“We kill each other, or threaten to kill each other, in part, I think, because we are afraid we might not ourselves know the truth, that someone else with a different doctrine might have a closer approximation to the truth. Our history is in part a battle to the death of inadequate myths. If I can’t convince you, I must kill you. That will change your mind. You are a threat to my version of the truth, especially the truth about who I am and what my nature is. The thought that I may have dedicated my life to a lie, that I might have accepted a conventional wisdom that no longer, if it ever did, corresponds to the external reality, that is a very painful realization. I will tend to resist it to the last. I will go to almost any lengths to prevent myself from seeing that the worldview that I have dedicated my life to is inadequate. I’m putting this in personal terms so that I don’t say “you,” so that I’m not accusing anyone of an attitude, but you understand that this is not a mea culpa; I’m trying to describe a psychological dynamic that I think exists, and it’s important and worrisome.
"Instead of this, what we need is a honing of the skills of explication, of dialogue, of what used to be called logic and rhetoric and what used to be essential to every college education, a honing of the skills of compassion, which, just like intellectual abilities, need practice to be perfected. If we are to understand another’s belief, then we must also understand the deficiencies and inadequacies of our own. And those deficiencies and inadequacies are very major. This is true whichever political or ideological or ethnic or cultural tradition we come from. In a complex universe, in a society undergoing unprecedented change, how can we find the truth if we are not willing to question everything and to give a fair hearing to everything? There is a worldwide closed-mindedness that imperils the species. It was always with us, but the risks weren’t as grave, because weapons of mass destruction were not then available.”
igormdemiranda's review against another edition
4.0
Eu era bem jovem quando tive o primeiro contato com a obra de Carl Sagan. Foi pelas mãos de meu irmão, que tanto influenciou o meu interesse pela música e pela ciência, que pude conhecer 'O Mundo Assombrado pelos Demônios', o livro mais famoso do cientista americano. Foi a partir desse ponto que comecei a me aprofundar na beleza da física e do universo pelas palavras daquele que se tornaria um de meus maiores ídolos.
Sagan, nesse processo, mudou a forma como eu pensava sobre a vida, sobre a religião, sobre o nosso papel no universo. Ele me mostrou que a consciência de nosso tamanho diminuto diante do universo não nos diminui, não nos faz menores, não rebaixa a nossa humanidade, muito pelo contrário; saber que, apesar de nosso tamanho diminuto, tivemos a curiosidade e capacidade exploratória de enxergar e teorizar coisas tão distantes de nós acaba por nos engrandecer enormemente.
Nessa obra, a temática não poderia ser diferente. 'The Varieties of Scientific Experience' é um compilado das aulas de Sagan na famosa convenção Gifford sobre teologia na Escócia. Por elas, Sagan derrama seu incrível intelecto na análise do sagrado em meio ao cosmos, trazendo para a mesa discussões sobre a formação do universo, a vida em outros planetas e a impossibilidade, ao seu ver, de um universo criacionista.
"Cada um de nós é, sob uma perspectiva cósmica, precioso. Se um humano discorda de você, deixe-o viver. Em cem bilhões de galáxias, você não vai achar outro como ele"
Com uma reverência a beleza da ciência e do universo, Carl Sagan é, para mim, o mais religioso de todos os ateus. Suas crenças moldaram as minhas e, a isso e a ele, eu sempre serei grato. Leia Sagan!
[O livro possui versão em português: 'Variedades da Experiência Científica' pela Companhia das Letras]
Sagan, nesse processo, mudou a forma como eu pensava sobre a vida, sobre a religião, sobre o nosso papel no universo. Ele me mostrou que a consciência de nosso tamanho diminuto diante do universo não nos diminui, não nos faz menores, não rebaixa a nossa humanidade, muito pelo contrário; saber que, apesar de nosso tamanho diminuto, tivemos a curiosidade e capacidade exploratória de enxergar e teorizar coisas tão distantes de nós acaba por nos engrandecer enormemente.
Nessa obra, a temática não poderia ser diferente. 'The Varieties of Scientific Experience' é um compilado das aulas de Sagan na famosa convenção Gifford sobre teologia na Escócia. Por elas, Sagan derrama seu incrível intelecto na análise do sagrado em meio ao cosmos, trazendo para a mesa discussões sobre a formação do universo, a vida em outros planetas e a impossibilidade, ao seu ver, de um universo criacionista.
"Cada um de nós é, sob uma perspectiva cósmica, precioso. Se um humano discorda de você, deixe-o viver. Em cem bilhões de galáxias, você não vai achar outro como ele"
Com uma reverência a beleza da ciência e do universo, Carl Sagan é, para mim, o mais religioso de todos os ateus. Suas crenças moldaram as minhas e, a isso e a ele, eu sempre serei grato. Leia Sagan!
[O livro possui versão em português: 'Variedades da Experiência Científica' pela Companhia das Letras]
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
3.0
Very thought provoking, but I did get left in the scientific-jargon dust more than once. Still not made me an atheist, but I much preferred the sincere questioning approach Sagan adopted, compared with Dawkins' dismissive and patronising approach in The God Delusion.
I wonder if the fact that this was based on a series of lectures rather than planned out to be a book made it a little harder to follow, each lecture/essay could have benefitted from a clear theme or topic, rather than the all-encompassing discussions we get... But I also fully recognise that I am a layman and smarter people than me will have got a lot more from this (hi Persad!).
I wonder if the fact that this was based on a series of lectures rather than planned out to be a book made it a little harder to follow, each lecture/essay could have benefitted from a clear theme or topic, rather than the all-encompassing discussions we get... But I also fully recognise that I am a layman and smarter people than me will have got a lot more from this (hi Persad!).