Science as a Candle in the Dark - The Demon-Haunted World

To describe this book in one word would be ...fascinating! Truly fascinating! I came into this book thinking it was going to be talking about how we believe in demons and such. I wasn't prepared for all that i got out of Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World. I am glad that i got the chance to read such an intriguing book. I understand where Sagan is coming from when he says that we are leaning way too much on Pseudoscience. Science seems to me to be the framework that we all need. Science provides us the method of solving our problems. Pseudoscience gives us the answers we want to have. Sagan made me think of my own life and how I am living it. Sagan was man who had a great passion for Science. The intensity of his feelings were shown through out the entire book. Sagan tackled difficult subjects like aliens, halluncinations, and such with great manner and respect. He expressed his feelings in a way that whatever he said seemed to be convincing. Though that is not always great. By writing this book Sagan seemed to open the doors of Science which have been locked. Sagan opens our minds about the wonders of science. He makes us think about our own lives. He shows us the ways of science that would do only good for us. It's time for all of us to see the beauty of science. Thanks to Sagan's magnificent book I have begun my journey on a new paved road. Though I don't know what lies before me; I know I will always have hope and now science.

Regardless of how you feel about Sagan's political or religious views, this book remains a compelling social commentary. Even those who disagree with most of his views can still benefit greatly from reading this book. Sagan seems to be reaching out from the grave to try and warn us of the dangers of allowing others to do our thinking for us; the dangers of turning off our minds and ignoring problems; the dangers of taking our freedom and our intellect for granted. Most importantly, he warns of the danger of mixing high technology with a society that is apathetic about scientific pursuits; and the danger of allowing the government to control the people, instead of the people controlling the government.
Sagan gives a stunning indictment of the current state of the educational system in the United States. I don't think anybody can argue with him here. We are raising our children without the tools they will need later in life, not just for survival, but in order to grow to their full potential. Too often, we leave them in danger of getting fleeced by every two-bit huckster that comes along. Is that really the future we want for them?
Though it is an unlikely and unexpected source, Sagan provides some of the best parenting advice that has ever found its way into print. He rightly chastises us for making young children feel stupid when they ask what we feel are silly questions. He questions why our society places more emphasis on athletics than on academics, especially math and science, which are the tools of the future. Why do we make children who want to pursue these areas feel as though they are "weird", "nerds", or social outcasts? He gives pointers to parents on how to encourage your children, and how to help them learn, even in areas with which you are not familiar or have little interest.
We could all use to do more questioning of the information that is spoon-fed to us by mass media: TV, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, etc. Are the people giving us this information really experts on it? How can we tell? Sagan gives great pointers to help us sift the good from the bad, and the fact from fiction.
My only complaint, though a minor one, is that I felt the book was arranged almost backwards. I felt that many of the more important essays were in the second half of the book. But I suppose he had to do it that way, in order to build up to the bigger points he was trying to convey.
Regardless, READ the whole book, THINK about it for yourself, and form YOUR OWN conclusions. That's exactly what he is telling us to do, anyway.

The good Dr. Sagan in chapter after chapter lines up the pseudo-scientists, the faith healers, the channelers, the alien abductees and their therapists, the aliens themselves and their therapists, the past life regressors and their therapists, the repressed memory witnesses and their therapists, the Fundamentalists, all the main Religions, the hypnotists, the spoon benders, the psychics, and all manner of frauds, scammers, and New Agers. He blast'em all with a mega dose of Scientific Method. The book is just over 400 pages of straight forward no nonsense "baloney" detection.

Dr. Sagan has written to remind us that it is Science that has delivered our civilization, and complain that growing trends towards hokum and mystery will little aid in solving humanity's problems. Aided by cloying politicians, a gullible public, and a clearly cynical and greedy Media, purveyors of superstition and religion are gaining a foothold in our educational system; passing their belief as science.

There is a fairly civil explanation of Electromagnetic Theory (the Maxwell Equations) but its purpose is to explain why Scientific Research should never be state directed. Dr. Sagan fails to mention that it was JFK's direction, in 1961 to put a man on the moon in that decade, that provided the funding that supported the Dr. through most of his professional life. Oh Well. The book remains a call for intensive science education and research, and the rejection of all pseudo-science as dangerous and inappropriate for 21 st. century living.

Towards the end the Dr. is clearly fading and his wife Ann Druyan takes over the last chapters; each clearly marked as having greater political content. They including a well-deserved epitaph for Edward "H-Bomb" Teller, the obligatory Gun Rant, and the an Abortion Rant.

In all this is a good and appropriate book well written with a little anger, some well placed and practiced sarcasm, and Dr. Sagans humor and amazement well on display. When "The Revolution" comes and (depending on your point of view) either the New Agers or the Religious Fundamentalists are building their pyres, this book will be one of the first into the flames. Science as a candle in the dark.

There may be hope for us after all. This is yet another in a long line of books decrying the widespread belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal. THINK (Michael R. LeGault) is the latest to decry the dwindling application of reason in our society although his focus is politics instead of religion. More than a lament, DEMON is a clarion call for an intellectual moral upgirding - a vision of a world with educated, informed folks making decisions based on consensus, knowledge and discussion. It is probably impractical since the masses will never care HOW or WHY their PC uses microwaves to process information.

Sagan writes in an earnest and non-threatening manner, explicit but never demeaning. Would that others - his wife and Richard Dawkins come to mind - adopt such an approach as opposed to their shrill tone that offends so many. Sagan is imminently clear, the chapters almost a primer on how to confound those who insist on believing the unbelievable. What's depressing is that America is one of the best educated countries in the world - I shudder at nations that deny AIDS or ban "Western" ideas or base medical cures on superstition or their "science" on religion or ethnicity.

I disagree on one point - it is NOT true that public scientific literacy is a necessity for technological advancement. After all, humans have steadily advanced without the discovery of evolution, relativity, quantum mechanics or the Big Bang. However it IS true that an ignorant society cannot make well-informed decisions - witness such debates on nuclear power, global warming and oil drilling to name just three where hyperbole and misinformation are the norm. We will not return to the old days when scientists could draw throngs to hear a discourse on their latest findings. But we can fight illogical or stupid ideas.

The author is actually taking on a world culture increasingly dedicated to personal entertainment rather than enlightenment. He states that many distrust science because existing theories are constantly being disproved. Yet (repeatedly) we are reminded that the very nature of science is rigorous testing and disproving of existing theories if the evidence so indicates. Unlike political ideology or religion, science is a messy venture, constantly in flux, with no ultimate truth other than universal laws. Sagan suggests a reconciliation of sorts between science and religion (eventually) but this is only possible if the religious drop some of their most cherished (and basic) tenets. The book should be required reading for high school students. A+

This is a collection of essays from an esteemed old friend who prematurely died of cancer. It is also a comprehensive review of why we should view our world with a scientific, rational mind-set. Sagan's bottom line was always: "Show me the evidence." In an interview, Sagan was once pressed by a reporter for a premature conclusion. When asked, "But what's your gut feeling," Sagan replied, "I try not to think with my gut."

Each of these essays could stand alone and be easily comprehended in no particular order. Each is a graphic example of the pervasiveness of superstition and pseudoscience all over our world. We evolved in a setting where, if one heard a strange noise, it made sense to react as if that noise could very well be a tiger. Our fight or flight mechanism was trip-wired to over-react, for our own benefit. Our ancestors feared and worshipped those things they didn't understand, and superstition was rampant. As the unknown gradually gave way to enlightenment, education about the way nature works made superstition unnecessary - yet it lives on.

Interspersed among the delightful stories and sad exposes, in each chapter Sagan sounds the trumpet for the value and power of the scientific method. Especially are Sagan's words needed now, when our country is dropping far behind many other countries in the developed world in science education and the production of scientists. This is an eloquent book, yet gently written. I wish it were required reading for every seventh grade child, every twelfth grade young adult, every school teacher, every college professor, every school board member, and every politically elected or appointed official in our government.

As long as I'm fantasizing, I wish everyone who believes in astrology, channeling, witchcraft, faith-healing, New Age thinking, fundamentalist zealotry, demons, ghosts, UFO's, alien abductions, and those who fall for every conspiracy theory that comes along - would be sentenced to a comfortable cubicle with good lighting until they finish reading this book.

Then if they still prefer to stay in their make-believe world, so be it!

This book is Carl Sagans' review of part of his life and his passionate love of science, and his plea for a more rational society. However, as per other reviews here, the people most in need of reading this book are precisely the ones who are'nt reading it, and others may read it with a closed mind to begin with. The book is a call for people to think for themselves, using the scientific method, in their everday lives, and give religion (esp. fundamentalists) and many other things, the critical examinations they most desperately deserve. But alas, social inertia is very strong, and the changes envisioned in this book may take a century or longer.
We live in a very credulous age, where healthy skepticism (coupled with a sense of enquiring wonder) is nearly non-existent. I see this all around me and find it very depressing. This volume documents all of this well, and in chapter 12 even supplies tools for a baloney detection kit. Sagan does call for sensitivity and compassion when dealing with peoples' irrational beliefs.
In later chapters, Sagan laments the illiteracy in science and math in this country, a very big problem, and the inability for a large percentage of our population, adults and children alike, to think for themselves, and possible solutions. We should all be concerned about this. Many more issues are discussed by Sagan in the ensuing chapters.
I quote Carl Sagan here (not included in this book). "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". If more people would understand and believe this, the world would be a more rational and better place. Carl Sagan, my mentor, is dead now, but his works live on to inspire future generations.

This is not, in the conventional sense, a "science book." When most people think of a book on science, they envision tedious tomes full of dry, lifeless facts and figures: "And events x and y happened on day z. Mix chemicals a and b and they change to color c." If you went to a public high school in the United States, you probably understand precisely what I mean.
Instead, this is a vibrant, wonder-filled work written by one of the twentieth century's very best science writers. Dr. Sagan's joy and awe are contagious; you find yourself caught up in his enthusiasm. His writing is always accessible, but never insults the intelligence of its reader-- you will find neither arcane technical jargon nor conspicuous "dumbing down."
Furthermore, this is not a book of individual science facts, but rather the mechanism of how science works, an elegantly simple illustration of the scientific method. More importantly, examples are given of how critical thinking skills can and should be applied to a number of other realms, helping us to determine what is factual, what is possible, what is dubious, and what is false.
I recommend this book to anybody with an interest in science, but particularly to laypeople interested in learning more about the methods of science itself. It's also a great choice for gifted children and young adults.

In Pale Blue Dot, Dr Sagan looks back into our history of space exploration and fallibility, he stated we, human beings is the first species to have the ability to wipe themself out, what an ironic statement. But as a whole, he is optimistic about our future. He believe we can gradually overcome our fallibility to survive. 2 years later, Dr Sagan left the world with Demon Haunted world, again, he shared his worry about the world, again, he warned us we can do better than what we now and how: science. In this book, Dr Sagan left the area of our future in space but investigate the falling scientific method in our daily life. Our mind is filled with pseudoscience, channeling, anything but science. How can it be, how it harmed our generation, what's the origin, and most important, why science is the candle.
It's a big debate for Dr. Sagan, not with those pseudoscience believers, but also with himself. I'm so delighted that Dr. Sagan did it again, with his poetic style. If you want to tell science from others, just ask questions, real questions. Don't let others opinions drown out your own mind, be patient and be sceptical, it's hard in the demon haunted world, but it's our only way to survive.

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.

This is one of my favorite books that explain the irrationality of pseudoscience, junk science, and poorly supported beliefs.

This book doesn't attack, it instead gently informs the reader, and teaches the readers methods of rational thinking, logic, and reasoning. It is then up to the reader to apply these methods to their own beliefs.

Sagan's explanation of spirituality has shown that being "spiritual" doesn't have to mean anything supernatural or metaphysical, and because of this I can comfortably call myself a "spiritual atheist".

Bought this many years ago and reread it several times. When I didn't have to teach as much content in my history classes, I used excerpts for my students and would discuss critical thinking skills and using logic to help make sense of all the noise around them. It seemed to generate some very useful debates about what was real long before I ever heard someone use the phrased "fake news". Relatively sophisticated read, but accessible to most. I'm very glad I bought it.

The title is both a profound description of the human world before (and without) science, and an apt metaphor for what science really means to us. In particular, Sagan refers in Chapter 7 to the world of Europe during the time of Pope Innocent VIII (was ever a personage more ironically named?) in which "perhaps hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions" of people were tortured and burned at the stake and/or dismembered or otherwise killed for being witches or for consorting with demons and other imagined agents of Satan (p. 122). Sagan wants to remind us very lucky citizens of the twenty-first century just what it was like in the middle ages when the nature of truth was decided by the coercive power of authority and not by observation and evidence. Where would we be without science? is the question of the book, and Sagan's title is the startling answer. We would still be in the dark ages.
But what is this magical "science" that makes all the difference in the world? It is common sense codified and repeatedly tested. Instead of accepting the existence of demons or aliens or Satanic conspiracies based on reports from people, the person of common sense asks to SEE the demons. She wants proof of their existence, and he wants that proof verified by others. Sagan has what he calls a "baloney detection kit" (pp. 210-211) in which he has science confront new ideas. This kit includes "independent confirmation" of the "facts"; the idea that "arguments from authority carry little weight"; the possibility of falsification; and the use of Occam's Razor. Virtually everybody reading this review knows what Sagan means by these terms. The astonishing fact, and one of the key points of his book, is that the overwhelming majority of people in this country and throughout the world do not. The even more astonishing fact is that even some people with college educations are not clear about the need for evidence and independent confirmation of evidence before one can say that something is true, and knowing even then that this truth is only a tentative conclusion, forever subject to being overthrown by new evidence, evidence that might arrive tomorrow.
Many people are dissatisfied with this and want absolute certainty. But what Sagan is at pains to say is that such "certainty" is never forthcoming in this world. Such certainty is the province of religion. An integral part of the human condition is to realize and accept the fact that we cannot have absolute certainty, that the best we can have is a candle in the dark, and that candle is science. Without it we have an arbitrary truth, a truth of, by, and for authority. And that kind of "truth" can hurt you if you happen not to be on the side of authority, or happen to fall out of grace with the powers that be.
The question arises, why is the method and the logic of science a mystery to so many people? Sagan's answer is, it isn't taught in school. This book is an attempt to right this wrong. He would like to see the scientific method as part of our grade school curriculum, and see it continued on into college. I would add that science is not intuitive. It is not politically correct. It is politically neutral and sometimes it is amazingly anti-intuitive. People who make their living primarily with their political and intuitive (i.e., social) skills tend to be the ones most threatened and most ignorant of science.
Another question is, why do so many people still believe in demons and devils, aliens and astrology, Loch Ness monsters and dragons in the garage (a title of one of Sagan's chapters) when the overwhelming weight of evidence is against them? Simple: we humans have a need to believe. This need can either be satisfied with religion, or fairy tales from, e.g., the National Enquirer, or by the wonders of science. Sagan would like to see the wonders of science get more play both on the tube and in our classrooms. He, like the current Pope, believes that science and religion can co-exist. Of course this comes as no revelation to me, since I believe that properly understood, the stuff of religion must always be taken as symbolic and as a guide to how to live. The literal interpretation of religious ideas and the insistence on absolute truths always leads to trouble, contradictions and eventually to an untenable position which must be defended with brutal force. Sad to say.
Sagan examines many of the delusions of our times, e.g., alien abductions, the face on Mars, UFOs, creationism, astrology, telepathy, channeling, psychic healing, New Age fuzziness, etc. In Chapter 9, entitled "Therapy," Sagan deals with satanic ritual abuse charges, "recovered" memories of sexual abuse, the remembrance of previous lives, even memories of future lives (!) thought to be "uncovered" by some therapists.
This book is a celebration of science and an examination of the world of pseudoscience, why it exists and what can be done about lessening its negative effect on our lives. Sagan celebrates the wonders of science and the discoveries of science while warning us against the dangers inherent in pseudoscience. As a man who is as comfortable writing for Parade Magazine as he is addressing the National Academy of Sciences, you can be sure he is both easy to read and worth reading. Too bad he is no longer with us. His gentle and tolerant nature combined with his wisdom and his childlike excitement for life is already sorely missed.

I never really wanted to be a skeptic. There are times in my life where I wish I could have faith in something I can't explain. I love the idea of ghosts walking beside me. I am facinated by dreams of an advanced race of beings coming to earth and sharing their cosmic wisdom with us, helping to put an end to our bloody wars. So when I saw this book, I thought that it might help me decide once and for all where I stood. Am I a dreamer or a doubter? Take your best shot, Sagan.

Well, it wasn't what I expected. Sagan didn't come at me with each controversial theory and rip it apart with his scientific mind. He did do this on a limited basis, but that wasn't really the focus of the book. This isn't Penn and Teller. It really boils down Sagan trying to educate people on the power of thinking.

Did I agree with everything Sagan has to say on this subject? Of course not. Did Sagan help me decide which side of the fence I would live on? Nope. But this book did teach me about how to search for answers to things that I may accept without thinking, which seems the logical thing to do when people WANT to believe in something strongly enough. I also learned that searching for answers doesn't make you a cynic, just someone who likes to look before they leap.

If you decide to pick this book up, which I would recommend you do if the subject matter intests you, understanding what this book is and is not might help you in the long run. It's not a book debunking myths. It's more an illustration of Sagan's belief that those who think will achieve.

World-renowned astronomer Carl Sagan-- who died of cancer not long ago-- has written a book which is both challenging and inspiring to anyone who has ever questioned "New Age" methods and findings, and perhaps especially to those who haven't. Yet his book is likely to be one which many in the New Age community would overlook, to their own peril. Sagan is relentlessly scientific, and simultaneously embraces with warmth the concept of spirituality. I find it both impressive and intriguing that his "defense" of science is both intensely inspiring and even lyrical. Sagan makes it clear that, far from intending to invalidate spiritual viewpoints, he sees science and spirituality as not only complimentary, but mutually reinforcing. Sagan himself notes that he has often been misunderstood. His disappointment that he can find no evidence to support the idea of extraterrestrial existence and other paranormal phenomena is palpable. He sincerely wants to believe that he could, say, communicate with his dead parents, whom he dearly misses. It's simply that he finds no evidence for this. On matters of the paranormal, Sagan might best be desribed as AGNOSTIC. He passionately advocates development of our openness as well as our skepticism, while always maintaining a sense of reverence and wonder. Part of Sagan's purpose is to debunk pseudoscience-- of which he includes much of New Age thinking --even as he deepens our appreciation of science. So why would anyone in the New Age community wish to read it, let alone deem it valuable, let alone crucial for the expansion of the New Age Movement? Because Sagan injects clear-headed thinking and a critical eye to many New Age claims. He enlightens us as to where New Age thinking corresponds to verifiable "external reality," and where it falls short. Perhaps even more importantly, he show us how the Scientific Method can be used to weigh the evidence, so that we are free to draw our own conclusions based on verifiable criteria. This can only strengthen our self-trust, our commitment, and our resolve to pursue our ideals along certain lines. It seems to me that the more New Age ideas can be validated in our own eyes as well as the eyes of the rest of the community, the more acceptance these ideas will gain. The New Age Movement comprises a broad spectrum, and advocates ideas promoting inner and outer peace; more humane social, political, and economic institutions; mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health and well-being; personal growth and wisdom; and of course more loving and fulfilling relationships. But New Age Believers, take heart! For an interesting contrast, try checking out Michael Talbot's THE HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE, which purports to scientifically explain the paranormal. The latter is another wonderful book and excellent counterpoint to Sagan's. Sagan's book is fascinating, informative, enlightening and thought-provoking. His book adds a valuable and possibly crucial contribution to our understanding and ability to evaluate certain Human Potential endeavors. Reading it could only be a boon for the New Age community.

Great book about the nature of science and why it is superior to pseudosciences as a tool to understand the universe around us. I plan on eventually giving this book as a read for my students as an optional assignment. This is for my general biology 101 course at a community college. The premise is students will learn about science as they read the book, answer questions, and the grade they get can replace one of their lower grades they receive through the semester.

With his usual blend of solid research and reader-friendly prose, the late Carl Sagan takes to task the rising tide of ignorance and irrationalism that has pervaded much of our society in the last quarter century. Incorporating a wealth of detail, and recalling trends and ideas from the past, he illustrates that although we are more scientifically advanced than ever and our world is replete with amazing advancements and discoveries, our comprehension of such things seems to be decreasing at a rapid rate, leaving the general populace unprepared for the swift changes that science and technology bring to our world. As ignorance mounts, as pseudoscience, quackery, and superstition creep into our ways of thinking, the flame of science and reason--the candle in the dark--dwindles, and a new dark age looms.
New age beliefs, pseudoscience, the therapy/psychology culture, religious extremism, and especially alien abduction; all (and many more) are skewered by Sagan's sound reasoning and methodical research (appropriately backed by a good bibliography). The evidence he presents is formidable, leaving many ideas (and their followers) with feet of clay, and many sacred cows running for cover--even some in the fields of legitimate science, who have co-opted their methodology for the sake of political pressure and money; Sagan takes them to task, as well. Like Ellie Arroway in "Contact," he questions and questions, inquires and inquires, as a good scientist should. And Sagan, ever the scientist searching for solutions, offers possible remedies. He devotes most of a chapter ("The Art of Baloney Detection") to methods and ways of rationally approaching subject matter. He cites numerous examples of logical fallacies, errors in judgment, and dichotomous situations, and warns of the ways that even the most careful thinker can fall into illogical traps.
Sagan, known to some as a "religion basher," does take issue with religion at times in the book. But much of what he says deals mostly with fundamentalism and extremism. Indeed, he states that "there is no necessary conflict between science and religion" (p. 277). He goes on to explore how many faiths have adapted to scientific change and discovery, and how both religion and science can be ways to seek the truths of our existence. (Naturally, he prefers science). After all, debate and doubt are traditions in both. Those who beliefs lean to the extreme are the only ones who need to fear scientific discovery.
For more Sagan, see also "Cosmos" (book and series), "Broca's Brain," "The Dragons of Eden," "Billions and Billions," and the novel "Contact" (also a good movie).

I am an X-Files fan. I shamelessly pay lip service to all manner of extra-terrestrial, supernatural, and otherwise "out there" theories about the universe and our role in it. I have to admit, some of them seemed appealing. But there was something missing - we never heard from the other side. This only provided more ammunition for the paranoid, "They don't answer because they know they're wrong!" Here is Carl's answer.
* I never knew who made electricity (John Maxwell), and that the electromagnetic spectrum was created to counter Anton Mesmer's (the hypnotist, who created the word mesmerism) theory of animal attraction (that's where that saying came from!).
* I had no idea just how much hypnosis can influence others - read about the hypnotists who unintentionally plant suggestions into their young patients minds, and the accusations of devil-worshipping and satanic sacrifice that come about as a result.
* Carl slams the alien face on Mars with some hard evidence (there is an error in photography that is one of the nostrils of the figure on Mars).
* Crop circles are FAKE! The guys who invented them came out and admitted it...so why is everyone still talking about them anyway?

Before you make any decisions about the New Age, aliens, or any other popular quasi-theories that exist today, READ THIS BOOK.

This intriguing and intellectually challenging work caused me to experience an adjustment in my worldview--an adjustment for which I am quite grateful.
Within this book, Sagan masterfully introduces the reader to the concept of critical thinking as it should be, and supports his premise persuasively with more than adequate evidence that comes from either his intense research or his personal experiences. He takes the reader on a journey beginning with the necessity of critical thinking, and finishes by detailing realistic solutions for deploying critical thought. He articulates his viewpoint from both philosophical and scientific perspectives, and does so in an almost entertaining fashion. Each chapter is very engaging, especially when he draws upon his life experiences.
The importance of this subject matter to Sagan is very apparent. His heart and emotion are well captured within the words. He critiques the naive in our society, but does so in a very non-offensive way. His open-mindedness is obvious throughout the book. Sagan admits that he may be wrong on some of his theories and is open to changing them if new evidence leads him that way. This is all quite uncommon for the average skeptic, since most literary and well-known skeptics maintain an unshatterable bias and do not hesitate to insult their targets. Sagan unintentionally distances himself from such pseudo intellectualism.
Don't miss out on this thought-provoking, personal paradigm-shifting writing.

Written 20 years ago the central message of this book is eternal. Education, critical thought, and habitual suspicion of authority are vital if we wish to have a society that's remotely of, by, and for the people.

I loved Sagan and his writing style that made science accessible and of interest to the general public. This book has a lot less science in it than I had hoped, but I still very much enjoyed his message. Mr Sagan is very much missed.

Carl Sagan wrote many fine things in his life. Cosmos, filled with his awe for the universe, was one of the first things I read as a child that got me excited about science. I also enjoyed his novel, Contact. As good as those things are, I predict that THE DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD will live on as a testimony to the wonder of the natural world, combined with the tools--and reasons--to question everything.
Sagan debunks myths regarding UFOs, alien abduction and other supernatural events. The mantra here is to believe nothing; instead, weigh evidence. Ask questions.
Chapter 12, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" should be required reading in logic, philosophy and introductory science courses. People could gain a lot by getting exposure to these thinking tools.
Sagan does an excellent job of combining historical accounts alongside the lessons in skepticism. His passion for science spills out of the page, showing that one does not need superstitions to make the world interesting and exciting.
Towards the last few chapters, politics become an increasing theme within his essays. Unfortunately, I think this distracts from the overall message of the book. Nevertheless, even this can not lessen its overall strength.
THE DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD is a wonderful, vibrant and hopeful giant of a book.

Carl Sagan's latest and last book, The Demon-Haunted World, was completed just before his sudden and untimely death. He dedicated it to a grandson saying: To Tonio, my grandson, I wish you a world free of demons and full of light. Intro: We've arranged a global civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces. ... Comment: I say that Ben Franklin would be proud since Carl expounds upon the Bill of Rights as being a basis for the exercise of free thought and questioning. The book section "about the author" states that the twin philosophies by which Carl lives (lived) were that "Science is never finished" and that "We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers."

This is a really really good book. Carl Sagan know's how to write for sure. This book goes over the pseudosciences that infest our world and basically explains what is wrong with them. The only thing I had a problem with reading this book is that once he started talking about UFO's and alien abductions, it felt like he kind of got stuck, 7 chapters he talked about them, but honestly he had me convinced (that alien abductions have never happened on earth) within a chapter or two at the most. Other than that it was a truly great book and I would highly recommend reading it.

A heart-felt plea for enlightenment, inquiry, and open-mindedness from one of the great scientific philosophers of our time. Dr. Sagan was a champion of the skepticism movement because he always treated the subjects of his criticism with fairness, honesty, and compassion. He finished writing this book as he was suffering from the disease that took his life, and his peers have stated that he felt this book would be the his final work. This added a new level of awareness, and gave strength to his convictions. Sagan attacks the ongoing (and increasing) plague of pseudo-science that always draws more attention than the actual research that furthers the cause of science. He looks at UFOs, crop circles, "psychic" phenomena, conspiracy theories, legends of Atlantis, and all of the fringe elements that serve to keep a great number of people in the dark. Dr. Sagan was a crusader for the cause of true science, and his words live on in this outstanding book. (One of the points of the book is the the basis of a long-standing rule used by skeptics: "junk science books sell far better than true science.")

The peak of Sagan's clarity and writing talent merge with only a smattering of his politics. "The dumbing down of America," writes Sagan, "is most evident in the slow decay of content in an enormously influential media." Pseudoscience, superstition and a "celebration of ignorance" is our "prescription for disaster." "Sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces," he writes. "When governments and societies lose the capacity for critical thinking the results can be catastrophic however sympathetic we may be to those who bought the baloney." A book even more meaningful today (2014) with America's rejection of reason for easier dogma.

Sagan begins by relaying his interaction with an average American - 95% of which, he notes, are scientifically illiterate. Sagan finds the fellow curious, interested in man and his universe but full of media distributed pseudoscience with exciting news of "excessively genial" aliens flying about earth in their UFOs, poltergeists, crystal powers and astrology - i.e. sexy flash that sells. With common man so full of crop circles and mental telepathy, Sagan is sad to discover the more amazing facts of science entirely absent, or so twisted out of shape that their sound bite representations are something else all together. We want so much to be roused from our "humdrum lives, to rekindle that sense of wonder we remember from childhood," he says. We crave hard evidence, scientific proof and its "seal of approval but are unwilling to put up with the rigorous standards of evidence that impart credibility to that seal."

The values of science, he claims, and that of democracy are nearly indistinguishable in that both require free exchange of ideas, debate and reason with standards of evidence and honesty. Which should be no great wonder, given America's Founders and their antecedents like Locke (a chemist) were scientists, including Jefferson. Sagan asks how a nation can maintain democracy when the source of that kind of thinking is lost with the loss of critical sagacity among its population?

Sagan does not spare the opposite end of our educated spectrum, targeting postmodern philosophers who dismiss science as mythical and irrational; a Western bias with no relation to truth about nature. What these people seem never able to grasp is that science is both refutable (unlike religious claims) and testable against nature itself as the final judge. The predictions of quantum mechanics, Relativity theory or Newtonian gravitation can be verified by how semiconductors work, lasers, masers, orbiting galaxies, exploding stars and gravity waves. Because Newton, Einstein, Descartes or any other scientist held biases, bigotry, racist, sexist or unsavory political views is irrelevant to the accuracy of their scientific theories. We may not like them as people, but we successfully use their theories every day. Postmodern practice of dismissing their science because we don't like the scientist's politics is a recent and backward view incapable of separating politics from anything else. Atoms behave as atoms, and can be observed to do so whether one is Liberal or Conservative and 1 + 1 is still 2 whether one is religious or not. Saying it isn't because one doesn't like Bertrand Russell's proof of it as he was an atheist, or the racism of those who discovered how atoms behave does little more than expand ignorance and confirm membership of postmoderns to 95% of those scientifically illiterate.

Though frightening, Sagan is honest and wonderful. Realization is the first step. Thank you, Carl.

With over 400 reviews already written for this book, I could not think of any new or clever commentary to add. So, I'll provide a small tidbit from the book to illustrate the research, content, and tone that Sagan offers the reader in abundance.

"The chronicle of those who were consumed by fire [burned alive for witchcraft] in the single German city of Wurzburg in the single year 1598 penetrates the statistics and lets us confront a little of the human reality: ...old Mrs. Kanzler; the tailor's fat wife; the woman cook of Mr. Mengerdorf; a stranger; a strange woman; Baunach, a senator, the fattest citizen in Wurtzburg; the old smith of the court; an old woman; a little girl, nine or ten years old; a younger girl, her little sister; the mother of the two little aforementioned girls; Liebler's daughter; Goebel's child, the most beautiful girl in Wurtzburg; a student who knew many languages; two boys from the Minster, each twelve year old; Stepper's little daughter; the woman who kept the bridge gate; an old woman; the little son of the town council bailiff; the wife of Knertz; the butcher; the infant daughter of Dr. Schultz; a blind girl..." (pages 121 and 122)

Looking at Sagan's list of references for this particular chapter, I'd say he probably pulled this from "Europe's Inner Demons" by Norman Cohn. In any case, the vendettas, perversions, sadism, and suffering associated with those tortuous trials and painful executions is almost beyond comprehension. Wikipedia tells me that the Jews of Wurzburg were massacred in 1147 and again in 1298. During Nazi rule, nearly all of the Jews and Gypsies in Wurzburg were killed. British bombers subsequently destroyed 90% of the city in March of 1945. Wurzburg was rebuilt and, judging by photos on the web, looks beautiful today. I digress, but that's one fringe benefit of a good book... it sets you off on interesting and educational tangents.

The world is still an demon-haunted place for many people. I see little hope of that changing anytime soon. But please be a candle whenever you can. Be careful with anything that even vaguely resembles blind faith, includes a pinch of hocus pocus, or smells funny. Squash malicious gossip, exclusionary tactics, inflammatory rhetoric, and irrational nonsense. Alleviate pain and suffering. Encourage cooperation, engage in spirited but civil debate, and teach your children well. A peaceful prosperous world with enlightened civilizations and liberal democratic governments is our goal here. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Sagan is one of them.

The erosion of the bedrock certainties that used to be provided by the established churches has created a vacuum in peoples lives that is increasingly being filled with new age ideologies and faddish disciplines. Science itself has lost the respect of the public who see only the bad of science and seemingly forget that they are surrounded by innumerable examples of the good. Step forward Carl Sagan, to bring to peoples attention that the problems we face in this day and age, even though they may have been caused by science, are only likely to be resolved with science and not by feverish crystal rubbing and other quackery.
Touching on several examples of pseudoscience - recovered memory syndrome and Satanic abuse, so-called alien abduction and others, Sagan calmly examines the claims and finds them to be built on a desire to see things as they are not. He argues that the only true method with which to examine these claims is by adoption of a healthily skeptical scientific method.
In this regard he devotes a chapter of his book to his now-famous "Baloney Detection Kit" which informs the reader of the forms which pseudoscientific arguments take - tautologies, ad hominem attacks etc. And also what you should be looking for in an argument that should be taken seriously and what kind of proofs should be needed for it to be accpeted.
Beyond this advice on pseudoscience and how to handle it, Sagan devotes the latter part of the book to a convincing argument that only through widespread scientific education can democracy survive and flourish. Though he bemoans the standard of scientific education in America Sagan was not an author without hope in humanity. Demon-Haunted World is a fitting testament to all that Sagan stood for and should serve to inspire in the reader at least a healthy respect for the scientific worldview as a richly satisfying one, if not enthusiasm to adopt what Sagan advocated into one's own perspective.

Simon, the slight, fair-haired skeptic in "Lord of the Flies," told his peers "I don't believe in the beast." These peers, both friend and foe, did believe, or thought they might, or thought they should, or at least wondered what would happen if they didn't. In the story Simon, alone, confirms beyond doubt there is no beast. He runs to tell the others but is killed for his trouble, for the others want a beast, or think there should be a beast, or at least wonder if life on their island prison would be so stupidly fun if there were no beast.
Carl Sagan was a real-life Simon in many ventures, and never more so than in "The Demon-Haunted World." (The good news is Sagan was not murdered. The bad news is, with much left to do, he was done in by pathogens.) This book should be read by every teacher, every policy maker, and every member of a legislative body.
Throughout the pages Sagan methodically works the reader through the pseudosciences of our day - UFOs, alien abduction, recovered memories, channeling, etc. - and the witch hunts and demonic possessions of centuries past. He doesn't discount categorically, but instead insists that extraordinary claims require an equal level of evidence at any time in history. He illustrates that extraordinary claims in this pseudo realm rarely, if ever, have non-anecdotal evidence that can be corroborated by a third party.
It's not that Sagan wasn't interested in, and even desirous of, the fantastic - note his lifelong search for extraterrestrial life. But the last outcome he would have wanted was to be convinced of a far away intelligence that wasn't really there. He understood that to know what you don't know is just as important as knowing what is, in fact, true.
It was Sagan's lifelong work, since boyhood, to promote the power of real, reproducible knowledge. It was his hope, I think, to begin withdrawing us from our ancient addiction to unwarranted authority. This book was sorely needed when first published in 1995. We need it even more desperately today.

Many other favorable reviews have expressed my thoughts, and in most cases more eloquently, so I will address only the philosophical aspect of the book. Carl Sagan wrote at the beginning of chapter 24: "I do not wish to suggest that advocacy of science and skepticism necessarily leads to the all the political and social conclusions I draw." The negative reviewers all seem to miss that, but it still should be obvious that Sagan advocated not a philosophy, but a method, and one that works. As a matter of fact, three decades of using this method have lead me to conclusions quite different than Sagan's, in particular, more faith in God and less faith in government. The political and social sciences are not very predictable, so a wide range of ideas can be expected. Sagan's conclusions in the physical and life sciences were, in contrast, essentially identical to mine. What unites skeptics of all philosophies is the willingness to change one's mind in light of reasonable evidence. What unites pseudoscientists of the left (e.g. postmodernists) and right (e.g. creationists), however, is the willingness to distort the evidence to fit their agenda. Above all, Sagan noted that fraud and error in science is almost always detected and corrected by science, whereas fraud and error in pseudoscience is almost never detected and corrected by pseudoscience.

There are points in this book where it seems a bit repetitive, but since Sagan intended it for a public seriously ignorant about hard science (not to say I'm an exception) and suffering from attention deficit disorder, it's probably appropriate. Sagan was prompted to write this book by what he saw as an alarming ignorance of science and the easy acceptance of pseudoscience among most Americans - although this is not necessarily an exercise in intellectual hand-wringing about how Americans need to study science more. What is most lamentable in Sagan's view, and it's hard to disagree with him, is the lack of knowledge of the scientific method and the critical thinking which makes people both inquisitive and skeptical. It is the absence of discerning skepticism among so many peopele which is most disturbing. In this context, much of the book is devoted to a critique of the `alien abductions' which seem to have become quite commonplace over the last few decades (mainly in North America). Sagan is at his best when he pointed out the striking similarities between abduction accounts and the visitations by demons, incubi or gods of earlier eras - and this is where the book is most interesting and convincing. He took a similar stance when discussing New Age beliefs and parapsychology. Perhaps one of the main drawbacks of the book is that Sagan tried to cover too much ground, even though he tied together the principal themes quite well. His final chapter also provides an eloquent argument for the meaning of the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights, although this airing of his political views is perhaps what turned off a number of more conservative readers. "Demon-Haunted World" is a very informative, useful and well-argued book, and very enjoyable to read, despite certain limitations (and I'm still puzzling over his characterization on p. 108 of Gary Larson as a "cartoonist ... who draws in the horror genre...")

Scientist-author Carl Sagan (1934-1996) employs these powerful pages to debunk myths, superstitions, and other phenomenon that many foolishly accept or have been persuaded to believe in. Sagan shows why many of these myths are either ridiculous, or at least worthy of great skepticism. He challenges readers to read and think critically - vital skills so few employ and not often taught in classrooms. Sagan asks us to scrutinize outrageous claims via intelligent inquiry and analysis. He also rings alarm bells at what he sees as the evils of scientific ignorance and pseudoscience, everything from creationism, to UFO abductions, to the paranormal. Sagan presents science as an imperfect yet essential process of discovery - one we must depend on in the absence of something better. He examines the sorry state of U.S. education, and the widespread scientific ignorance even among the well-educated. There is also some personal background and social commentary. The result is a readably sensible book, one that remains as relevant today as when it arrived in the 1990's. One wonders how Sagan would view today's discussions of global warming; most scientists supporting it's existence from scientific evidence, while millions curtly dismiss it due to political ideology.

Many will enjoy this book, some will avoid it, still others may examine it with a skeptical eye - which Sagan might have approved of. As an educator, I found it on target. Many students complain that science is difficult; too few see it as an exciting process of discovery. Perhaps the fault lies both with students and teacher, plus our anti-science culture. This book clearly belongs on your reading shelf (and in your hands).

A departure from Sagan's typical fare--less concerned with explaining a particular scientific field, more a cogent defense of the entire scientific enterprise (and a scathing rebuke of many non-scientific, or "pseudoscientific" to use Sagan's word, arguments commonly foisted on us as science, in the name of science, or as if they were viable substitutes for science). Includes a useful discussion of how to distinguish logical arguments from logical fallacies, and how to spot the fallacies ("baloney detection") when they are committed. There isn't a lot of earthshaking new scientific material here; the book is clearly intended as a critique of how we think and reason...and as an inspiration to the reader to examine his own reasoning processes.
I think it clearly a must-read, and I'll happily add my vote to the "ought to be required reading in every high school" column, although the central themes of Sagan's argument are guaranteed to produce controversy (in case you hadn't already figured that out when you saw there were 145+ customer reviews of this). By the way, the reason I'm back here at the site is to buy eight more copies and give them to my friends, surely the most powerful endorsement of all.

Shortly after his Death, Sagan's wife (Ann Druyan) was asked if Carl wanted to believe. She replied "Carl didn't want to believe, he wanted to know". And so it is with this work, his last book published in his lifetime, in which Dr. Sagan eloquently and passionately endorses a life, and an educational system, that does best by tempering open-mindedness with a skepticism that acts as a sentinel against wrong thinking.
In this book, as in many others he wrote, Carl Sagan continues his battle against the tendency of so many to accept unfounded speculation; whether it be of the religious, scientific or paranormal variety.. Especially interesting to me is his list of fallacious arguments (strawman for example) that tend to blunt honest inquiry and purvey ignorance. Additionally, and at many points humorously, Sagan describes a "baloney detection" kit to aid people in constructing a proper methodology for deciding what merits further serious consideration and what doesn't..
It's rare, in the classroom or out, that I permit myself an emotional commentary on a subject, but in this case I must confess a continuing feeling of loss with regard to this author. His life spoke for reason and honesty, and proved to me time and again that a humanist's life well lived is every bit as meaningful in it's contributions to society as that of any saint.. Sagan's unique blend of compassionate skepticism and scientific eloquence will be missed for a long time yet to come..

Sagan writes clearly and engagingly about the unexamined beliefs held by many, both now and in the past. Others have attacked or defended these beliefs, but Sagan does it with a grace and generosity of spirit that appear virtually nowhere else in the arguments for or against such things as alien abduction, psychic powers, and supernatural entities. That is, Sagan truly seems to want to share his knowledge and his regard for scientific inquiry with the whole world. And yet, he doesn't let that fervent desire close his mind to unplumbed possibilities.
Other reviewers of this work charge Sagan with having lost his sense of wonder and with a disregard for anything unprovable by scientific methods. On the contrary, Sagan's untrammeled sense of wonder appears again and again in this book. He's not afraid to say what he doesn't know, what he'd like to find out, and what science hasn't been able to prove or disprove. On the other hand, he is passionate in his defense of logic and his insistence on the value of evidence. In fact, his primary attack seems to be on those who fail to see the value of evidence, or even to consider it when deciding what to accept as true.
I've organized a college composition class around this book, because it is an excellent vehicle for the teaching of argument. Not just scholarly arguments, but also the kind of argument that we do all day, every day, as we make the millions of decisions that define our lives. In fact, Sagan might have called his book "A Manual for Life." Everyone who lives on the earth in the 21st century should read this book.

It was because of my interest in what Sagan term's "Pseudoscience" that a die-hard skeptic suggested that I read SCIENCE AS A CANDLE IN THE DARK as a reality check. While I don't agree with 100% of Sagan's perspective, I respect the man and his work. This invaluable book should be a primer for Humanities and Science courses, especially in the context of the Post Cold War Era where the "Next" culture searches for direction and meaning. Sagan's work provides American Culture with a much needed historical context for growth, poking and prodding in the areas where he challenges the quality of our thinking and insists that we are offered the choice to take either the high road of critical thinking, or the low road of a "dumbed down" entertainment-obsessed brave new world.
The sections on Edward Teller and Frederick Douglas were especially illuminating. Don't miss out on finding out more about them as Sagan presents biographical data that will blow your mind.
Where I disagree with Sagan is his thesis at the beginning of the book; the generalization, "Occasionally we hallucinate. We are error-prone" hardly accounts for ALL phenomena, but then Sagan is quick to respond, "But of course I might be wrong," modeling the kind of good scientist he advocates others explore becoming. And while I find his explanation of the UFO phenomena of the 1940s through the present to be the most cogent arguement against the reality of "alien abductions," I don't find Sagan advocating the study of other phenomena, like evidential mediumship. There doesn't appear to be any room for study, he's summed up the likely origins for all pseudoscience: "Miracles are attested, but what if they're instead some mix of charlatanry, unfamiliar states of consciousness, misapprehensions of natural phenomena, and mental illness?"
The beauty of this book is that Sagan posits more than he seeks to have the last word, and that should engender the respect of skeptic and pseudoscientist alike.
I loved this book, and Sagan's wonderful, subtle humor -- don't miss this rare and informative treat.

The main problem with this book is that it spends way too much time debunking UFO's and alien abductions. OK, pointing out these things is worthwhile, but I found myself quite bored with this, as it became quite dull. I guess it should be expected, concerning Sagan's profession as an astronomer and his association with SETI -- but it quickly began to seem that Sagan was beating a dead horse (and beating it and beating it...). However, a book dedicated to UFO's is not what I paid for or want to read; I was about to set the book aside and complain about how I'd been ripped-off, but I kept going, and I was glad I did.

The second half of the book is much more diverse in topics, and more importantly, much deeper and relating to much more fundamental issues. The second half is truly inspiring -- its where the real meat of the book is. I would love for more people to read this (the second half, roughly divided), it could really help a lot of people, and has eye-opening explanations and examples of science at work, the dangers of ignorance, and related topics. I especially loved the chapter "Maxwell and the Nerds," how it shows that science (and human understanding in general) doesn't always follow from the short-sighted, profit-seeking, "R&D" kind of investigations many people see as obviously valuable -- and how the important questions are often answered by what some might not recognize as valuable at all. Again, its roughly the second half where all the good stuff is -- its a message everyone need to hear. Unfortunately I fear that even those who pick this book up may never get to it, because the first half of the book is so dry and spends so much time one specific trivia about UFOs.

Carl Sagan does it again with his rational yet passionate style of writing. This book deals with critical thinking and its falling from grace in many contemporary societies. The author discusses the appearance of these "demons" of uncontrolled pseudo-science, holistic, alternative approaches in many facets of our everyday lives. He stresses on the merits of scientific impartiality and warns us from the calamities these so called "demons" could bring on our societies.
The interesting thing about Mr.Sagan's approach is that he doesn't claim that scientific reasoning has all the answers. Neither does he claim that other approaches are completely false. On the one hand, throughout human history, once regarded "magical" phenomenon is eventually explained. On the other hand he asks us to "keep an open mind but not let our brains fall out" when dealing with such phenomenon that is yet to be understood scientifically. He pleads with us not to lose our patience with today's scientific community despite its faults.
Mr. Sagan is one of the most brilliant writers of our generation and this book is yet another one of his exciting and stimulating masterpieces.

Surely no semi-aware person in this unfortunate age of television dumbing down, condescending school textbooks, and widespread ignorance and gullibility fails to note the danger that is inherent in society due to a lack of rational thinking, healthy skepticism, and application of the scientific method among the common folk. This book is a plea to those people, and a "how-to" educate guide to those who do realize and want to do something about it. Perhaps the most interesting chapter in this well-rounded book is "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" in which Sagan demonstrates a "Baloney Detection Kit" listing the checklist for determining whether or not a particular assertion (whether scientific or not) is Gospel. Conversely, he also wisely offers the companion kit, what NOT to do. Among the other interesting things in this book are convincingly argued debunkings of such annoying to rationalist topics as UFO abductions, astrology, faith healing, chanelling, and their indiscernable ilk. Sagan consistently brings up parallel cases from olden times, i.e. witchcraft mania and demo xenophobia, that show that such fears and paranoia have always been around in different forms. This goes a long way towards exposing them for being fraudelent. Sagan also expounds here his views on such subjects as religion (a very rational argument on their scientific insignifigance, while also pointing out its virtues: a balanced view that should open many eyes, without, perhaps, offending the faithful), public education (corollaried with an abundance of letters Sagan has received from readers on the subject, many of them eye-opening), and politics; many of which I agree with, all of which I can respect. This is a very enlightening and useful book, and an elegant manifesto for the useful application of the scientific method and skeptical and rational thinking in our modern world. It's a shame that Sagan is no longer around to parlay such truth to our all-too-ignorant public. Still, the incredible works that he left behind, including this indispensable book, can still enligten us and perhaps make our world that much better for whatever dose of rationality it can inject into our "demon-haunted", close-minded society: science as a "candle in the dark" indeed.

Carl Sagan's focus in this book is the large amount of pseudo-science within the U.S., and the danger that it will grow as the amount of manufacturing (heavily fact-driven) decreases as we move towards a service-driven (largely based on baloney - eg. financial and marketing misrepresentations) economy.

He points out that spurious accounts that snare the gullible are readily available, while skeptical treatments are much harder to find. Pseudo-science purports to use the methods and findings of science, but ignore choices pointing the other way. It is easier to contrive than science because distracting confrontations with reality are avoided. It appeals to fantasies about personal power we lack. In some manifestations it promises that death is not the end, that educators can work wonders.

Science is more than a body of knowledge - it is also a way of thinking.

There isn't a religion in the world with the prophetic accuracy and reliability of science. There are no forbidden questions in science, no sacred truths.

Each field of science has its own pseudo-science beliefs. For example, economists have long-range forecasting.

Most of Sagan's book is taken up with examples of prior pseudo-science beliefs - eg. witches, fairies, etc., as well as a good summary of common logic errors.

In this book, Carl Sagan is concerned with showing science as an intellectual endeavor that must compete, in the marketplace of popular culture, with other forms of "entertainment". What does science have to offer us? Here, one focuses on our innate pleasure and interest in contemplating the wonders and beauty of the cosmos.

In this, science balances an openness to new ideas, to new ways of looking at nature, and to new evidence with a skepticism based on available empirical evidence and experiments. There is just as much interest in how knowledge is obtained as in the facts and knowledge themselves.

Part of this openness entails searching for multiple explanations or hypotheses that address claims about the world. Here, we meet one of the perhaps disconcerting aspects of science: Occam's razor. The simpler, less involved explanations that are supported by experiment are preferred. Not only this, but explanations involving the supernatural are avoided.

Professor Sagan emphasizes especially the merits of skepticism. In doing so, he makes it abundantly clear that we are confronted always with evidence, facts and assertions that are in need of being subjected to some objective tests, avoiding personal biases and other human limitations to the extent we are capable. This is especially important in the face of deceptions, faulty memories, errors of reasoning, human frailties, hallucinations, and other factors that can impede our judgment.

Prof. Sagan addresses only to a very modest extent the specialization that has occurred in science. Instead, he emphasizes the value of unfettered inquiry by individuals, encouragement of curiosity and careful observations and experiments.

He gives the example of the work of the physicist James Clerk Maxwell as an instance of the importance of the individual in developing new science. The result of Maxwell's work was certain equations that modeled most of the empirical phenomena and rules discovered about electricity and magnetism to about the middle of the nineteenth century. These equations proved to be profoundly important both to science and to technology.

In this example, we can also see something of the importance of mathematics over natural languages like English. In particular, mathematical formulae are generally regarded without much emotional bias, and often permit a great deal of information to be stored, derived and accessed in a compact way. This has been important not only in the modeling of physical phenomena, but also in the understanding and prediction of results of experiments. Indeed, mathematical models can often be very suggestive and allow us to formulate new hypotheses or make new predictions.

Prof. Sagan's discussions of the question of "alien abductions" were very extensive and displayed a great deal of what he saw of science as an intellectual endeavor. He also had other examples, such as in considering witchcraft, which were very telling in terms of prejudice against women. He also made comments about education in science that are poignant to consider in the context of the historical period encompassing his lifetime.

What about the competition science faces in the "marketplace" for attention among public and government officials? Prof. Sagan points out that despite numerous positive advantages of science for the development of knowledge and technology, in the "marketplace" it is by no means clear that science has an advantage over pseudo-science or other "competitors" for the attention of the public or government officials.

Prof. Sagan discusses many important issues related to the interface of science with the public. However, the discussion of alien abductions and UFOs (and a number of other topics) dates the book to a time when popular prejudices about the planets and astronomical objects were more rampant. On the other hand, some of Prof. Sagan's remarks remain very cogent for today. Even discussions that today may seem somewhat lacking in interest still have some poignancy in that Prof. Sagan addresses subjects with a fairly consistent objectivity, and attempts to present a cross-section of views from other people, in an effort to be fair.

Certainly, there is a critical need for the public to be better-informed about modern mathematics, modern physics and modern astronomy. This type of book is much-needed in the popular press. I gave the book four (rather than five) stars not because it is not of interest or not worth reading today, but because it is somewhat out-of-date.

I was first introduced to Carl Sagan, along with most of the public, through the series `Cosmos'. Perhaps I can be forgiven for not having heard of him prior to that, given I was twelve years old at the time. It became very apparent in that series, and all subsequent writings, that Sagan was a man of science, to his very core. I have known physicists and scientists of other fields who have embraced denominational and religious tenets, and followed other faith structures (albeit usually with modifications to the theological framework, which in fact puts them in company with their non-scientific intellectual companions). Not so for Sagan. It became clear to me, almost from the beginning his series, that science, the religion of rationality, was his religion. He worshipped the Cosmos, his dogma was the principle of rationality, experimentation and verification, and his heresies included the various irrational parts of the world, which comprise a good deal of popular culture (in every society) and, ultimately, much of what is commonly called religion.
Sagan's book, `The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark', is therefore, by an large, Sagan's Book of Heresies. Unlike many books of heresies throughout history, however, this is no simple text of dogmatic pronouncements, a list of things to avoid or distrust. This book has reasoning, research, and history. Sagan points out that even religious structures, who rely heavily on irrational aspects (revelation and inspiration) have certain guidelines of rationality by which to test these aspects.
`A 1517 papal bull distinguishes between apparitions that appear "in dreams or divinely". Clearly, the secular and ecclesiatical authorities, even in times of extreme credulity, were alert to the possibilities of hoax and delusion.'
Sagan explores issues of UFO abduction stories, ghosts and 'saintly' appearances (how does one determine if it is truly the image of the Virgin Mary in the glass, or just a coincidental pattern in the sunlight and oily coating of the glass?). Sagan discounts the veracity of most (if not all) such happenings, not only due to the lack of rationality, emotional issues and delusions of the 'experiencers', but also due to the assistance of those in established positions of power who promote such things.
For Sagan, science is a 'golden road' that can raise people out of poverty and backwardness into a greater awareness of the world and universe in which they live. Material progress is dependent upon scientific knowledge; likewise, proper use and direction of this progress requires scientific and environmental awareness. Science for Sagan touches the deepest yearnings of human thought. Sagan also postulates a positive link between scientific advance and democratic values (the political theology Sagan believes).
There are a few problems with this reasoning--Sagan does not give religion its due in the course of helping to develop philosophical and cultural development in the course of history. While it is true that religion and science have been at odds in the West in past millennium a number of times, this may have more to do with political realities than true rationality. Astronomy, Sagan's own particular field, began in aid of astrology; technology, physics, and chemistry most likely also began to be developed in earnest in suport of religious programmes. Sagan does not mention the fact that both the Carolingian and Italian Renaissance periods showed great flowering in scientific knowledge without a democracy in sight.
These caveats having been said, Sagan's reasoning throughout is elegantly crafted, and well written, with a strong historical underpinning to his reasoning, and an eye toward future developments. Ultimately, Sagan cautions against science becoming the domain of an elite few. `In all uses of science, it is insufficient--indeed it is dangerous--to produce only a small, highly competent, well-rewarded priesthood of professionals. Instead, some fundamental understanding of the findings and methods of science must be available on the broadest scale.'
Perhaps we are entering a period for science similar to that of when printing presses revolutionised the interactions of people with religion by making scriptures readily accessible; are we about to enter a reformation of science, in which it is reclaimed by the people? No longer will there be a single 'catholic' faith of science (and science relies as heavily on faith principles as any religion), but a multiplicity of scientific denominations which we can only speculate about today.
Sagan's book provokes questions and provides answers, as any good scientific text, popular or technical, should do. 'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark' is full of Sagan's rational-oriented philosophy, in concert with so much of the underpinnings of Western culture (even its religious frameworks of theology, though Sagan does not like to admit this), and yet, somehow culture loses its way occasionally, and it is up to the professionals, be they scientists or priests, to help education and illuminate the world anew, to provide the candle in the dark. May all such professionals find a common ground upon with to stand, so to better steady the foundation of all.

Insist that this become a standard text in every high school. The standard of education has fallen so far that many quite intelligent people are opting for the easy path of ignorance. Even our universities have been hoodwinked into promoting cults of unreason, thinly veiled in the respectable sounding study of "post-modernism".

New age fairy stories may offer the delusion of comfort. Conspiracy theories may give the teenage rebel an imaginary cause to fight. However, how do they cope when reality rudely intrudes on their make-believe?

Ignorance of the basic tools of critical thinking, and the means to assess the credibility of sources, will inevitably disempower the individual. The ignorant are subject to the dictates of those in the know. Knowledge is power. We can not afford to be taken in, en masse, by the purveyors of unreason. To reject the responsibility of knowledge is to invite slavery.

The message is that the real world is far more amazing than our most cherished fantasy of it.

This was one of the late Carl Sagan's last books, and it is certainly one his most important. We live in a credulous society, a culture that seems to be incapable of critical thinking. That's an extremely dangerous situation. When a majority of U.S. citizens believe in astrology; when a voter can read a newspaper expose' on dial up fortune-telling scams and then dial a 900 number in order to decide what to do; well, it doesn't bode well for our country.
To some extent, Sagan oversold himself in the late 1980's and early 1990's. His eager sincerity was even parodied - "billyuns and billyuns - but he was an engaging science writer and popularizer. In this book he stepped a bit outside of that usual role, and made some critical and important points about our culture. No thoughtful citizen can read this book, look around and fail to be concerned.
I'd make this book required reading, not for students, but for school board members and teachers. If the average citizen is credulous to the point of embarrassment - and that's pretty clearly the case - the solution has to involve the educational system, and especially those in charge. We are not teaching our citizens and future citizens to think critically. In Sagan's phrase, "Extravagant claims require extravagant evidence." For better or worse, the life of the world is logic, and the ability to reason is as important as the ability to read and the ability to do arithmetic. And if you think it's not a problem, you need to read this book, or just attend the public comments portion of a school board meeting, or read the letters to the editor in your newspaper.
You should read this book. You should act on the message of this book. Not just because it is a thoughtful, entertaining treatment of an important issue. But because that issue hasn't gone away; and it seems to be getting worse.

As per most of the reviews, ditto for me. My only complaint is that Sagan -- in this book and in others -- had a patronizing attitude toward faith and religion, and I thought that his claims of being fair-minded and open on this issue was undercut by some unfair and pointless attacks here and there on thinkers like Thomas Aquinas. Sagan accuses him in particular of "dubious reasoning" in his proof of God, while failing to mention that Aquinas's system help lay the foundation of Western science -- it was the first time a system had been developed to seek an earth-based understanding of the cosmos.
It's a useful and refreshing critique at points, but it often becomes offensive, particularly for Roman Catholics who have to endure a few potshots at their church and their Pope.
But this is otherwise a fantastic book with a very convincing argument for increased scientific literacy. I can't think of another book that's made me so interested in science as a discipline and a means of evolving the species. Thank god for Carl Sagan -- he died too soon for our society.

Ok. To keep this as short and simple as I can:
My buddy kept ranting and raving about this book almost in the same way that I am about to convey in this brief recommendation. For months he told me I should pick it up. He's been pedaling it to everyone he considers close to him, or merely to those who have even a vague interest in science or comprehension of the world around them.
I'm 20 years old. A sophomore in college. In a reflection toward how much I THINK I know, or knew rather, I have come to discover just how insignificant my "knowledge" is.

To be blunt: This book is as much an exceptionally incredible gift as it is a curse to self reflection, rational thought, and skepticism.
I've been tortured by the countless internal monologues, views, and arguments spawning from numerous points the author presents in this text. You can't help but think about how it pertains to YOU. What do you think? What do I think?
I think where I am now, or where I was more specifically, is nowhere near where I want to be.

I'm not even into science. I'm a history major. It doesn't matter. You cannot read this book from cover to cover, without getting caught up in Sagan's passion. It's not just about science. It's not just about philosophy. Or knowledge. Or history.

His opinion may vary from yours. In fact, it probably will. He may present views or arguments you choose not to acknowledge or agree with. Once again, it doesn't matter. It is precisely these elements that continually compel me to learn more about who I am and what I think of the world around me.

If I had to choose one book for any of my friends to read from start to finish, this would be the one. So I guess now it's my turn to start pedaling this book to others who might want to enlighten themselves.
And I guess this is my way of doing it.
You're already here. What more do you need to know?

Carl Sagan
The Demon-Haunted World:
Science as a Candle in the Dark

(New York: Random House, 1995) 457 pages
(ISBN: 0-394-53512-X)
(Library of Congress call number: Q175.S215 1996)

Yes, Carl Sagan is the "billions and billions" scientist
of the popular television series, Cosmos,
which was based on his book of the same name,
the best-selling science book ever.
In this--his last book--he criticizes popular trends toward superstition,
paranormal beliefs, and anti-scientific thinking.
Some of his major themes: life after death;
channeling--spirit messages from the dead;
faith healing, psychic cures; the role of religion
in supporting paranormal beliefs and pseudo-science;
crop circles; witches, demons; extra-sensory perception (ESP);
aliens; satanic cults; horoscopes; religious visions, hallucinations,
dreaming; pseudo-science in the mass media,
popular culture's fascination with the occult;
pseudo-science in politics and government;
Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs);
skepticism, baloney detection, fallacies of logic;
children's natural curiosity about how things work;
the dimensions of real science: wonder, searching,
hypothesis, testing, criticism by peers, self-correction;
the teaching and learning of real science at all levels of the education system;
the use of the mass media for real science programs.

This book has more about the self-correcting methods of science
than the other books in the Paranormal Bibliography.
Careful scientific method--with repeatable experiments
that allows other competent scientists to confirm or refute earlier results--
is the best answer to claims of the paranormal and supernatural effects.
The media should present as much solid science
as they do programs appealing to superstitious beliefs.

Science and technology have produced weapons of mass destruction,
which has been used by governments to kill millions of people.
But science has also produced hundreds of medical miracles,
which have given us longer and better lives.
Open discussion and democratic process will allow us to use science
more to enhance life than to spread death.

This book is a precious document of our civilization.
It may be seen decades after its publication
as the crowning achievement of Carl Sagan's life.
Will it be one of the break-thru books that sheds the light of science
into the darkness of popular culture?

No prior knowledge of science is required to understand this book.
For many years Carl Sagan taught science
to non-scientists at Cornell University and on television.
This book enables him to carry on that good work even after his untimely death.
It is a well-reasoned and open-minded book--recommended to all.

Find reviews of other books using this Internet search term:
"OCCULTISM AND SCIENCE".

James Leonard Park, skeptic.

One of the signs of a book that can be called a "classic" is its durability and the ability to be relevant even years after it was written. Shakespeare's stories are still read because they contain human foibles that exist some 400 years later; and 13 years after this book was published, it still has baring on the events of today as well has still educationally correct. Sadly this would be Sagan second to last published work released during his lifetime, but it is a fitting epitaph to a man who tried very hard to make science "cool" and approachable.
The book is written as a series of essays about science and how people think about, or interact with it, that fits in nicely with current pieces by Thomas Friedman, Fareed Zakaria, and even Chris Hedges (although far less shrill or alarmist than Hedges). Even in the mid to late 90s it was becoming obvious that America's understanding of the scientific disciplines was faltering, funding for basic research was moving to more profitable applied development and that America seemed to be entering (and some would argue has by 2010 entered) an intellectual dark age of emotional conventional wisdom and confusing mystical thinking for real science.
For those who are conservatively opposed to science, or feel intimidated by, or just don't see the point to it, Carl Sagan does an excellent job of explaining the need for science without being condescending or haughty. He explains the benefits of science, how common sense science can be once a person crosses a certain emotional thresh hold, and the need for ethics in science. He also spends a good amount of time debunking the myth that scientists are an elitist cabal, all working in unison, to forward a hidden agenda. The in the sciences, those involved are independently minded and competitive with one another, taking some amount of satisfaction in sinking the theories or arguments of others. In addition to this competitiveness is a required, overwhelming, sense of skepticism that keeps the scientific method honest. Sagan states that a good scientist doesn't except any results at face value, especially his or her own.

I won't bother with my regular Pros/Cons because there just aren't any Cons. The Demon Haunted World is engrossing, engaging, illuminating and as the title of this review eludes to, poignant. Carl Sagan was a intellectual renaissance man with a common touch that allowed to him to communicate his ideas to a broad audience. If there are any Cons to this book is that it covers a broad range of subjects quickly, and may lose a reader that can't tie the threads together; and that there won't be any more of this kind of work. I didn't really know much about Carl Sagan before I read this book, and now that I have, I feel that the world is a lesser place for his early passing; as well as a little sad that there really isn't someone to take his place. We could really use a mind like his today.

The underlying message of Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World" is twofold. First, that we are becoming an increasingly scientifically illeterate society, and second, that our ignorance of science is a threat not only to the security of our future, but to the freedoms we all enjoy. Sagan spends much of the book debunking so-called psuedo-science (alien abductions, psycotherapy, astrology, etc). He also makes the point that America is doing a very poor job educating its young about the wonders of science. Sagan also castigates the media for not exercising more scepticism in scientific reporting, and, indeed, mostly ignoring hard science altogether.
The book itself is a bit disjointed, with several chapters deriving from expanded magazine articles. Additionally, Sagan pontificates about political issues, and reveals a leftist political bent. He also has a tendancy at times to overemphasize his point. Nevertheless, he has some important points to make, and as a society we would be better off if we paid close attention to many of the issues he raises.

It seems I find myself wondering about our society's critical thinking skills ever more frequently. It is amazing to me how quickly people turn over control of their lives to spirits, gods, aliens, Lady Luck; or rather to people claiming to speak for any of these. John Stossel seems to be the sole voice of reason on TV as the various networks air "specials" that are friendly to claims of the paranormal and supernatural. The burden of proof seems to have changed from requiring that believers prove a claim to forcing skeptics to disprove a claim.
"In every government on earth is some trace of human weakness, some germ of corruption and degeneracy, which cunning will discover and wickedness insensibly open, cultivate and improve. Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves therefore are its only safe depositories. And to render even them safe, their minds must be improved."
This quote from Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on Virginia", which is not provided until the end of the book, well summarizes what Carl Sagan is trying to do with "The Demon-Haunted World". It is Sagan's view that the world is experiencing a crisis of skepticism, that it is a tool too rarely used. The cause for this would seem to be a move away from teaching, and understanding, the scientific method.
The first part of the book is devoted to examining the philosophical aspects of skepticism and the scientific method. As should be expected of any professor, Sagan tries to instruct through application, and the example closest to him is the alien issue. Carl Sagan had a long academic interest in the possibilities of non-terrestrial life. I can imagine, and it is hinted at in the book, that every person who believes we are visited daily beat a path to his door. What a coup to have such a respected scientist believe in alien abduction.
Sagan of course believed no such thing. He was capable of making the distinction between a scientific probability of extraterrestrial life and the lack of scientific evidence that such life has ever visited Earth.The first half of the book is focused on showing just how empty such claims are when exposed to a skeptical spotlight.
What separates this book from other skeptical works is that it doesn't just dismiss such beliefs as contemptible and below consideration. If the polls are correct then millions of people worldwide have been abducted by aliens and millions more believe them; we can't just dismiss them all as deficient. If we are going to claim that all these people are delusional then we are required to provide evidence (just as they are to prove they were abducted). Carl Sagan does address these issues, and does so admirably.
The second portion of the book focuses on why scientific methods are not being applied and how this can be rectified. This is really the most optimistic part of the book as it rejects all claims that science is too hard for most people or too complex; that science is against the nature of man and we are predisposed to mysticism. Instead, Sagan claims that, if anything, scientific thought is an evolutionary feature that distinguishes primates in general and humanity in particular. It was the scientific method that discovered that hitting two stones together could start a fire; it was scientific exploration that lead to new and better stone axes; it was inter-generational scientific experimentation that lead to the storeian tribes figuring out that tea from the bark of a certain tree prevented malaria. These "primitives" may not have been using what we would recognize as science, but a method of organized discovery was employed.
Rather than being a species of mystics who need science forced on them, it is Sagan's view that we are all innate scientists, and most of us have had science withheld. For evidence of this, look to your average four-year-old who is constantly trying to figure out why things are they way they are. Many parents, not knowing the answers avoid the questions and simply say "just because." Then the child goes to a school that is forced to focus on tangential issues, such as teaching driver's ed, with the result that very little time is spent on teaching cognitive methods. Students that, despite this, excel at intellectual endeavors are then portrayed as geeks or nerds. These trends, are what Carl Sagan is really arguing against.
The final few chapters of the book deal with why it is so important to maintain a skeptical scientific tradition. If most people want to believe in alien abductions, if this belief fulfills some basic emotional psychological need, then what is wrong with believing? The response to this is that it has always been the lack of skepticism or the effective limiting of skepticism that has allowed many of the world's tyrannies. If ideas and beliefs are accepted without criticism then we are all pawns in the hands of those feeding us the ideas.
"The Demon-Haunted World" is a forceful call for everyone to take control of their lives, to question all ideas and beliefs, even those coming from science. I have read several books promoting skepticism and this one is definitely the most accessible to any reader; I highly recommend it.

Read, or heard this book many years ago when driving across the country on tape.

Sagan was one of my heros and favorite people of all time. Once I was in New York and went
to Cornell to just meet him. Saw his office, but sure he was not there. A lifelong inspiration
and supporter of rationality and science.

What confused me, and disappoints me is that Sagan is not so much well-known these
days and that his books which I would like to buy again in Audible, audiobook, format
are not available. Demon Haunted World was excellent, but so are all of his books,
starting for me with Intelligent Life In The Universe.

Sure would like to be able to listen to his books in his own voice, but sadly they do
not seem to be available and don't think he read most of his books.

Please get these old audiobooks out in the new Audible format so I can buy them
and download them.

And ... by the way ... yeah, everything else all of the other 377 people who gave
this book a 5 said too ... I agree with all of it. It was a very sad day for me when
Carl passed away and I heard about it on the way to work.

This book should be required reading for all high school students. As our education system falls into disrepair, evolving generations of Americans are more susceptible to falling prey to the dictates of pseudoscience. If our educational system is unable to arm our students with the mental tools of historical perspective, cynicism, critical analysis and sound rational decision making. Let Carl Sagan do it. Sagan is in top form as he debunks every aspect of the plethoric pseudoscience which permeates our society. He is his usual open calm (non-inflammatory) casual yet precise self, who articulates clearly the evils of pseudoscience and the ease of understanding real science. Additionally he writes in an easy to read manner that anyone of any education level can appreciate and enjoy. Too bad he is not around today, it would be interesting to hear his perspective on the struggle over Intelligent Design and whether it should be in our science classrooms or philosophy classrooms or no where.

Although Carl Sagan made a prominent name for himself as an Astronomer in the 1970's, his final contribution to the academic world was a piece that was very Sociological in nature. The thesis of the book is that America's obsession with science fiction and popular myth has curtailed the growth of the United States as a scientifically literate society. As such, Sagan's final work is laudable as one of the most poignant and effective commentaries on the Zeitgeist of American society at the turn of the 21st century.
At the beginning of "Demon-haunted", Sagan comes across as a "killjoy", who is bitter about the seemingly innocuous pleasures that many Americans indulge themselves in (Star Trek, Atlantis, Crystal Power, etc.). He points out that at the time of the book's release, "Dumb and Dumber" was the number one movie in the box office. He also spins a wonderful anecdote about his cab driver who, upon finding out that Sagan is an Astronomer, tries to demonstrate upon Sagan his scientific "fluency" through his knowledge of "Atlantis". It all seems quite funny, until Sagan points out that the cab driver got quite frustrated when Sagan challenged his belief systems about the mythical island continent. With this wonderfully concrete example, Sagan renders the reader aware of how dangerous popular myths about science can be.
As the book progresses, Sagan continually points out that a little diversion can be a dangerous thing. He points out that Americans in the 1990's would rather spend a day watching the X-files than studying real stellar constellations; or reading tripe about Atlantis, as opposed to reading scientific books about continnetal plate shift. Eventually, the "candle in the dark" analogy is revealed as an analogy for science in America, where beliefs in the supernatural often publically usurp real scientific fact.
I think the thing that shocked me the most about this book was the fact that it wakes the reader up to the "dumbing down" of the American educational system, which Sagan implies, is a factor of the general American's willingness to believe just about anything that's entertaining.
Of the more forboding points that Sagan makes, there is one that he is rightfully salient about. This is that "pure science" (that is science in its abstract form) is becoming replaced by "profit-oriented" science. To back his argument, he points out that almost none of the technology that we enjoy today would have been discovered if it were not for the pursuit of pure science. For example, he points out that without abstract study of magnetism and electricity, things such as radio and television would not be here.
Like any good social theorist, Sagan ends this book with a series of solutions that could be enacted to further the pursuit of true science. First, he calls for a return to funding initiative for non-profit oriented scientific study. Second, he comments in passing that several opportunities are being missed by the educational system to teach children the priniples of true science by using the world around them as examples. For instance, at one point, he shows the applicability of basketball to physics. In sum, Sagan proves to be a brilliant Social Theorist.

There are some reviewers who claim Sagan is putting science on too high a pedestal in "The Demon Haunted World." Science, however, is just one branch of empiricism, a field of philosophy descending from Locke and Hume which, at its furthest extreme, was not afraid of examining skeptically even its own premises. As such, to say that the scientific method is "biased" is to miss the point. The scientific method, as Sagan states, is self-correcting; it has no problem with admitting when it is mistaken. (Sagan even devotes a portion of one chapter to admitting when he was wrong, in big ways, in the past.) Science cannot lead to that vague (and sometimes laughable) concept, "The Truth," but then neither can any other school of philosophy, as thinkers from Kant to Derrida have ably demonstrated. Skepticism and empiricism at least put us on a strong footing.

The late populist of Darwinian evolution and physics was a great communicator of scientific ideas, theories, and laws. In this book, Carl Sagan addresses the validity of ideas such as aliens, ghosts, faith healers, and psychics - just to name a few. The first half of the book is outstanding, and though I may disagree on some minor details, all in all, it is a much needed work for a generation lost in the fine art of critical thinking.

Sagan then goes on to discuss critical thinking in "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection." This chapter is a strength and it is here that he quickly, but very intelligently tells the reader how to develop a 'baloney detector kit.' He discusses everything from 'Occum's Razor', ad hominem, and argument from authority (unfortunately, Sagan often himself has failed in this area himself, but one cannot be to hard on him, he tells the reader how to spot it). Though this chapter is not completely exhaustive, it is probability all someone just introduced to the subject could handle at once.

Further, Sagan, who was always quick to criticize others, also takes a stab at showing the reader his own mistakes as a scientist and how sometimes his biases would get in the way of clear thinking. I have read some of Sagan's other books and have always been impressed with his skill at conveying information in fiction and non-fiction. I have most often disagreed with him and in this book, I sometimes think he goes beyond logic and science himself. However, this is still an excellent book.

As a science student at university I bought this book expecting it to confirm and perhaps broaden my understanding of sceptical thinking, and how too many people do not employ it. Something that I have found frustrating on many an occasion. I was delighted to find that this book was gave me a terrific insight into why sceptical thinking and science should be employed in every possible way. And how failing to do so can result in the direst consequences.
Sagan devotes much of the first part of the book to the current fad of alien abduction. This is something that becomes a bit drawn out and boring and in my opinion the only flaw of this book. He does so comparing the many similarities to the role of demons in centuries past. He describes one example of how when scepticism is not used people will devise the most wild and unjust thinking which leads such ordeals as witch hunts.
He makes the case that in today's increasingly scientifically dependant western society, people, especially Americans, are abandoning scepticism. Few politicians understand science, and the applicability of it's philosophies. Furthermore the general public is becoming increasingly scientifically illiterate. If this trend continues we could easily slip into another `dark age' of witch hunts.
This book is one of those rare books that I would insist that everyone reads. Far too few people understand that to abandon scepticism, relying upon blind faith and assertions, is to close ones eyes, and abandon all hope of understanding the truth. Demon haunted world is truly a masterpiece. I found it completely engaging, and full of most valuable insights. Demon Haunted world will light the darkness for anyone that reads it.

The Demon Haunted World is quite enjoyable. Carl Sagan believes it is important to take the time to explain, for layman like myself. He is pretenious at times but he doesn't talk down & makes complicated subjects clear. This book is not for people who cannot change their pre-conceptions or do not have a curiosity for worlds they are not trained for. People who cling to pseudo-science, faith healing, channeling, alien abductions etc. are probably not reading Carl Sagan in any case. Dr. Sagan, more than anyone wants to believe in alien visitation but real evidence is not there. He is persuasive in his faith in science over that of a supreme being. However, they are not mutually exclusive. One requires proof, the other, faith. Every time I read or hear something by Sagan, I want more. Unfortunately, this is it.

Sagan's description of what the scientific method actually is and how important skeptical thinking is to us is clearly written and expressed in an easy-to-understand manner. As a relatively new fan of Sagan, but a long time skeptic, it was easy for me to get into the book and take in the messages that he was trying to spread.

His historical look at how the freedom of scientific expression and learning, as well as the importance of continuing to explore and learn, were refreshing. While I may disagree with him in some ways on how research should be funded, there is no denying that it is an essential part of what we should be spending resources on and that the value of pure research and discovery should never be discarded in favor of technology and application. He certainly knows that our future lies in long-term vision; getting trapped up in shortsighted desires is a sure way to lead us to ruin.

The last chapter on the history of America as a bastion of these ideals of freedom of expression, innovation, and experiment was also well written and an interesting look into the lives of our Founding Fathers as schools rarely show. I do, however, have one point of contention with Sagan's work here: although he does a great job of defending and explaining the choices involved with crafting the Bill of Rights, he does a great disservice by completely omitting the 2nd Amendment. While I understand his point as a pacifist, and as his book clearly shows him as such, there is no true liberty without the means of defending it. One can be both a pacifist and also understand the right of self-defense. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama, while all noted pacifists and advocates for non-violence, all had opinions that included self-defense as an option. Besides, without the right of the people to keep and bear arms, the people who had been given the power of self-governance by our Constitution and the Bill of Rights would be just as vulnerable to the abuse of its rulers just as all past governments had done. He makes the great point that our government was crafted to minimize the power of the few over the many, even including the examples where the US government attempted to control the people through the Alien and Sedition acts, without mentioning that an armed populace is much easier to subjugate than an unarmed one. He also uses an example that Japan and Germany were able to devote many more resources to science and research than the US and had achieved great advances while we stagnated. He neglects to add that the reason they did not have to spend money on defense is because of the US military being their umbrella.

Other than this one issue, which is a pet case of mine, Sagan has written an excellent book and should be recommended reading for students around the world.

This book should be required reading for anyone interested in psychology, nutrition, politics, exercise, and any other field that has a myriad of pop books with lots of misinformation (particularly important is his baloney detection chapter). Dr. Sagan explores many of the tenements of real science. He also asks people to be more skeptical and weigh the evidence before deciding whether to believe something. And he emphasizes that scientific knowledge is always a rough draft that is constantly being refined and expanded (a difficult concept to swallow for people who need to have the whole truth now and aren't comfortable with constant change and doubt). And as such, he debunks the idea of a current, absolute scientific truth; science is about questions that can be disproved, not proved. Science is a process toward truth; a truth which has yet to be obtained. However, science may have produced our best draft of reality so far.
A highly recommended book--extremely well-written.

No one made science more interesting than Dr. Carl Sagan, he was the face of science that I grew with watching on television. I remember how excellent he was at explaining the wonders of science to the masses and here he gives the reader a concrete ways of using logic by discussing rational thinking in order to dispel superstitious thinking and religious dogma while keeping an open mind.

In this book he takes on pseudoscience and supernatural beliefs by tackling why societies want to believe in the myth rather than the science. He reasonably debunks crop circles, alien abduction stories, faith healing, and magical thinking which we allow to shade our perceptions.

I read to be enlightened and as a firm proponent of reason, my interest in science and rationality was greatly enhanced by this book. Critical thinking is as important to society as imagination and Dr. Sagan makes a powerful and eloquent case for humanity to strive for scientific integrity while debunking zealotry and pseudoscience.

Demon Haunted World encourages us to be skeptics and not automatically buy into hype and superstition of pseudoscience. This extraordinary work is Dr. Sagan's final gift to humanity. It is written from the heart and mind of a rare, special thinker that comes along one in a generation. This a tool that can help us carry the candle in the dark for future generations.

How do you begin? I looked this over and realized I had not written a review of this book, in spite of considering it probably one of my favorite books of all time.

This book is an excellent walk through history into the (relatively) present day, detailing various effects of pseudoscience and other brain-junk, and showing how simple skeptical thought can help overcome this in everyday life. Sagan uses the term "baloney detector" as a tongue-in-cheek reference to keeping a skeptical mindset...and I firmly believe that every child in our country - no, make that our world - should be given this tool. I cannot recommend this book more strongly, the skill of skepticism being that valuable.

Children, adults - anyone can use the ability to eliminate BS from their lives, and this book is an excellent resource on how to help do just that.

Buy two. You're going to want to give one to a friend.

T

Carl Sagan was one of the many champions of modern rational thought and it is a shame that he is no longer with us, but fortunately he left a very important document for the future generations to read; the mind changing book of skepticism and logical thinking.
This astounding book deals with many important pseudo-sciences, their origins and modern myths around them, including: UFOs, ghosts, miracles, Alien abductions, blood thirsty Gods, etc. and all the logical fallacies contained within their inner dogmas. This is a very important tool for all rational individuals that want to have a clearer understanding of these modern (and ancient) myths. The only secure strategy to disprove a fallacy, is knowing it.
If you like this book, read any non-fiction work by the brilliant Isaac Asimov (Asimov's Guide to the Bible is HIGLY recommended) and Michael Shermer.

Its hard to read this book and believe that this man is no longer alive. The lightness of his narration, the sharpens of his ideas and the open direct way that he had to open your brain and literally seed new ideas that up till then seemed incomprehensible, is unique. You really feel like a genius after reading this book, you feel that you can understand thermodynamics, organic chemistry, relativity is probably 15 minutes of casual reading away, quantum mechanics a walk in the park (and let Carl raving about how you need 15 years of disciplined hard education and study to come close to grasping the basics). And that's because he, like very few other in this century had the ability to take the hardest, the most complicated subject of modern science and present it in a way that even the mind of a brain-dead new-age follower would understand.
I wont waste time with his critics and the opposition, I just hope that they will understand and accept the superiority of science as a tool to open the little Pandora's box of mysteries we call universe. And I will envy them then because they will have the unique privilege to read his books for the first time. Because this book, and many more will still be around when all the bibles and holy scripts and new-age spiritual guides will disappear.
Is this the best of his work? Many, more informed and better trained, say no. I will have to agree with them. They also criticize his exclusion of great thinkers of science such as Kuhn, Popper, Feyerabent and others. But the aim of this book I guess is to approach not the people of science, but those who doubt it.
I handed this one over to a friend, a regular reader but not of scientific texts, and complained about "to much information that I can handle". Well yes it is like that and probably that's what makes it hard to put down. And once I will I know I'll read this again.

Thirty years ago Time's cover asked "Is God Dead?" A few weeks ago, it asked if aliens really landed at Roswell.
That pretty much sums up the decline of the mass media as propagators of a rational, skeptical worldview. Carl Sagan's next-to-last book takes a much-needed skeptic's tour through such foolishness as alien abduction, calmly, even sympathetically explaining why people are so willing to believe utter foolishness (such as that fetus-like aliens are traveling millions of light years to perform intergalactic proctology), and the part our schools and mass media have played in making us a science-illiterate but pseudoscience-happy nation. It's particulary interesting as an antidote to the movie version of Sagan's own Contact-- repudiating in advance the film's endorsement of blind faith over careful reason

Stylewise, Dr Sagan is quite reserved and polite. Even when talking about UFO, faith healing and other nonsense, he maintains a good manner of discourse. But just as how history transpired, the darkness seems too overwhelming for a tiny guttering flame to illuminate. And when your opponents have their eyes shut firmly and willfully, the candle might be burning itself up all in vain.

I am a Carl Sagan fan and also a follower of many new age techniques. It is important to also look at the logical side that argues against the validity of these things. Although I do not agree with all that Sagan says, a lot of the points that he makes ring very true and he makes some good arguments against the validity of certain things such as channeling, ascended masters, alien abductions etc. He also attacks religion, and cautions about the dumbing down of society thorough slipping education standards and misappropriated media. e.g. 42% of Americans don't know where Japan is, yet 99% know that Michael Jackson was accused of sexual molestation - shouldn't the media be used for education instead of garbage?

I did not find Sagan to be as close minded and negative on this topic as I expected, he is open to new age ideas as long as they can validate themselves. This makes for a very easy and interesting read.

The ideas Sagan presents are enlightening and (as always) well-written. I especially enjoyed the parts where he convincingly argued against the charge that science somehow lessens beauty or wonder in life.... who said ignorance was wonderful? Sagan also comes right out and says that scientists can and have been wrong about ideas, fessing up to several mistakes he's made. If you can adequately prove or disprove something, science will acknowledge your ideas as correct. How many new-agers, "psychics" or religious fundamentalists can claim to be so open-minded? You may not agree with everything Sagan says (one reviewer disliked his politics; I noted with bemusement that Sagan bemoaned the lack of positively portrayed scientists on tv - yet he wasn't a big fan of Star Trek) but most of what he says cannot be ignored.

Published just 10 years ago, not too long before his untimely death at the age of 62, Dr. Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" is a brilliant defense of science in the face of irrationality and superstition.

Written with Sagan's customary grace and good humor, the book introduced many of its readers to the "Baloney detection kit" provided by science, tools we all may use to separate the wheat from the chaff while evaluating ideas and concepts. In an age that has been dubbed "the age of information" we need those critical thinking skills now more than ever. Unfortunately in the current atmosphere, here in the United States at least, they seem to be in very short supply. Deluged with information, many Americans seem unable or unwilling to make the effort to learn how to tell the difference between what is true and what is false.

Sagan warned of this with these words at the end of the book:

" If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power. But if the citizens are educated and form their own opinions, then those in power work for us. In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness."

Sagan didn't worship science, but he understood its nature and its value. It is a testament to his skill as a writer and explainer that "The Demon-Haunted World" seems as relevant today as when it was written.

Read this book. You'll be glad you spent the time.

This is one of the most enlightening nonfiction books I have ever read. As a practicing scientist, I frequently cringe in helpless disbelief at the follies that so many people are willing to believe, and I am continually amazed how little critical thinking is exhibited by my undergraduate and graduate students. I try not to think how much worse it is outside the academic world. Sagan's book is really preaching to the choir in my case, but it serves a useful purpose: it gives me examples and additional ammo to try to get through to people I am supposed to be educating. One of my favorite throw-away lines is the one about people defering to "the god of the gaps" (i.e., if you can't understand some aspects of the universe, simply bag it and defer to a higher authority. Intellectual laziness, in other words). I will recommend this book to as many people as I can.

I read The Demon-Haunted World back in high school when I was on a Carl Sagan kick after seeing his 13-part Cosmos series (the original one, on VHS tape). It would be several more years before I would reform my own critical thinking skills into what they resemble today, but I have no doubt that this book planted a seed.

This one book helped me to reject 9 years worth of silly occult beliefs. I suppose I didn't 100% believe them, but they were things I wanted to believe. I knew that this book would change me and for awhile I was even nervous to read it, but a few months ago, my time had come.

He spends a lot of time spent debunking claims of alien abductions, comparing the scenarios (nighttime, sexual coercion, etc) to descriptions of "demonic possessions" in the Middle Ages, and believes that aliens are just a later incarnation of demonic possessions, based on things that are more prevalent today. He also talks about how crop circles were admittedly a hoax--but I wonder how many people even know that? I think there are still some people who believe in them. And about the "classified information" on UFOs mostly being classified because it's about foreign relations, not extraterrestrial aliens.

He also talks about people's claims of psychic powers and how none of them have ever been proven. He talks about how it is easy to trick people into believing in psychic phenomenon, because people really want to believe in it, how people see patterns in things that have no pattern (this is an evolutionary trait), and how people select evidence that points to the conclusion they want, while ignoring the contrary evidence. I used to be interested in ESP quite a lot, but now, thanks in no small part to this book, I see it for the load of garbage that it is. Astrology is just generically positive traits that people attribute to themselves, dreams are entertaining but don't mean anything, and as for the "psychics" that I met, they've never given any proof. Some people pretend to be psychic to get your money (you'd be better off wasting your money on gambling, or even lapdances) and some people really do think they're psychic, but they're just flattering themselves. No one who's claimed telekinetic powers has ever offered a demonstration, so again I think they're either lying or hallucinating.

I felt very liberated after reading these things, and instead of the open-minded confusion that I used to feel about contradictory belief systems, suddenly everything was clear and made perfect sense.

Sagan does knock down psuedoscience and superstition, but I still think that he has an open mind. He admits to a feeling of "spirituality" even though he doesn't believe in actual spirits; it's more of just a cosmic feeling when thinking about the universe. He talks about how in science, a person must have both an imaginative mind and a cynical mind: you can imagine lots of explanations for things, but unlike in psuedoscience, you can't cling to these wild ideas after they've been proven wrong. He even admits to a minute possibility that a few "phenomena" could be true. Of course it would be awesome to live in a world where you can levitate and where crystals have special powers, but that doesn't mean I'm going to believe in it despite the evidence.

In the last few chapters, he writes about education declining in the US. This is relevant because he believes lack of education makes people more gullible toward outrageous (but appealing) claims, and more vulnerable to charlatans. He worries that our society is going downhill because of this decline in education and that it could have serious consequences. (Kind of like Idiocracy?) Well...I didn't do so spectacularly in math or science, but even just knowing basic things about the scientific method and rationalism is very helpful. Unfortunately, psuedoscience is just more flashy--but in the long run, some people will realize it's nonsense.

I recommend this book to everyone! Especially if you believe in any of the "phenomena" he's talking about!

This is an insightful look into the credulity that has and does plague humankind. Dr. Sagan uses past and present examples to show that superstitious and uninformed beliefs continue to be propagated even as our knowledge of reality increases. Dr. Sagan makes a plea for science to hold firmly to the scientific method, which illuminates the way for understanding reality. Without such a method, discernment is not possible and humankind is doomed to gullibility and wishful existence. Dr. Sagan makes a special plea to scientists and politicians to focus on informing the public on the essence and utility of science; and how it can give them the tools they need to move beyond ancient myths and into the modern age of science and discovery.

I can't really say enough about this book. It introduced me to skepticism and critical thinking in a way that no other writing has ever done. It literally changed the way I look at the world and although I first read it nearly a decade ago, I still find myself picking it up every couple of months and jumping back in. Carl Sagan taught me the value of examining evidence, taking a step back and recognizing our own preconceptions and how they effect our ability to analyze data. The Demon-Haunted World shows how science has shined a light on an otherwise confusing and scary world but it also shows the fallibility of our ideas and the fragility of our species.

My science-loving, autistic self decided to write a review of this book now that I have finished the visceral experience of taking a hike (and, GASP!, analyzing my natural surroundings!). My comments are primarily about the book. Sorry, no ad hominem attacks or irrelevant information:(1) Well-written and clearly understandable general science books are rare, but this is one of them. Sagan's prose is terse and lovely. Not a lot of boring stuff in here either. (2) This book is not primarily an ethics book. It's about science. It doesn't offer a moral vision. And if it doesn't offer a moral vision, it can't very well promote nihilism (which is a moral vision). (3) Don't read this as a philosophical treatise on science. It ain't. (4) The book becomes dogmatic in certain places. This seems to be the very antithesis of the open-mindedness which leads to the scientific investigation that Sagan espouses. But, on a practical level, it's hard to see how anyone could go around not being dogmatic about something. (5) If nothing else, the book displays that lovely little dialectical loop that assails every skeptic: you say you want justified belief, but why is a scientific skeptic's belief any more justified than, say, religious, dogma? And if you give a reason, why is that reason any better than another reason?(6)Read the book. It gets you thinking. :)

By far the best book that I have read from Carl Sagan. It changed my way of thinking and of course that changed my life for the better.
I have read about 6 of his books and what I like best about this book, is that it made me realize how naive I was.

The most important thing that an education can do is develop your internal "foolproof, shockproof crap detector". The Demon-Haunted World does this better than any book I know. Pernicious pseudo-scientific beliefs, if not combatted, will come back to haunt and perhaps cripple civilization in the coming century. One can see this already in the millions of people who believe in astrology, or that humans never walked on the moon - never mind the schizophrenically diseased who believe in alien abductions and such.
A must read in Kansas and everywhere. Thanks Carl - you're one of my personal heroes. You've been gone three years now, but I and many others keep a special place in our hearts for you.

Critical thinking should be taught throughtout the educational system at every level. It is a vanguard against superstition and fraud which harm untold number of people in every society. Carl Sagan does an excellent job of detailing the necessary elements of critical thinking. He also applies the same elements to examine repressed memories, alien abductions, UFOs, astrology, channeling and the parallels between these phenomena and the religious visions of the medieval period. Sagan's approach is not dogmatic and his genuine desire for knowing the truth is passed on to the reader. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to learn and apply the proper method for examining theories and beliefs, regardless of their nature.

This book should be a must-read for anyone interested in a better future for humankind. It is a passionate defense of science and a reflection on what humans can accomplish and the importance of the scientific endeavor. Carl Saga shows a great example of intellectual honesty, approaching controversial themes such as psychology of religion, paranormal events and pseudosience in a reasonable and respectful way. This book is also a great example of "positive atheism" and demonstrates that spiritual life (a deep connection with reality) exists out of pseudoscientific or religious principles. This book inspires us to be awed by nature and by man's courage to reveal and explore its secrets.

Today's world is stuffed with "science", we all think ourselves as scientists (in a higher o lesser degree). Nobody wants to be ignorant in a world that values knowledge like we do. The problem with all this is that knowledge nowadays is extremely broad and I strongly doubt anybody masters all roots of modern science (people like Isaac Asimov don't grow on trees). So it's somewhat easy for the profane to get lost in a sea of information; not having a guide to help us discern between science and pseudoscience. I really think anyone concern or compromised with truth should read thoroughly this book. I recommend it as one of the best in the subject, besides it is easy reading.

Like Richard Dawkins, Carl Sagan has a lot to say, and mostly says it in a talented way. Unlike Mr. Dawkins, I've a harder time trying to find in which of my conceptual boxes he best fits.
I've a BS in physics and an MA in philosophy from a Catholic college, better known for football than for its other laudable qualities. I know what the scientific method is, and I understand the important role that "testability" plays in the meaning of a statement, ala logical positivism.
Sagan is trying with an open mind to come to grips with how the lack of at least some kind of popular use of the scientific method leads a significant number of us to accept all manner of stupidities as truth, and he uses alien abduction as a powerful test case. Shockingly, he appears to have a decent grasp of Christian scripture. He avoids falling into the hole of discussing faith in the same breath as alien abduction. He does cover religion. The parallels between abuses of science (think Edward Teller) and abuses of religion fail to register with him. He intimates that virgin births among teenagers may not be that much different than being inseminated by little green men. He dismisses the Shroud of Turin, citing what at the time were the recent carbon dating tests. It's not that the shroud can't be a forgery, but that some fellow travelers in the profession of science have given him an out, and he's taking it. He does this in a footnote, which cannot be done without explaining how the image came to be. (My footnote is that the carbon dating has fallen to procedural questions about its accuracy.)
The book hits hard on the need for critical evaluation of the unusual claims to which we are exposed, such as we see in tabloid headlines. Then think how little a role science plays in national decisions. The way we are handling (ha) global warming investigations is nauseating. Just find the group that says what you want to hear. It must not have been a serious issue when the book was written. So, yea, we definitely need better science education and scientifically informed public discussion.
It's the "if you can't measure it, you can dismiss it" position that leaks out all too often. On the other hand, I loved that he encourages us to question authority (and I'm sure that includes Rome ... Right On!)
Summarizing, he beats the reader over the head, pointing out all the idiocies that would go away if we were all more scientific. Amen, Bro. To the negative he betrays all too often that topics or claims upon which science cannot speak are not worth considering. Too bad about that "all men are created equal" idea (and others like it). This is a failure of confusing the "how" of the physical world with the "why" of human existence. Aristotle was able to list four causes. It's not an advance when our leaders, and Sagan was a leader, mix them up.
The last couple chapters, written with his wife, are rather more political and I found them a nice breath of fresh air.

This book is the antidote to so much nonsense that fills the heads of well-meaning people everywhere. If only the world would read this book. Imagine what we might achieve.

Sagan makes a convincing case for reason and skepticism. He describes how thinking goes off track and he warns how dangerous it is for our species to continue its rapid pace of technological progress while still clinging to beliefs and attitudes that were more appropriate for the last Ice Age.

If you remember just one thing, make it this: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

I also recommend these books:

The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions

Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

--Guy P. Harrison, author of

Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know About Our Biological Diversity

and

50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

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Carl Sagan takes on New Age mysticism, fundamentalism, obfuscation, and anti-science/anti-intellectualism in this book, championing reason and evidence instead. It is not enough to believe something, he says; belief does not automatically make something real, true, or valid. Well said. Unfortunately, many people, especially Americans, do not want their beliefs threatened or shattered by reality. Sagan would be much more distraught if he could see what's going on now in our government and schools.

I am a 19 year old whose been a fan of Carl Sagan since reading the book Contact when she was 13. Dr. Sagan is an impressive writer, creating romance between science and common folks like myself. Since I have read most of Dr. Sagan's books, the Demon-Haunted world strike me as the most magnificient book he ever written (although the others are wonderful too!!). I am a very religious person, and I know that a lot of religious people have a problem with Dr. Sagan's POV of God. But I think that everyone of those persons should read this book. It scientifically debunks things like witchcraft, alien sightings, faith healings, etc. This book is a must-have for every Carl Sagan fan. He have truly lost one of the most wonderful minds of the 20th Century.

An entertaining, thoroughly detailed and easy to understand discussion of the many weird things that humans may come to believe and the often flawed reasons why we may be led astray in our search to understand what's true. There is also a bit of autobiographical information, not too much, but just enough to add to the story. I would recommend this to anyone. It should be required reading in American high schools.

This book taught me more about science than any of the physics, chemistry, and general science classes I have attended. It should be made a required reading before any student begins his/her journey into the realms of science. It teaches us what our greatest tool - science - truly is. Here, Carl Sagan takes us into an enlightening journey of the human endeavour to seek out the truth about the universe we live in. Here, he shows us that science is not just about the bodies of knowledge we have so lovingly accumulated - but about the process and tool we have used to discover this knowledge -- the scientific method.
If you are looking for a book that will inspire, entertain, and most importantly, educate, then look no further.
This is one book I will always cherish, and make sure that my children have read before they even begin questioning the meaning of their existence.

Covering a vast spectrum of topics, from ufos to pseudo science to democracy, Sagan lays out the elegant argument on why critical thinking, the scientific process, and reason are the tools we need to progress as a society.

This book is amazing! I can't say it changed my perspective completely, because Sagan and I already agree on many topics. But for a more conservative person this book could shake a persons entire foundation.

As Carl Sagan's last book (his wife helped him complete it in his final moments) he holds nothing back about his thoughts on many topics and really helps people understand what the true world is like, and how to see it. The thing I took away most from this read is Carl's baloney detection kit; he will explain exactly how to cut right through any concept to determine whether it is pseudoscience or a true science.

If you ever enjoyed anything presented by Carl Sagan, this book is a must read.

I've been meaning to pick this up for years. Nothing but good things have been said about it. I absolutely loved it and think every person should read it.

Sagan advocates critical thinking and skepticism. With great insight and humor, Sagan shows us how people are duped into accepting dubious claims, and how everything comes down to evidence. If the evidence does not support a claim, why believe it?

The first part of the book deals with science and why we are supposed to questions all beliefs and ask for evidence. The second part deals with particular claims and why they do not warrant our acceptance of their truth. The end of the book deals with stereotypes, the wonders that science brings to light, and why science is a candle in the dark.

"The Demon-Haunted World" is an invaluable tool for the modern citizen.

One word: OUTSTANDING.
I read this book over two nights, couldn't put it down, and afterwards was eagerly searching for more of the same. Science at it's best-accurate, timely, well-argued, emotionally and mentally invigorating, spiritually uplifting; and filled with boundless enthusiasm and hope. Like the author, Carl Sagan himself.
This book describes the 'scientific journey'. Alternately curious, cautious, inquiring, uplifting, compassionate, humane, warning, discovering and fulfilling. Topics include UFOs, alien abductions, witches, religion-both good and bad, Roswell, frauds, scientific genuises, skeptical thinking, wishful thinking, deceptive thinking, balanced thinking, belief, superstition, astrology, ESP, myth, and the like; and the role and place of science and scientific inquiry in all of this. For those who think science "destroys" spirituality-does not scientific inquiry with its' abundant curiosity and courageous endeavour accurately describe a spiritual journey to find the truth? Sagan contends, with great clarity and enthusiasm, that it assuredly does. It's just that this scientific journey is not an easy one, neither for the individual, nor humanity, by any means. But when has the attempt to find "truth" and "light" in this complex world of ours, ever been easy? Sagan argues that science and the scientific method is a noble and enlightening endeavour, an unquenchable candle, lit by the human yearning for truth, and able to steer humanity towards truth and goodwill in a world of mists, shadowy truths, and darkness.
For those who wish to open their minds to science and what it has to say about much that goes in this beautiful, yet sometimes dark world of ours, this is the book for you.
This great book (Sagan's last) is a fitting testament to a great man of science. Sagan, who passed away recently, was one of the great communicators of science, and this book is considered by many to be his best.
Reading it was something I'll always cherish.

When I read Cosmos it changed my life. That's a cliche, but it really, tangibly did. I used to have little interest in science, but through Carl Sagan I came to see how intriguing and awe-inspiring so many scientific discoveries or ideas can be, even ones that can appear superficially dense. I radically altered my education midway through college, taking on science class after science class to supplement my degree in history. I'd like to think that Carl would approve of the academic dynamism that he did so much to inspire -- I'm even considering applying to graduate school to become a scientist!

I mention this influence because that's how powerful Sagan's writings can be. They inspire and challenge the reader. Some of the negative reviews for this book say that he just talks about the same things "over and over." It talks about the same thing (scientific skepticism) in much the same way that baseball announcers only talk about baseball. You get the idea. There's a difference between writing within one overarching framework and just repeating the same "thing" over and over again. He always has an illustrative and entertaining example for whatever he's talking about -- certainly not repetitious. His commentary on education in particular is both troubling and engaging. He outlines some of the serious problems plaguing society, then makes you feel as though these problems can be surmounted with logic and determination. Recommended to anyone who loves science and rationality (even if they don't know it yet)!

At the start, I wondered why Carl Sagan was making all the todo about debunking demons. That was old hat, I thought. Obviously, I was ignorant of how wide-spread the belief in extraterrestrials was. At market checkouts, I am well aware of magazine whose covers display starlets who talk about 8 ways to fix this or that. But I fail to notice the other tabloids. Sagan, on his part, has received enough mail from `believers' to motivate him to write this book. Sagan generously points out how common hallucinations are among `normal' people. Such people believe what they see to be the truth, unlike hoaxers.
The value of Sagan's extensive research is to show how contempory culture, through the ages, varies and colors our hallucinations. "When everyone knows that gods come down to earth, we hallucinate gods; when all of us are familiar with demons, its incubi and succubi; when fairies are widely accepted, we see fairies; in an age of spiritualism, we encounter spirits; and when the old myths fade and we begin to think that extraterrestrial beings are plausable, then that's where our hypnogogic imagery tends."
Sagan makes the case that many `abductees' have had their memories refreshed by hypnosis; that therapists whose role it is to `support' their clients are unaware that false memories have been created in patients by subtle cues during therapy; that courts have banned the use of evidence obtained through hypnosis as being unreliable. Sagan's style is entertaining albeit erudite. This book is an excellent advocate for skepticism.

This was the first book I read by Carl Sagan. It had the effect of opening my eyes. The book explains how the supernatural was created by the imaginations of ancient men in order to explain things that were too hard for them to understand. The book also gets into how the critical thinking processes used in science are ultimately the best way for us to avoid superstition. Despite the fact that Carl Sagan was a scientific writer, it is well written, compelling and easy to read. We will miss you Carl.

This is the second carl sagan book I have read(the first being cosmos). Now this book is definately not as good as cosmos, it is still worth 5 stars. It covers a much more specific subject matter than cosmos and is still very enjoyable.

This book will give you those classic carl sagan moments were you set the book down, look up and just think 'wow'. Sagan is an amazing author that always manages to explain things so well and present his opinions so logically.

This will not be the last sagan book I read

This book is a great introduction to critical thinking, a topic that is sadly not taught in American schools, thus the need for adults to read this book. Twelve years later, some of the material is dated, but in a prescient sort of way, the author extrapolating the mess we are in now based on how things were going back then. Examples are global warming and the short shrift science has gotten during the Bush years. I gave it 4 stars because I felt the author could have been more succinct in making his points. The best aspect of the book was the gentle way Sagan leads his readers out of the darkness toward the candle light of science. He takes your hand and shows you the way.

When historians, hundred of years from now, look back to our time and wonder whether there were real scientists, people that understood the true purpose of science, amidst all the stupidity in the 20th century, they'll find Sagan, which is not only a real scientist, but a gifted writer. This book exposes his thoughts regarding pseudoscience (the very word he uses throughout the book), religion, mysticism and other topics that conflict with real science.
While most people would react to subjects they dislike (Sagan clearly isn't comfortable with alien abductions, demons and such) with flamish thoughts, he exposes the subject clearly, in the same spirit of science that he praises so often on the book, highlighting the evidence (or the lack of it) and coldly analyzing it. Unlike writers sympathetic to those subjects, Sagan won't convince you to share his opinions based on testimonials and dubious evidence; he'll present evidence, real evidence, until you convince yourself about it. Where possible, he'll throw statistics to support his side of the story. Sagan never tells you to believe in *him*, only in the facts he shows.
While referring to the Middle Ages as an era of darkness is cliche nowadays, Sagan shows we're immersed in about as much mysticism and disinformation as the Middle Ages were. After reading this book, you'll realize that, despite living in the Modern Age, we're still pretty much science analphabets.

I'm surprised by some of the negative reviews of this excellent and enjoyable book. It seems to boil down to religious people who are offended by his agnosticism and perhaps paranormal true-believers who don't appreciate someone trying to debunk their favorite theory. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, it's just inconceivable to me that someone wouldn't like this book. Carl Sagan was a brilliant and humane man who was deeply concerned about the credulity of his fellow humans in an age when nuclear weapons, pollution,disease and overpopulation have the potential to destroy us if we don't make wise and well-reasoned decisions.

Carl Sagan was not hostile to religion except where it made claims about the physical world that were/are manifestly false, or where he saw people making cruel or unwise decisions on the basis of that religion. He was an astronomer and spent much of his adult life peering into the void of space and exploring other worlds. He knew how vast and intricate and elegant our universe truly is and was humbled before it. His worry that he expressed in nearly everything he wrote, and especially in this book, was that too many people seem to be out of touch with physical reality and thus prone to every charlatan and crook and crack-pot theory that comes along. He wanted people to understand how science and logic worked, and why scientific theories were different than say conspiracy theories.

If you read nothing else from this book, at least read over the 'Baloney Detection Kit' chapter. It's a simple and straight forward guide to the scientific method and logical fallacies. They constitute an essential set of mental tools that everyone should be taught in elementary school. You don't have to turn your back on your faith to be skeptical. There may well be some basis to stories of UFOs or ESP or something along those lines, but as with religion there are definitely swindlers and con-men out there too. This book attempts to debunk a great many of these beliefs, but more importantly it seeks to show you how to avoid being taken in by the con.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the clash between reality and pseudo-reality.

It changed, altered, and illuminated my perspective on everything in the current, and historic past. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better perspective on the world, and I hope to pass it onto my children one day.

Reading Sagan's book made me realize the loss I'd suffered in not exploring it sooner. When I was a fundamental Christian (for far too long), Sagan was called "Carl SATAN" in our churches and we were gleefully told from the pulpit how he's writhing in Hell right now. Of course, this is nonsense; may rest in peace while the treasure of reason he left endure the test of time.

When one actually reads the book, you find that Sagan has respect and understanding for religious beliefs...he simply lets the facts fall where they may and that makes fervent believers uneasy. One must ask himself why the truth would not be welcome in a belief system? Sagan, as the book title declares, merely uses sound thinking to illuminate ignorance, but he does not do it from a "high and mighty" viewpoint. Science has made mistakes as well, and he readily confesses this. But science improves with time while religion, and other mystic beliefs such as astrology, are hopelessly locked in the past.

The most liberating principle I take away from the read is that science, indeed, is not "God". It is a METHOD for determining truth and learning from the discovery process. He actually acknowledges how wonderful Heaven would be and that it may in fact exist...only that it's not provable and given observation, the odds of it are very low.

Sagan also touches upon other odd beliefs such as psychics, etc. as example of surrendering to illogical thought processes. This is a great tutorial on rational thinking and I strongly encourage everyone from teens on up to read it!

This book's amazing , it changed my way of seeing things all around me , thanks by what it is said in this book at High school the call me atheist ! (although I'm not) this one for sure changes a person for good. I'm proud to say that I'm a die-hard fan of Carl Sagan and that also he has inspired my personality in many other ways. I prefer to be a fan of this greate man , who changes you for good , than being a hollow Marlyn Manson fan.(althoug I'm not going to deny that I'm also fan of many virtuoso guitarrists)I'm going to try hard to make this book require reading at least on the high scool I'm currently now. I really mis Carl Sagan.

This book should serve as an inspiration to us all. Carl Sagan does an outstanding job explaining the dangers of pseudoscience. His writing style is both humble and respectful. Although Sagan himself does not beleive in things like aliens, faith healing, astrology, etc., he is sympathetic to those who do. There are no negative words or personal attacks on people. I still find myself reaching for this book from the shelf to provide myself with a source of inspiration. This book can be summarized with the following statement: Be skeptical- If something sounds outrageous, it probably is

Incredible. A must-read for any intelligent human being. The late, great Carl Sagan demonstrates unequivocally that the methods of science are applicable, not just to those who study science, but to every man and woman in the planet. In his own words, "Science is more than a body of knowledge; It is a way of thinking." In this book you will find uncomfortable truths, revelations that will be both disturbing and uplifting, empowering. The truth may sometimes be scary, but, if you let it, it can also be wonderful.

I picked this one up after reading Sagan's "Billions & Billions..". I liked the main thrust of this book - scientic (skeptical) thinking. Sagan takes numerous 'case studies' to prove his point. But I think he came up short in describing cases where the ower of mind has been demonstrated time and again in spite of lack of scientific evidence. Cases like Greg Louganis winning Olympics show that not everything is within the realm of 'scientific thinking'. Sagan himself says that there are three things that are worth investigating (I'd be interested to know how far he was successful)..I can't find it now but I remember reading them in the book. I vaguely recall one being telepathy (?). The others sounded interesting too.
Also at one place(Ch 17 Page 303 in my edition) he says "Objections to pseudoscience on the grounds of unavailable mechanism can be mistaken..". I don't want to make the same mistake of Sagan's detractors namely, quoting out of context but what he intends is to not ignore ideas for want of proof. This to me seemed contradictory to what he proposes elsewhere (namely strong reliance on proofs).
In a different place(Ch 22 Page 373 in my edition) he seems to suggest that "many of our problems..only have solutions that involve a deep understanding of science and technology". While this may be true of "many" (though it's hard to quantify this) not "all" are solvable by Sci/Tech. What about emotional problems ? Problems involving mind have not yet been proven to be solved by Sci/Tech (medicines etc..)
In spite of minor deficiencies in explanation this is a powerful book if you want to hone your logical thinking (and so I set the subject of my reivew "Widening your horizon.." implying you need to have some basic scientific thinking to see points in Sagan's angle).
Worth reading definitely.

I read a lot of criticizm of this book saying it doesn't debunk anything thouroughly. But I don't think it was ever intended to; this is not a UFO-theory-debunking book. It is a book about logic, thought, and scientific process in general. This is an excellent book for what it's intended. My only complaint is that it is somewhat disorganized. Rambling, you could say. The author begins treating a topic, wanders off in a series of tangents, and abrutply comes back to the original topic dozens of pages later. If the author was submitting this book for a college writing class, he'd probably get a C. Yet despite this, this book manages to deliver it's message powerfully and clearly, and I highly recommend it.

Carl Sagan is both extremely readable and convincing. This book is a page turner and contains many, many interesting facts which do indeed help one better evaluate the various half-truths in the world. I particularly enjoyed the chapters debunking alien abductions. However, being Canadian, I could have done without the American politics in the final chapters (science is the basis of our great nation, etc etc). Also, while I agree with Sagan that people need to develop better critical thinking skills, heseems to believe that science has a monopoly on critical thinking, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the humanities (philosophy, etc.) can be just as valuable (if not more so) in teaching critical thinking skills. Sagan also seems to believe that mythical thinking is a sign of ignorance, rather than an important aspect of human thought and experience, a point of view which both myself and people such as Ernst Cassirer, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell etc. would disagree with. That said, this book is both an excellent and valuable read, and I recommend it if you are at all interested in science or the way we think about our world. (And if you think Atlantis is the source of mystical crystal power which you can use to better your life I BEG you to read it).

I find myself to understand Carl Sagan more the more I read his past writings. He makes a lot of good points that I agree with. Being an agnostic I find his view more to my understanding of the role religion played out in the history of mankind past and present. Mr Sagan gives reason to contemplate a challenge to the GOD enigma of all religions.

A good primer for those that value logic, reason, and truth above all things. Sagan explains in animated detail with an inspiring vigor upon how certain logical fallacies can be blown out of proportion over time. A fantastic supplement to Cosmos and brain-food for those that understand how that the mind operates like a machine, building new knowledge into it's infinite library. Carl Sagan is a champion of knowledge. The truth is out there and The Demon Haunted World shows the path to enlightenment.

As other reviewers have said above, Sagan is wonderfully lucid in debunking many "popular delusions and madnesses of crowds." Strangely, however, he remains almost childishly uncritical in his acceptance of many things that many other thoughtful people consider to just as dubious--e.g. the current global warming and ozone hole theories, the efficacy of many bureaucratic programs. And the crude socialist political beliefs he (all too frequently) espouses are distracting and sad, coming from a man so learned in so many other fields. Still, well worth a read

Carl Sagan is a baloney detective. When asked his opinion on intelligent life elsewhere in the universe he answers that he tends not to think with his gut. In other words its ok not to know the answer to all our questions; its better to wait patiently for further evidence.

Sagan touchingly reveals that sometimes he fancies hearing the voices of his deceased parents, but although he'd like to believe they still live on, he is all too aware how such feelings make us vulnerable to charlatens or prey to people convinced of their own psychic powers.

The book draws parellels between various seemingly unrelated phenomena: alien abductions, childhood satanic abuse, the european witch craze and the face on Mars.

New Age channelling and evangelical religion may seem harmless enough but look where thinking with "your gut" got our ancestors. The european witch craze was a scam by the catholic church for robbing those it falsely accused of witchcraft. And when priests bless the instruments of torture there is no role for evidence. Testimony under torture takes the place of evidence, vision takes the place of reason.

Science may be an imperfect guide to truth but its superior to all other forms of knowledge. Science unlike wishful thinking or divine revelation is based on sceptical habits of thought. You'd be sceptical when buying a used car so why not be just as sceptical when examining extraordinary claims like Atlantis or the canals of Mars.

There is a great deal of interesting material about the unreliability of memory. Its easy to get someone to remember being lost as a child even if the event never happened. Memory gets even more unreliable under hypnosis where it is vulnerable to suggestion by the therapist. If the therapist believes in childhood satanic abuse or abduction by aliens its no wonder that those in therapy start remembering being abused by humans or aliens.

An understanding of science is necessary for making informed decisions in a technological democracy. The values of science and the values of democracy are essentially the same. Sagan is all too aware that big business and the abuse of technology often go hand in hand. So understanding how to think about the science will allow us to bring democratic thinking to bear upon its possible abuse.

Like Richard Dawkin's Unweaving the Rainbow Sagan hopes to convince that the truth is better, more inspiring, more wonderful than make believe. It has the added virtue of being true.

Sagan asks some interesting questions for champions of ufo abductees.
If humans are the result of an alien breeding experiment how come we share 99 per cent of our dna with chimpanzees?
Why are the aliens so backward in their knowledge of genetics that they are taking so long to breed human alien hybrids? Why don't they just take some human cells and clone them?
Isn't it funny how the Venusians have stopped visiting now we know that Venus is uninhabitable.

I'd recommend this books along with Dawkins Unweaving the Rainbow.

As entertaining as it is thought provoking, 'The Demon Haunted World' will repay careful attention. I have read this book over and over again, and each time I am forced to examine my world view and what it's based on. In a world full of, 'The National Enquirer' and 'Jerry Springer' this book stands out. Without becoming disrespectful (which is more than can be said for his detractors), Sagan calmly and rationally discusses topics like UFO abuctees, crop circles and religion. The chapter entitled, 'The Fine Art of Baloney Detection' should be a handout in every school in the country as a blue print for clear thought. Sagan will be remembered for 'Cosmos' but to me this book will always be his masterpiece.

Likely one of the more important humanistic tomes in the last 1000 years. My brevity is in context with endless reviews... i don't fear that my lack of insight will damage your opinion of me. There is no insecurity such that I may ramble on, and on. I don't mean it to be hyperbole... Carl was a man of ineffable importance, grace, charm, and resounding kindness. This is the most accessible book you could hope for if you are exploring belief, or your wilting faith in systems of thought forced on you as a child. Enjoy this.... it is vitally important and beautiful to the core and spine. Share it with people. He won't mind. Neither will Ann... it's that important. - Fishbits

First of all, I declare myself a Sagan's fan. His work (mainly the popular science part) had a strong influence in my life and contributed to my decision of becoming a physicist. This book is different in many ways, but it shares with some others (Cosmos in particular) the joy and skepticism that pervades all good science. Some might find the book too agressive, but looking at TV shows, bad popular seudoscience and how ignorant are most of our politicians I can only say that is a little drop of common sense in the middle of a sea of nonsense. We are living a specially important moment in science (unfortunately, Carl Sagan is not here anymore to share it with all of us) and it is important that science and skeptic thinking get to as much people as possible. This book is a good contribution and should be used in schools. Some critics might not like it (as expressed in some reviews here) but this is how science works: we don't take claims as true unless consistent empiric evidence gives support to them. This skeptic thinking gave us evolution, molecular biology, astrophysics and cosmology, computer sciences and a long list of ideas to think and dream. Pseudoscientists might believe that they are new "Galileos" but, when looking through their telescopes, we can only see darkness.

This is a simply wonderful book. In the introduction, Carl Sagan recounts a conversation he had with a cab driver, whom he calls "William F. Buckley." "Mr. Buckley" is interested in things like the lost continent of Atlantis, UFO abductions, and other "pseudosciences" instead of real science.

The book is a series of essays that seek to debunk some of these pseudosciences (UFO abductions, the Face on Mars, and faith healing, to name a few) and explain why people seem drawn to such things. In so doing, Dr. Sagan also explains how the scientific method is used to advance humanity's knowledge, and why science is the best (and only) way to understand the world around us. He explains how scientists must be both extremely imaginative and extremely skeptical, how scientific discovery always contains some uncertainty, and how even scientific mistakes can help advance knowledge.

There's a particularly interesting essay called "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection," in which Dr. Sagan presents the "Baloney Detection Kit." The Baloney Detection Kit includes several tools that can be used to help winnow out the truth (Dr. Sagan uses these to ask pointed questions about J. Z. Knight, the channeler of "Ramtha"), and also lists many logical fallacies.

The essays convey Dr. Sagan's awe and wonder at the natural world and his dedication to science, but are never cruel, dismissive, or condescending to the "Mr. Buckleys" of the world.

Another excellent piece of work by Carl Sagan. This book is a must read for everyone.
Dr. Sagan has done a marvelous job examining how pseudo-science works and what are it's effects. At times he seems irritated due to the fact that scientists of the past have not worked towards popularizing science and I think he is totally justified for that. Today, a lot of problems which scientists and scientific organizations face are due to the indifferent and elitist behavior of scientists of the past.
On the whole as good a book as any other by Carl Sagan.

So many books, so little time--yet this book should be required reading for the human race. Sagan's patient and guiding ways lead one to understanding the bunk and frauds that plague humans. He manuevers one through a maze of historical misunderstandings. He makes you appreciate the self-correcting process of science. He emphasises the importance of learning to think straight. Anyone can read this book and walk away feeling less afraid, less susceptible to being taken in by the fruad of our time. This book illuminates the mind. Sagan quotes the old adage, 'It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.' Sagan is that flame.

This is a terrific book and I highly recommend it!!Sagan exposes cultic and unscientific though for what it is! Thanks to science I get to get an accurate portrait of the universe! Thanks to science I get to Live to be more than 30 years old! Thanks to science I can go to california in about 4 hours! Thanks to science I get to express antscientific rants on the internet and get a huge number of people to see how odd and irrational I am...Err, just kidding... Anyway read this wonderful book!Enjoy!

Although I normally do not read nonfiction, I truly enjoyed this book. Sagan is an entertaining and engaging author, and in this book he is doing what he does best: making scientific ideas accessible to the public. Sagan makes a plea for skeptical thinking, and he explains why science does not, as many people feel, take the wonder and joy out of life. He argues that it can actually increase these qualities. As a non-scientist, this book gave a me a much more positive attitude towards science.

I was overjoyed to read other reviews of this and see that there are realistic, intelligent people out there! If you blindly follow what you've been told, this book must be read. It might scare you. This is a stunning revelation that humans are not only small fish in an infinite pond, we are governed not by the position of the planets or whatever, but by natural laws and science. If you're afraid of yourself or of reality, skip it. If you want to avoid a 'pointless existence', READ IT!

Sagan is a breath of fresh air. He calls 'em like he sees 'em, noting, for example, that "religions are the state-protected nurseries of pseudoscience." This book is a call to action, making a strong case that we must encourage the scientific method and question what people tell us, particularly our leaders. The book is also funny as it explores alien abductions and other cons over the years. I always get freshly inspired after reading Sagan because he truly appreciated (and conveyed) the wonder and the infinite possibilities of science.

This is a wonderful collection. Each chapter is self-contained and can be read on its own without needing the others to understand what is going on. "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" is an especially important part to read, given the prevalence of pseudoscience in today's culture. If you're looking for a book to add to a young adult's "Critical Thinking" toolkit, this is quite handy.

World-renowned astronomer Carl Sagan-- who died of cancer several years ago-- has written a book which is both challenging and inspiring to anyone who has ever questioned "New Age" methods and findings, and perhaps especially to those who haven't. Yet his book is likely to be one which many in the New Age community would overlook, to their own peril. Sagan is relentlessly scientific, and simultaneously embraces with warmth the concept of spirituality. I find it both impressive and intriguing that his "defense" of science is both intensely inspiring and even lyrical. Sagan makes it clear that, far from intending to invalidate spiritual viewpoints, he sees science and spirituality as not only complimentary, but mutually reinforcing. Sagan himself notes that he has often been misunderstood. His disappointment that he can find no evidence to support the idea of extraterrestrial existence and other paranormal phenomena is palpable. He sincerely wants to believe that he could, say, communicate with his dead parents, whom he dearly misses. It's simply that he finds no evidence for this. On matters of the paranormal, Sagan might best be described as AGNOSTIC. He passionately advocates development of our openness as well as our skepticism, while always maintaining a sense of reverence and wonder. Part of Sagan's purpose is to debunk pseudoscience-- of which he includes much of New Age thinking --even as he deepens our appreciation of science. So why would anyone in the New Age community wish to read it, let alone deem it valuable, let alone crucial for the expansion of the New Age Movement? Because Sagan injects clear-headed thinking and a critical eye to many New Age claims. He enlightens us as to where New Age thinking corresponds to verifiable "external reality," and where it falls short. Perhaps even more importantly, he show us how the Scientific Method can be used to weigh the evidence, so that we are free to draw our own conclusions based on verifiable criteria. This can only strengthen our self-trust, our commitment, and our resolve to pursue our ideals along certain lines. It seems to me that the more New Age ideas can be validated in our own eyes as well as the eyes of the rest of the community, the more acceptance these ideas will gain. The New Age Movement comprises a broad spectrum, and advocates ideas promoting inner and outer peace; more humane social, political, and economic institutions; mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health and well-being; personal growth and wisdom; and of course more loving and fulfilling relationships. But New Age Believers, take heart! For an interesting contrast, try checking out Michael Talbot's The Holographic Universe, which purports to scientifically explain the paranormal. The latter is another wonderful book and excellent counterpoint to Sagan's. Sagan's book is fascinating, informative, enlightening and thought-provoking. His book adds a valuable and possibly crucial contribution to our understanding and ability to evaluate certain Human Potential endeavors. This book can only be a boon to New Age Consciousness AND science. It will greatly benefit any thinking or skeptical person.

If you only read a single book for the rest of your life, I urge you to choose this one. Reading it was an awakening experience for me, and it changed my whole way of looking at the world around me. It not only clearly does away with superstitious and pseudoscientific nonsense, but it equips the reader with the proper mental tools for seeing such things as they are whenever he or she might encounter them in the future. This is one of those books which makes the world a better place.

I agree Sagan gets a bit mystical at some points, but face it, the guy was a visionary and if you have that lack of vission well. The same was said about the trip to the moon a while back. Anyway, I also agree that science can be our destruction but, if I give you a car, how do you drive it? With responasbility or not? the same goes with science. Don't blame science. Saying science will destroy humans is a variant of saying Humans will destroy humans. Blame humans in that case. Overal, the book's greate.

Yes, indeed Sagan blasts pseudoscience quite effortlessly... his opponents... TABLOID JOURNALISTS who have NO credability in mainstream thought. Though I agree with practically everything Sagan says in this book, he commits an unforgivable sin of logical presentation. NOT ONCE does he explain WHAT then scientific method is. It is very possible that over 50% of all Americans do not know what the scientific method is. Sagan should have devoted some space to explaining what this thing 'the scientific method' is. Though it sounds grand, it has many limitations. Instead of wasting our time with his rantings, he should have taken some time educating.

After years of trying to put my beliefs into words, I finally found a book that not only states these beliefs, but expounds on them in a profound and entertaining way. Please read this book, and please pass it along. We all know people who are amazed by 1-900 psychics. We all know people who truly believe that their relationship is succeeding/failing solely on the fact that they are a Capricorn, and their mate is a Virgo. These people need our help. Give them the book, it's not too late.

Sagan sparkles with Renaissance-man-like knowledge that spans from the social sciences to astrophysics. His book is a clarion call for rational and critical thinking concerning many areas of daily (and not so daily) life. It should be required reading in all high school and college curricula. I consider it the most important book of the past several decades. It does not shy away from those sensitive areas where true believers defend bastions of irrationality, pseudosciences, and rightous inhumanity. Courageously he shines the light of science and clear thinking on problems found in beliefs in alien abduction, rigid assumptions found in religion (which resulted in such atrocities as the churches' witch hunts), and on the gullibility of many people who uncritically accept claims of the existence of ghosts, spirits, and truth in the mass media. This is a book for all Americans!

Although this book is ostensibly a debunking of pseudoscientific subjects, it is actually a brilliant, and profound introduction to the philosophy of science. It is also an eye-opening treatise on the deplorable state of scientific literacy among Americans, despite a wide spread curiosity about scientific subjects. It is beautifully written and an easy read despite its incredible depth.

Sagan clearly explains the scientific method, provides a method for clear thinking he calls "Then fine art of Baloney Detection", and along the way slays many popular myths, including alien-abduction, and UFO's and psychic surgery. He takes on our system of education, our popular culture and media, and their effects on our understanding of what science is and how it works.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in science, education, and clear thinking! I've read at least a hundred books the last 5 or 6 years and this is the first review I've written; it was that good.

Carl Sagan is not known as the high priest of scientism for nothing, as this book aptly demonstrates. The Demon-Haunted World is an at times uneven but usually fascinating diatribe that sings the praises of science while simultaneously warning us of the dangers of superstition, religion, and ignorance. While I find Sagan's writing style both highly readable and engaging, I had difficulty following where he was going. A big part of the book, for instance, deals with alien abduction and the unreliability of hypnotically induced memories; another part talks at great length about UFOs and the SETI attempt to locate extraterrestrial life, while still another is an expose about witch burnings and the Inquisition. He talks disapprovingly about Edward Teller and the development of the H-Bomb, thrills at the wonder and excitement of scientific discovery he felt as a boy, spends an interminable chapter diagramming the mathematics behind James Maxwell's work on magnetism, and finally laments America's declining scholastic aptitude-and all this in one single book! It seems as if the good Doctor is taking a stroll down several paths all at once with no apparent final destination in mind, all under the guise of-I guess-demonstrating how a lack of critical thinking skills and healthy skepticism is leading us down the road to intellectual and, potentially, cultural ruin. I must admit to agreeing with much of what he said, and even found parts of the book-particularly the chapter where he discusses the doubtfulness of the survival of the soul and his own wish that it could be possible to contact his deceased parents-to be touching, but I finally came away from The Demon-Haunted World feeling depressed and devoid of hope. The book produces some thought-provoking ideas and forces the theists among us to carefully reconsider our beliefs, but in the end it leaves Sagan looking like a genuinely caring and compassionate man who lacks any capacity to perceive beyond the realm of his five physical senses. He is so enthralled with the wonders of the cosmos, which he looks upon with the same sense of joy and wonder as an evangelical Christian fresh from a revival meeting, that he remains incapable of understanding how anyone can fail to feel the same excitement over science that he feels. In him we find the heart and soul of skepticism, neatly packaged and enticingly presented, with just a splash of good-natured humor and somber self-reflection thrown in for seasoning. I like Carl. I wish he were still with us writing more thought-provoking books because I think he has some good and important things to say. This book, however, fails to be the bearer of light I believe he intended it to be, but it may be a good primer for his next book-which will, unfortunately, never be written. So sad. Oh well, good look Carl, wherever you ended up!

This book is, by far, one of the best explications of the spirit of scientific inquiry I've ever encountered. Sagan's earnest respect for science and clear appreciation of the natural world shine through his clear prose. Although a large part of this book is dedicated to reconciling paranormal claims with the reality of a non-paranormal world, Sagan's attitude never comes across as overly forceful or belittling. While he proposes alternate explanations for such phenomena as alien abductions, ghosts, and psychics, he always does so via pointed questions rather than shouted conclusions. His questions force the reader to think for him or herself, whether they be believers in the supernatural or not.

It is hard to imagine a reader not being moved by Sagan's evident admiration of science and love for our world (a world he was, at the time of writing, surely aware he was soon to leave,) warts and all. Indeed, it is a shame that Dr. Sagan is no longer with us to calmly, lucidly, and effectively propound the continuing need we ALL have for rationality and critical thinking. Our demon-haunted world is surely emptier and, sadly, far darker without him. Thankfully he left us this brightly-glowing candle to help light our way.

Carl Sagan has written some of the best modern works considering the inherent differences in method of people who view the world logically and scientifically and those who view the world in terms of faith (or as he would likely put it, in terms of superstition). His overall logical method of intelligent skepticism is good--in as much as it applies to considerations of the physical world and provable phenomena. And his call for skepticism is refreshing and well concieved--in as far as it goes. The problems I find inherent in his work are the same that have plagued all materialistic writers since the enlightenment who have attempted to discount metaphysics completely as a result of its flaws (which are admittedly many). He is, however, right that the only method that should be applied to the physical world is that of logic and rationalism. It's important to recognize that the two may exist--but just in different spheres. If this work interests you I would suggest Francis Bacon's "Novum Organum" and any of the philosophical writings of Descartes.

Many are turned off by science since they find it to be cold, desenchanting or even a bit nihilistic. With a clever sense of humor and easy-to read writting style, Sagan proves that science can be an awe-inspiring spiritual experience, when we are confronted with the immense complexity of nature and our universe. He reminds us how to be a good skeptic: one who is open minded to new information, but will only believe after receiving proof. (Which consists of much more than anecdotal evidence )As Sagan states "I believe that the extraordinary should be pursued. But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." He urges everyone to think skeptically and to express our opinions while being respectfull of others' beliefs. Unfortunately those who would benefit from more skepticism are the ones less likely to pick up this book. It takes courage to abandon the comforts of an "all-loving" ever present god, immortality, and belief in psychic powers in exchange for the truth. However, Sagan shows us how science has greatly improved the quality of life throughout history, and how the systematic search for truth can be more rewarding than blinded-faith. We should be open minded("Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence") without being gullible. And we must remember how "wishfull thinking" does not make something true.

This book opened my mind to science books. I couldn't put it down. This is a book for anyone who wants to challenge the modern day myths we hear every day and know the truth behind them. It is for anyone who is a skeptical thinker, or follows the scientific method, but even more valuable to the open minded but unskeptical. What makes this book so interesting is that it describes "pseudosciences" and beliefs that have no real grounds or evidence. It debunks several well known myths in solid, scientific reasoning and with Carl Sagan's laugh-out-loud sense of humor. These include a description of what Carl Sagan thinks of the existence of God, and the religion Christianity, down to crop circles, crystals, and mystical gurus. In cooperation with his wife, Ann Druyan, he also describes why education of the coming generation is crucial to America right now. Don't be daunted by formulas or scientific terms, Sagan makes all concepts in the book understandable to all, and instills in the reader a sense of duty and understanding about what the US and world need to do to make a good step forward in the coming generation. This book is great success for modern thinking and education. Even though not all of what Carl Sagan says is without dispute -- and this book is no exception -- I believe it is not to be missed by anyone who has time to read.

Sagan was one of the rare, special thinkers that come along every now and then and if we're lucky they leave a body of work behind for the rest of us to ponder over. I don't know if this is his best work, but I think it is one of his most important. In a world full of pseudoscience and con artists it is important to ground your thinking and belief in the realm of reason; and I love the fact that Sagan emphasizes that you must not crush your sense of wonder at the world to do this. Imagination is important, but so is critical thinking and with help we may carry the candle in the dark for another generation.

This has been my favorite work of non-fiction since I first read it in 1996. Upon re-reading it recently, I was struck by how important Sagan's treatise on critical thinking and "baloney detection" is in today's world. Though the book mostly deals with pseudoscience, antiscience and religion, the tools it presents for critical analysis of evidence and argument should be read by all Americans, particularly those who still believe that we found WMDs in Iraq or that Iraq was involved in 9/11.

We are never systematically taught critical analysis in school (even in graduate study in the sciences at prestigious universities), so it is no wonder that Madison Avenue and, increasingly, our elected officials are able to convince us to purchase products and support policies that are based on logical fallacies and repitition of untrue or distorted "facts". Imagine if the voting public and the press consistently applied Sagan's Baloney-Detection tools to statements made by advertisers and our government, tools such as:

"Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the 'facts'

Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view.

Arguments from authority carry little weight -'authorities' have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there are no authorites; at most, there are experts.

If there's a chain of argument, every link in the chain must work (including the premise) - not just most of them."

This is how and why science works as well as it does. We all have the ability to be skeptical and use these techniques when shopping for a used car, Sagan points out. The key is to apply those abilities consistently to all of life's decisions.

The Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan should be required reading and made a standard text in Jr. High and High School science programs. It clearly presents the scientific method, and holds the reader to use that method whenever discussing any matter beyond opinion. Sagan presents the indispensable 'boloney detection kit' along side powerful examples of the dangers of believing anything or anyone claiming to have `the truth' without presenting peer-reviewable publicly testable evidence. Using metaphor, wit, and research, Sagan pulls together a severe criticism of modern culture and its approaches to non-science that are labeled 'science.' Sagan indicts politics, religion, and a zeitgeist that lazily (and dangerously) allows quasi/false science to claim what is true and what is real using non-testable evidence such as anecdote, eyewitness, and expert testimony. Sagan implores the reader to embrace science and the scientific method - not to further science for the championing of its own agenda - but to protect oneself from hoaxes and would be charlatans. Sagan encourages a reliance on the facts through experimentation and verification by anyone, and makes the correct assertion that any argument, which fails that, be regarded as highly suspect. He eloquently states that science is the only candle we have against the `dark,' i.e. the dangerous `swirl' of culture, prejudice, fear, opinion, manipulation, control, and outright lies. I highly recommend this book to any person in any country living under any political condition. It is a call to democracy, (the most important science experiment human's have undertaken thus far) and the book itself is a bit of freedom.

Tige Lewis Quintina

I read this book years ago, probably shortly after it was released, so I was quite young (early 20's), but I credit this book with at least sparking (if not establishing) my current worldview. I, like many young people (and old), had a slant towards gullibility and definitely naivety. I wondered about things like UFOs and the Bermuda triangle; conspiracy theories and other 'mysteries'. They say one of the most important things about going to college is to develop critical thinking skills. Save yourself $40,000 and buy this book. :)

this is a book written by a knowledgeable man that has his feet firmly planted on the ground. the basic idea the author tries to deliver is to be logical.
plus: the book lists several myths and debunked them with scientific logic and simple explainations. it is all very logical and entertaining.
minus: the author tends to repeat himself, it may be due to the fact that he doesnt organize his topics well. he also gives some statistics on how easily people are 'fooled', how people believe too readily in myths; and blames it on the fact that scientific illiteracy is low. he would go on to politicise the issue a little in the last few chapters.
this would be a very good book if the author tackles each listed topic individually. however, he tends to cross link and concentrated too much on UFO's. giving only half or a quarter of a chapter to other myths stated in the covers, withcraft, demons and faith healing. it gets tiring at times reading the book. kudo's to the author for being able to make this dry subject entertaining enough, but i'm afraid more effort is needed to make it an easier read.
one point he makes that impacts me a lot though, just apply a little scientific logic and we won't be so easily fooled by hoaxes. we have to be scientifically literate first though!

This book should be mandatory reading in middle school. It's easy-to-read and accessible, and with the trend in the U.S. of engaging in illogical and magical thinking, this would serve as an excellent primer in how science works and why it should be relied upon.

Sagan is such a good writer; I love all of his books for their straight, no-nonsense approaches to everything he chooses to cover.

I didn't find the book so much I opening as my learning that people actually BELIEVE the stuff he talks about. I was naive enough to think that, while newspapers reported on things like UFOs and horoscopes, that they were just there for fun and that no one actually took them seriously.

I've learned a LOT since then. This book opened my eyes to a whole new brand of skepticism.

Sagan really was a genius at making science topics easy to understand. In this instance, he takes on all the institutionalized stupidity and pseudoscience many of us have to deal with every day, and shows how it's different from real science. Just trivial things, really, like the fact that science is characterized by empirical data -- anathema to pseudoscience and religion, which urge us to believe. He outlines the scientific method, and goes into great detail discussing three recent witch-hunt phenomena: alien abductions, satanic cult activity, and recovered memory of childhood sexual abuse. In nearly all the cases of all three, the so-called memories were "recovered" by hypnotherapists. He makes a convincing case that the "memories" are implanted by the therapist. Of the less than 10 percent of us who are easily hypnotized, it's been demonstrated that nearly all are willing to make up a nightmare scenario that follows the cues suggested, however inadvertantly, by the therapist. Most fascinating.

Carl Sagan's "The Demon Hauted World" is, in my opinion, the most important work of Non-Fiction ever written. He understands the human mind better than most top level shrinks. He makes science a joy and teaches you how science can be just as comforting as religon. He set the record strait on alien visitation. Carl Sagan is a rare genius that rarely comes around in our world. Best Non-Fiction book I have ever bought.

This book is brilliant. It shows through dozens of examples how scientific thinking is superior to magical-thinking. In writing my book about autism, I found it to be common that parents are being caught by pseudo-science and not investigating things for themselves. I would have loved to have interviewed Carl about his comments on this autism phenomena going on right now. He would find it quite interesting, no doubt. It was very clear that Sagan cared very much about our planet(see Cosmos) and that would some readers would see as hate of much of the human race is actually a deep caring that supercedes status-quo humanitarianism.
I would recommend this book to the religious right and the radical left.
Jeffrey McAndrew
radio broadcaster and author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Carl Sagan has written books on a variety of sciences, from biology and evolution in The Dragons of Eden to astronomy in his well-known Cosmos. In this book, however, he examines the nature of science itself. This is a book that has been sorely needed.
Too often, science is taught merely as a collection of facts and figures, rather than a process by which the truth about nature is discovered. Which is a shame, since that process can be used by anyone to disect the claims given by politicians and advertisers. Sagan tries to rectify this situation by explaining how scientists come up with explanations, devise experiments, and use rational debate to separate truth from mere speculation. He provides a list of errors in logic that allow the reader to spot a potential "bamboozle". And he ends with an impassioned plea that the American public needs to start thinking more critically, else we are helping to create a veritable monarchy by throwing away our voice and our responsibility.
The one thing that will probably rile up the average reader the most would be when religion comes up. Sadly there have been many times when religion has been used as part of a con, such as Peter Popoff's "miraculous" knowledge of people's medical conditions (which were actually fed to him by radio), or the Donation of Constantine where a document was "found" deeding the Wesetern Roman Empire to the Catholic Church. There have been times when religion has exhorted its followers not to think for themselves, but to follow blindly. And there are times when religions have made pronouncements that are verifiable but contradict gathered evidence, such as the assertation that the earth is only a few thousand years old. Sagan shines a harsh light on these instances.
However, I didn't see any passage that indicated that religion is a bad or even unnecessary thing. He even states, "I want to acknowledge at the outset the prodigious diversity and complexity of religious thought and practice over the millennia; the growth of liberal religion and ecumenical fellowship during the last century; and the fact that - as in the Protestant Reformation, the rise of Reform Judaism, Vatican II, and the so-called higher criticism of the Bible - religion has fought (with varying degrees of success ) its own excesses." In other words, religion has started using critical thinking of its own teachings.
Science is an inescapable part of all our lives now. Not to understand its underpinings in the twenty-first century may not be just foolish, it could quite possibly be deadly. This book is an excellent first step in obtaining that understanding.

With The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan delivers a lively and refreshing parry to today's celebration of charlatanism and credulity. Sagan does not just refute silly beliefs, he gives a context for understanding them and appreciating the real mystery and beauty of the world around us. This is not an authoritarian harangue against pseudoscience (no matter how well deserved), for Sagan's approach is not to dismissively lock doors but to throw them open to the light.
This book is especially important for those who are put off by the jargon and technology of science. Like Feynman and Asimov, Sagan was a truly interesting individual who wrote with wit and charm and a fundamental humanity belying the stereotype of scientists as dysfunctional lab drones. He was a scientist whose most lasting contribution is conveying that science is not about facts but about the journey of discovery. Once, a child asked him at a public lecture: "Dr. Sagan, I have a simple question for you: How did the universe begin?" Sagan replied, "I have a simple answer for you: I don't know." Ah, but the joy of finding out - that is Carl Sagan's greatest legacy, and one brightly upheld by this book.

This book is just the thing to silence the tide of those who think they know what the scientific method is all about. it shuts the door on all the quackery that is being sold to a nation of people who get their news and science from People magazine and Inside Edition. the section on logic should be required reading for high school seniors. read it carefully and you will see that it is NOT anti religion, nor is anti spiritual. it is simply pro science, and not just facts and figures, but the scientific method as a WAY Of THINKING. he acknowledges science's shortcomings. if you can open your mind instead of grasping your fear, read this book.

I found Mr. Sagan's book interesting and lucid. However, I think he shoots for some easy targets- astrology, alien possession, clairvoyance, and the like. Granted, these beliefs are absurd. But Mr. Sagan fails to examine the need behind the beliefs. Many people- intelligent ones included- turn to new age religion because of an inadequate understanding of science and because traditional religion has let them down. Science may stimulate the mind, but not necessarily the soul,and while science has improved our lives in many respects, I'm not so sure it has taught us how to get along with each other. Logical thinking is very important, but it is only one component of thinking- not thinking itself.

I can't add anything to the reviews here. People that should read it, won't. I can hear critics whose favorite wild ideas are challenged by Sagan, saying How does he know I am wrong? Sagan makes it pretty clear it is because they do not really know very much about the real world.

The Demon-Haunted World is a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere of growing irrationality. With arguments being put forth that there is no such thing as objective truth, and that anything one wants to believe is the truth as they percive it ( one reviewer actually criticized Sagan for taking exception to this fashionable attitude), Sagan's stuggle to rescue us from another Dark Age is admirable. I am in total agreement with him, being a science teacher myself, and am alarmed at the burgeoning pile of books published on life after death, ghosts, Area 51, UFO abductions, almost all of which are devoid of any proof or compelling evidence.Sorry, someone's word is not good enough,whether THEY beileve it or not! Science is not perfect-but it is the best tool we have for learning about the universe.I would encourage any intelligent person, who is not fearful of science and concerned about where we are heading to read this evocative book. When finished, it should be carried as a manual to help us when we are tempted to indulge in the constant array of nonsense our culture seems to spawn without any critical or skeptical thought.

Firstly my take is that Carl Sagan was a brilliant man and a great author with an exceptional ability to concisely and clearly present rationality at its best.
The book, as many of the reviews have already stated, does a great job debunking many of the highly notorious fallacies in society whose foundations lie on "myths". Sagan does this by offering a skeptical approach based on pure rational and emphirical thinking. He does an even better job in conveying how society, and government specifically should operate based on informed rationality, and the "deamons" which haunt this world result when governments and people specifically (as civilizations / governments are merely a manifestation of its inhabitants) act in irrational and self-seeking ways.
Obviously this is an extremely complex and controversial subject matter; one whose essence no single book could ever truely cover effectively. That is why I think bringing up religion and faith in general detracts from his focus as I find faith is an alltogether different characteristic than irrational behavior. It may cause one to do irrational things, but it is because that person find solace in knowing what they are doing has higher purpose.
Proponents of the Truth, i.e. wisdom and the pursuit of wisdom, such as Plato and Socrates, have always treated religion and God separately, or stated that it was God's divine purpose for Man to be Just, which is an attribute that can only come from knowing the essence of a situation before acting.
And so if that aspect of Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World: Science As a Candle in the Dark annoys you, I recommend Plato's Republic (as an exceptional work for morality and the pursuit of truth and wisdom).
Other than that this is a great book that provides rational explanations for of some the most famed subjects of pseudoscience.
As an aside about skeptism (not about this book):
Some people see skeptisim as form of close-mindedness, and the writer of the review from June 14 "Science hmm" exemplifies that type of person. Obviously anyone can tell that person is speaking without any basis, and its a very funny post, but also the reason why this book needs to be read (I'm sure that person, if he even read Sagan's book at all, did it with ingrained preconceived notions of the "evils of science") This guy claims all of science is narrow minded and fascist (haha) but even many who aren't completely off their rocker, think skepticism is bad. The skeptic mindset is to only take facts at face value, and only believe when sufficient evidence is provided. This is the only way to promote a rational mindset. Those who think skeptics are narrow minded truely don't understand its purpose.
Skepticism is the best way to gain knowledge and wisdom, and prevents from deviating from that cause; which leads to fallacies about our reality such as all the myths Sagan debunks.
Going back to the poster of "Science hmm" who said that all science does is bring up "more and more unanswered questions"; although I agree that "science" that is, the pursuit of knowledge and truth, does bring up more unanswered questions, the only hope for us is in finally being able to answer some of the more fundamental ones.
To end this corny (and probably obvious arguement) with a quote:
"All our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike--and yet is the most precious thing we have." Albert Einstein

What a great man Carl Sagan was- a true ambassador of Earth. Luckily for all of us, before his unfortunate and premature passing he gifted us with this marvel of a book. I make no exaggeration when claiming that this work is, thus far, the single most important piece of writing I have ever read. The first time I read it was 10 years ago, having revisited it again only last year and am rereading it now a third time. With each read and recollection I am more dumbstruck and in awe of this books effect on my personal development.

How a different place this would be if books such as this one replaced the Bibles and Talmuds and Korans of the world. Imagine families going to congregations and children going to sunday school to read books that teach them not what to think, but HOW to think! Imagine people of all ages participating in ritualistic brainstorming (instead of brain washing) and problem solving of real, theoretical, global and local issues, and having this be their primary method of achieving spiritual fulfillment. Idealistic, right? Too far out there. Yes, but the man was passionate, and he had a vision and a desire to share his passion, and most importantly, he had the gift of being able to reach a wide audience. Ironically, I see Carl as the Apostle Paul of the 20th century, espousing the improved virtues and positive qualities that human knowledge has developed and determined over the course of two millennia (though really only over the past 5 centuries, since the formal adaptation of the scientific method).

There are almost 450 reviews of this book available, so there is no need for me to go into details of the chapters or of the content, since I'm certain other reviews delve into that in great detail. What I wanted to express is the emotional resonance and subsequent feeling of empowerment that one gains as a result of the increase in knowledge and perspective attained through careful reading of this book. I recommend it to everyone, but primarily to those who consider themselves searchers, those who have passion for trying to figure things out, even (or perhaps especially) if the question that needs answering is a philosophical, religious, or existential one. Thank you Carl. You will be missed.

Yes, this is my absolute favorite book. But so what -- you'll have to decide for yourself. I would rather address the critics of this book rather than the proponents.
The critical reviews of this book complain that (a) it covers too much ground and therefore (b) only skims the surface when trying to debunk. One person even called it a lazy-skeptics book. Unfortunate.
Dr. Sagan's goal was to convert the believers -- the skeptics that don't need converting. You don't convert the believers by writing in-depth scientifically-dense tomes that take months to wade through. There are places for these books, but this is not what the good doctor was trying to do. Why are polical rallies and talk shows so useless? Because they are attended by and listened to by like minded people. How boring.
Why do you think he wrote for the Sunday paper supplement Parade? To reach as wide an audience as possible. What topics did he cover? The basics of course, and always in a non-threatening manner. The exact approach needed to convert the masses.
This is a fabulous book. Buy it now and treasure it.

In an age where we are surrounded by psychic hotlines and alien abduction stories, the vast majority of the population is consistently fooled into believing the most absurd of notions. As Sagan beautifully demonstrates, this is not because of our collective intelligence, but a part of human nature. _The Demon-Haunted World_ is easily one of the most important books of this century. High school students should read this book to graduate, at least a little exposure to sense will be advantageous to our growing society. Faces on Mars, aliens, faith healers, and various other practitioners of pseudoscience swirl around us in a pool of credulism and blind faith in the most absurd of Golden Calves. Sagan brings the razor of reason to the face of fallacy and superstition and cuts off delusion and myopic belief. There is perhaps no other person who could have exposed this seldom seen part of the human being. Carl Sagan, the man who loved science so much that he felt in his heart the desire to sing it to the rest of the world, deserves the highest recognition for his accomplishments. I can think of no better than to have _The Demon-Haunted World_ shown to the whole of the world.

Having read all of the reviews above this one, I find that I have little to add to the previous praise. However I would like to say that I find it quite saddening that the kinds of people who would not consider reading this book are EXACTLY the kinds of people who SHOULD be reading this book. The world lost a great deal when it lost Carl Sagan. I only hope another candle burns brightly enough for us to see it soon.

I think Carl Sagan's book is brilliant and especially very actual. As one who lives in Israel, and see the overwhelming power of mystical trickery in politics, I thank Carl Sagan for giving me powerfool tools and insight to understand that mystics and religeon has nothing to offer, except ignorance, and can not replace science's rational way. This book should be tought in every educational facility. MUST READ.

Why is it that so many people think that there are "Two sides to every story" Even when the evidence is stacked in favor of a specific point of view. I'm sorry Mr. louis but all opinions are not equal. Everybodies point of view is not equaly backed by the evidence. Don't you care about the truth Mr. smith? It matters whether A medical treatment works or not. It matters if you waste your life on a good sounding supernatural fantasy. Real wisdom and intelligence involve being in touch with what is likly to be true. Your assertion that we live in world haunted by reason is absurd and scary. More people need to realize that evidence and true actually matter. I applaud Dr. Sagan for clearly pointing this out

demon haunted world is a very thought-provoking book. i've read all of sagan's books, and this is a great reason why. one of the more notable parts in the book is when he compares the "witches" of the middle ages to "UFOs" of this century. lucid writing and logical arguments that give new perspectives to old things make this book one of sagan's best.
--if you're looking for the mother of all sagan books to get you into his groove, Cosmos is the obvious one... if you liked the movie Contact (which was actually what inspired me to read all his books, which got me into environmentalism, and into all the physics and astronomy i study today), the book is actually much better.
quick note on Contact- though it's a novel, and "fictional", it has so many factual elements in it (things that he talks a lot about in his other books, like SETI and how ET would communicate -- through numbers and radio telescopes, etc.). i love reading non-fiction because it has that truth to it that, if it's interesting, gives it a much deeper and urgent meaning-- it actually happened, or is actually real. Contact represents the fictional novel that combines the best from fiction and non-fiction writing.
--but i digress.
demon-haunted world is an awesome piece. read it. love it. then buy another sagan book

As always, Carl Sagan writes clearly, concisely, and in such a manner that the lay person can understand a brilliant scientific mind. I found this book entertaining, and certainly well worth the time and money. If I were an alien, I think Sagan would have been one of the ones on my abduction list; he was certainly much more able to tell the aliens the way our world works than the many supposed victims. If you are gullible, perhaps you should pick up this book before you find yourself falling for supermarket tabloid headlines, and let Sagan help you exorcise your own demons.

I read this book the first time in 1998. I had always been a skeptical person, but I was raised in a family that pretty much seen the Bible as the end all. After I read this book, I really felt like I was not alone anymore in my critical thinking of the world. I had a new found inspiration to learn everything that I possibly could about our world, using sound facts and not stories.

I would have eventually found peace in science with or without this book, but this is a great starter for those who have never been around critical thinking in their lives.

I love this book, mostly because it goes a long way towards reinforcing everything I already believe. Carl Sagan is such a wonderful writer, with such a real, human personality--nothing like the detached scientist stereotype. However, I can see where people who strongly believe the opposite of what I believe might not be convinced. Still a fascinating book and I recommend it to anyone.

The scientific method itself is more important than any one of its resulting hypotheses.

Humankind should take special care of recognizing questionable claims, since there will be many unscientific and questionable claims being made during the next several years (around the beginning of the 21rst century).

This book is a good reminder to think twice before believing anything

Dr. Sagan laments the lack of scientific literacy in our society, and dismisses a Who's Who of phenomena unrecognized by orthodox science. DHW is engaging, and in places contains good sense. Certainly the scientific method, skepticism and critical thinking are useful. There is no doubt that gullibility, ignorance and nonsense are rampant in the world.
Skepticism is less useful, however, when it becomes merely a weapon to protect a favored conceptual system; in DHW's case, materialistic, mechanistic scientism. Dr. Sagan favors the advancement of knowledge provided it doesn't stray from essentially Newtonian-Cartesian premises. But this notion of reality, besides being holistically unsatisfying, is being discredited by evidence from physics, consciousness research, and other fields. In DHW, we find a dominant cosmology reacting to heresy: the chapter entitled "Antiscience" is an almost fundamentalist blast at ideas incompatible with a materialistic ontology. It's remarkable how a bad 17th-century idea can linger.
Dr. Sagan is fond of stating that science is self-correcting. In fact, the process is neither linear nor cumulative. The history of science demonstrates that knowledge does not continue to unfold within existing paradigms. Not simply new facts, but entire revisions of our conception of the Universe are involved. Until such revisions occur, that which cannot be accounted for by the current science is ignored or dismissed, sometimes with personal attacks on its proponents.
Lost in Dr. Sagan's argument is the possibility that at least some of what he attempts to debunk might represent legitimate challenges to prevailing scientific models. Several of his targets are of course deserving. To his credit, he cites a few phenomena as worthy of further study. But otherwise he makes a carte blanche dismissal of virtually every idea and purported phenomenon that is inconsistent with his worldview.
His biases are evident on nearly every page. He has much to say about critical thinking, but almost nothing about Consciousness or Mind. His cursory discussion of quantum physics neglects to mention that the field has overturned the worldview of early modern science. He goes on about alien abductions for so many chapters that I almost became a believer. It apparently didn't occur to him that the prevalence of the "pseudoscience" and "superstition" he detests might in some sense represent an evolutionary system-break from an older conception of reality.
This last point is key. I see DHW as a conservative reaction to a present revolution in consciousness. Where the revolution is ultimately going, no one knows. During the process much will no doubt fall by the wayside, to be seen retrospectively as nonsense. In the meantime, Dr. Sagan's book has its merits, but seems to me to be a forceful argument for a limited and obsolete model of reality.

Sagan, in this book, gave us a frightening portrait of our civilization. While one could show a medicine for a disease, others will look for magic crystals; two friends could burn geometrical figures in the fields and make a "reliable proof" of UFOs that lasted for decades; in the age of DNA, most American students still believe in the Criation. This is a warning, and it should be read for everyone.

I can't quite share the general enthusiasm for the book. For starters, it's a collection of disparate essays, many of which are only very remotely related to the title of the book. As the chapters wear on, they become less and less like essays and more like piles of notes hastily edited and pasted under any title that seemed plausible. But this is stylistic. My deeper concerns follow.
(1) The prophet of science has very little curiosity about the scientific method itself. The names of the great philosophers of science, Popper and Kuhn for example, never appear, even when they would have helped his case. He oddly lumps Aristotle with Plato as an enemy of the scientific method. (2) He flirts with the problem of religious faith within a scientific way of looking at the world, but he never confronts it head on. Many times I felt like saying, "Come on, Carl, what ARE you saying about faith?" (3) The prince of reason occasionally shows himself capable of shabby rhetorical tricks: "Isn't CETI worth one attack helicopter?" (4) His brief remarks about nuclear winter show that he never came to terms with his sin against science itself during the affair: he publicized and defended the conclusion before the data were in and before they could be reviewed by other scientists. (5) He doesn't make enough of the fact that often scientific data are difficult to interpret and that honest scientists can disagree. (6) Related to the last point, his worst moment in the book comes when instead of stating the reasons he and Edward Geller disagreed on, among other things, SDI, he resorts to ad hominem. In the chapter, Geller is called "fanatic," "desperate," and Sagan insinuates that Geller was responsible for the revocation of Oppenheimer's security credentials, though precisely what that has to do with science is unclear. He's utterly contemptuous of the claim that SDI spent the Soviet Union into collapse. (Surely it had SOMETHING to do with it.)
Anyway . . . I tend to read Sagan like C.S.Lewis: they both write with a certain superficial plausibility. It's so enjoyable to be carried along by it that I don't want to stop and consider whether what they're saying really makes complete sense. For some reason, this book just didn't have that effect. As a writer, Sagan had better moments.

Some of the material repeated his earlier articles and books, but it was worth reading again. Sagan does not apologize for shining an intense--and unflattering--spotlight on many cherished but foolish notions. Bunk is bunk, whether it's popular or not. The two or three pages on his "baloney detector" (logical fallacies used to support a lot of pseudoscience) are worth the price of the book.

It was fun reading this book as this was my very next book after I finished Erich Von Daniken's Book "Chariots of God?". The sharp contrast between the style and content of the two authors made this a very interesting reading.
Mr. Sagan seems to have a taken a very hard look at the ideas and theories that have been with the mankind for ages.
Mr. Sagan should have avoided "The other guy is wrong" attitude.

I'm so lucky to have read this book several years ago when I was a young teen. In an age of increasingly bitter attacks on religion by folks who seem to be more angry at God than skeptical of him, it's refreshing to return to Carl's warm and persuasive technique. Rather than inviting the reader to attack religious ideas and their hapless hosts, Dr. Sagan presents skepticism, materialism, and the scientific method as what they are - invaluable tools of discovery for the curious mind.

It seems like we skeptics are, thanks to Hitchens and Dawkins, becoming the arrogant killjoys and persecutors that Ben Stein's "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" makes us out to be. I've always considered this book to be the ultimate atheist primer, and never have we been more in need of this lucid, breezy, and amusing introduction to free thinking.

The people that are writing how this book rambles on about psuedoscience is exactly correct are for a good reason, it seems the majority of this world believes in a god of some type and this is addressed and debunked by Sagan (and many others), but what I found more interesting was how many people still believe we have been visited by extraterrestrials from another planet surfing through interstellar space and visiting earth and performing sexual experiments on people,lol, but like Sagan said "its funny more of the neighbors dont notice", he also sheds light on how the human recollection is horribly flawed to the point where most people cannot accuratly remember what happened a month ago and worse 5 minutes ago, this is not saying humans are stupid like ive heard people say just simple facts (something most believers have a hard time with). This book was a fabulous informing read and I recommend it for anybody still wrapped up in superstition like I was!

"You cant convice a believer of anything, for their belief is not based on evidence but a deep seated need to believe"- Carl Sagan

I would also recommend:
The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

Sagan's final book is a gauntlet tossed down against the superstitions and lies that have gained so much popularity of late in a world that should be well on its way to progressing beyond the need for such silly beliefs. Sagan takes on UFO's, phony psychics, paranormal claims, spiritual healing and other assorted illogical matters that thrive even in a world that has been so bettered by the gifts of science and rational thinking.

In light of the world's current problems with the violence brought on in the name of religion, Sagan offers a rare insight into the foundations of myth and mysticism without an offensive attitude. What was weird and obscene in the 1300's is equally as odd and dangerous today. Heavily footnoted and developed in a logical manner, Sagan pulls the reader through the history of the supernatural with evidence and logic as he ends up demonstrating that we all must think for ourselves if we want true enlightenment. This book will upset those who accept the un-provable as proof and a lack of evidence as evidence. Although some passages labor heavily in science, the scope of the lesson and the message is well within the reach of all who wonder why things don't make sense. After all, what is more valuable, turning water to wine or curing a disease with an orange peel?

Sagan disproves most myths lot of people have believed, are believing and probably will believe in the future, no matter how many proofs exists against these ideas. But more important is, he gives a clear method how to filter all the crap you will encounter in the future, the way science works. He explains the importance of being open minded, but still skeptical. I will definitely try other books from Sagan in the near future.

Must read book for everyone, especially for credulous people.

When picking up Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World" I didn't really know what to expect. I knew that the book was about science and I thought it was just going to tell us how far science has taken us with some clever tests and statistics. I had know idea that Carl Sagan was so passionate with science and his writings. Actually, every scientist has that same way of thinking on the passionate level, however society doesn't know there is a certain code, and un-written rules, hense the passion. The book explains not in detail about this, but clearly it's appearent. Sagan teaches us that scientific evidence is something you can't dispute with. If you think about it, what can be your argument? What tests the limits and credibility of science? He shows us that Scientific Fact is the last word. He also explains that these psuedo-sciences are out there and popping up all over the world. These are merely "new-age" scineces. I'm sorry if I offend anyone reading this but, anything "New-Age" is just a fad or what ever is popular in that current time, whatever it is it will die out sooner then later. I beleive the Boloney Detection Kit chapter is the most stimulating and the Hallucinations chapter is just as good. Sagan writes about evolution, religion, God, and all sorts subjects. UFO's even made it on the list.
The only problem I have with this book is that the first 2-3 chapters is a drag, but after that enjoy the education while you can get it.
This book is a classic and it will be looked over and studied till science finally has a day where it will be properly recognized and excepted in society.But I'm not expecting that any time soon, I beleive as long as we have religion out there then we will not except it.
One other thing... where's the scientific evicdence on God, is there any, do we have any, where is it, who has it, have we seen any, any finger prints, DNA, blood samples, hair samples? Oh, I forgot, we're pretty little snowflakes.

A scattered collection of essays, the best of the bunch being the 'Baloney Detection Kit' chapter. Which is a valuable rephrasing of the scientist's credo, all-too-often glossed over in science education. In my opinion, the fatal flaw of this book is Sagan's naive materialism. Surprising to me, since he was a life-long marijuana connoisseur, valuing it for giving him creative insights into scientific problems. Yet he appears to have gained no inkling of the transcendent possibilities of consciousness, and seems all-too-ready to fall into the old 19th century trap of dismissing it all as wish-fulfillment fantasy (which, granted, 99% of it is). Anyway, for a valuable antidote and/or complement to Sagan's somewhat antique formulation of the scientific worldview, check out Nobelist Kary Mullis' 'Dancing Naked in the Mind Field', and physics prof. Victor Mansfield's 'Science Synchronicity and Soul Making'. Both of these books provide excellent counter-arguments to Sagan's (at times) all-too-naive skeptical realism, from authors who are at least as scientifically qualified as Sagan, if not more so.

Dr. Sagan has written one of the most beautiful and compellingarguments I have ever read against 'New-Age' pseudo-science and thelike. This book reminds us what it means to be a rational human being and shows us that we all have an obligation to 'light a candle against the darkness'. A magnificent book and a fitting epitaph for one of the worlds great human beings.

My first real read on skeptical thinking. I have just started to look at the world in a differnet way - steering away from the religious process. This book has opened my eyes and allowed me to see more clearly.

I think Dr. Sagan does a great job keeping the reader interested, although he goes a little long on the alien abduction thing....

Bascially the premise of this book is on the scientific method as a way for society to think and apply. He sticks to the Natural world - as he should since it's the only one we truly know about - and doesn't offend other methods, but does point out their fallacies (as he does for science as well).

He keeps his prose straight and easy to comprehend. He simply makes sense out of a world where sense is being lost to fantasy.

Nowadays we have a polarized world. Nowadays means: since the middle age at least... In this book we learn the importance of skeptical thinking as the base for science and how to avoid this maniqueism, but, incredible!, its not turn science into a boring thing! Science, in fact, is more intriguing than most fiction books, and is the best way to the truth: this noble and never reached thing. Thanks to the Dr Sagan's passion many other people around the world are inspired by science. People like Dr Sagan should live forever: and, in a certain way, they do. Read the book and fall in love.

This is the best book I've read in ages. I recommend it to everyone...no exceptions. Upon reading it, the reader will find himself free of the chains of his irrational beliefs. He will wonder why he believed in such non-sense, when reason and logic points the other way. It's truly an amazing book. It's true...the truth REALLY sets you free!!!

As you should expect from a Carl Sagan's book; Sagan reveals all the "supernatural" or "mysterious" things that "matter" for the believers, going from God to UFOs and Mars face (He also explains the fenomena)

Great book for serious reader, if you only read Dan brown's novels you won't enjoy it.

I always knew that Sagan was the best science writer in recent memory bar none (and by far the best scientist writing on science) but this, his next to last book, really is a slam-dunk.
Humanity's loss at his death was immeasurable.

The only bad thing I can say about this book is that the people who stand to learn most from it are probably never going to read it. If you have even the remotest interest in science (or pseudo-science for that matter), you will find this fascinating and stimulating reading.

Buy a couple of copies for yourself and your friends. I heartily recommend it to younger readers who might realize that the real celebrities and role models aren't strutting their stuff on MTV and ESPN but holed up in a science lab somewhere.

As a person who studied the sciences, I have ensured that I recommend this book to as many people as possible. There are far too many books available on new age, voodoo based "solutions to all our questions", and the scientific community needs to let the man in the street know what we know. The academic world is far too secretive, and people look for answers to everyday questions. If we do not advertise our discoveries, people will look to aliens and tarrot cards for their answers.

At the time this book was written Dr. Sagan was nearing the end of his life and was well aware of it. This last work was intended to convey with all his gusto; his wonder and profound optimism to that of his lifelong love of science. He also, even to his last breath, invested much time to debunking pseudoscience, which was apparently the last topic he wanted to tackle. Dr. Sagan was desperately trying to convey that all the wonder and mystisism he has known through science. He might not have accomplished that with this book alone but the feature film Contact finished the job. This work was befitting to Carl, always trying to spread his wonder, optismism and his rational approach to all. This book was a wonderful microcosim of his life. Thank you Carl.

It always amazes me on how simple Carl Sagan can make some pretty complex ideas. I recommend this book for those who wonder why we believe what we believe and also how to strengthen your critical thinking skills.
We lost this wonderful person way too soon.

Dr. Sagan argues eloquently about rationalism in an age where channeling and crystals pervade and where journalism is a more sought-after college major than biology or astronomy. He links science with spirituality, yet his book chides the early Christian church and the Bible. But no matter. If you are at all interested in science, there are two writers whose ouerves you must read: one is Carl Sagan, and the other is Isaac Asimov.

Critical thinking is the main topic of this book. Why should we think critically, and what is the danger if society as a whole just accept everything on face value without asking hard questions? This book is not for people who seek casual entertainment. It asks the readers to question what they see, hear, and read in daily life. Accepting base on irrefutable evidence and facts, rather than on hear-say or faith.

This is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with the conflicts between belief and proven fact. While Dr. Sagan may be too rigid in holding to the rigors of scientific proof, he nevertheless makes a very cogent argument for the use of his "baloney detection kit" when it comes to analyzing both ancient and modern-day myths. Carl draws a very clean line among the ancient myths of demons, the Inquisition, Salem witch hunting, slavery, and today's claims of alien abductions. He hits on some very deep natures of the human experience without over drilling his case. The tools of analysis that he uses are immediately useful for those of us who have been challenged with how to reconcile the differences between faith and fact-based deductive reasoning. Throughout the book Carl does a wonderful job of both enlightening through analytical tools and educating by the many scientific examples that he uses to make his case.

Carl Sagan's love for science and for rational thought, expressed in this work and in many others is downright infectious. Critical thinking is one of mankind's greatest assets and this work should be required reading for every English speaking person who wants to understand the world not as an unconnected series of mystical events, but rather as a part of an understandable, rational universe.

The Demon-Haunted World is a good read if for no other reason than that it is written in Carl Sagan's usual engaging style. Sagan is a wonderful storyteller... As an antidote to popular misunderstandings, the book will probably be less successful. Anybody who has the intellectual wherewithal or ambition to read a 400-page book on critical thinking probably already has enough common sense to doubt alien abduction stories.
Sagan's audience will largely consist of the already-converted.

But The Demon-Haunted World is most interesting as a curious example of skeptical thinking naively taught. Exhorting the reader to skeptical thnking in all fields, it does not seem to have occurred to Sagan that the reader might train his newly acquired skeptical guns on the author himself. Sagan wishes to aim the skeptical blunderbuss primarily at the more vulgar examples of popular belief such as crop circles, astrology, etc. But the book is also larded with Sagan's views on a wide range of controversial issues such as global warming, overpopulation and arms control. Far from issuing invitations to skeptical inquiry into his self-confident assertions in these areas, Sagan seems to assume that no reasonable person would ever doubt them. He includes a section of mea culpas for his past errors, but these are restricted to mistakes on arcane scientific issues and include no examples from the cultural or political issues on which he passionately wrote.

The book ends with a ringing call-to-arms to employ critical thinking in addressing the problems that face the world. The reader is well-advised to listen to Sagan, but may wish to skeptically evaluate Sagan's views as well as everybody else's.

This is the first of Carl Sagan's book that I read and I must say I'm very impressed by the way he writes. This book is for those who would like to think 'the otherwise'. It opens up your mind and makes you think rationally. Although I found the first couple of chapters (on UFO/alien abduction) a little too repetitive, the rest of the chapters are extremely engaging and thought provoking.

MUST READ!

This is the best book I have ever read on the subject of general science and society. It should be read in every introductory course to critical thinking. Another reviewer on here complained about it's fanaticism towards science and all the ills in the world that have come about to the rise in technology. Hello? Science does not dictate what we humans do with our growing knowlege. The movement of primitive societies to agriculture was a technological advancement...was this bad? No. Science offers simply a systematic way of observing the world...and it is self correcting despite what another reviewer has said...apparently he has not heard that science has disproved the theory of a flat earth. The Demon Haunted World was pure enjoyment to read and has a permanent place on my book shelf...

It's hard to tell sometimes if Sagan was a champion of rational thought,(whatever that's supposed to be), or if he was the modern day version of Torquemada. It can be a little dizzying. When Sagan wrote "Inteliigent Life in the Universe" with Schlovskii, he theorized the possibility of artificial structures on Mars and that's ok...but if Mark Carlotto does that he's a crackpot. If Sagan, in the same book, wonders if the myth of the demi-god Oannes might not be evidence of ancient extraterrestrial visits that's ok...but if Erich Von Daniken does that he's a crackpot. If in "Dragons of Eden" Sagan wonders if there is some connection between myths of Dragons and Dinosaurs that's ok...but if Michael Cremo does that he's a crackpot. Then there is this book...just something disengenuous about the whole mess. You have to admire Sagan for the poetic way he presented orthodox science to the general public and he deserves our deepest gratitude for his work against nuclear madness. But what to make of his duplicity regarding what is, and is not, "rational"? After 2000 years of religious dogmatism and nonsense, do we really want a "scientific" equivalent to the Vatican, with it's High Priesthood and Unquestioned Magisterium? I suspect we do live on a haunted world; but it's not Demons our "pseudo-science" that haunts our little world...it's Dogmatism.

A manifesto for clear thought, rationalism, and skepticism written in Sagan's accessible, passionate style. In a world surrounded by the wonders of science, why do we persist in our superstitions and our belief in pseudoscience?

Sagan does a good job of conveying the horrible state of science in the daily lives of the average american. A lot of it is misunderstood, or worse, other things are misunderstood to be science. There are several valuable parts to this book that will give a reader a better idea of how to think critically without making mistakes of logic or reasoning. This book should almost be mandatory high school reading.

This book is really good. It debunks almost all the things that the credulous general population believes in. I really wish a christian would look at this book, the problem with most of them is that they are incapable of admitting that their religion has no leg to stand on. Seriously this book should be required reading for every high school/college student.

Definitely, people should stop believing every single thing they are told because many of those things may be just based on superstition and non-scientific facts.This book puts science above all those other aspects Sagan mentions in his book; science deserves to be placed there, above so much nonsense...

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.

If I could say one thing to Dr. S, it would be, "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for writing this book." It opened my mind to all the bamboozles that I once believed and equiped me with tools for the "Fine art of Baloney Detection." I'm sure we all know many people who could use this book.

After a fantastic beginning, Sagan spends FAR too much time talking about aliens. Honestly, after I got through the first chapter dealing with aliens, I got bored. And there were several more chapters devoted to the topic after that. However, the rest of the book is filled with amazing and insightful gems on such topics as skepticism, baloney detection, sleep paralysis and 'demons' and a sense of wonder for science in general. So my advice is to skim the alien chapters and read the rest of the book very carefully.

Once again Dr. Sagan has served up strong food for thought. However this time, rather than sharing the wonders of the universe with us, he asks why so many of us are not interested, and what that means to our future.
His insight into the world of science coupled with his natural gift to entertain the unenlightened, make us all understand his fears about why we're so willing to follow the easy path of "pseudo-science" rather than struggle to find the truth, which is much more difficult.
Dr. Sagan's contributions towards explaining the cosmos, both within and without, will always remain a force of inspiration for us all.

Carl Sagan is famous for saying "The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be." While as a Christian I disagree with this sentiment, there is a debt of gratitude owed to Sagan as Sagan was one of those people wanting to popularize science for a non-scientific audience and open them up to scientific thinking.

I read Sagan's book after an atheist recommended I read it in response to my suggesting he read Keener's "Miracles." I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw in Sagan's work. While Sagan is definitely an atheist, one does not find the usual vitriol one has come to find in the works of the new atheists. I often had the impression that Sagan would have been the kind of atheist I could sit down and reasonably chat with concerning why I hold the position that I do.

In fact, much of what is in this book should be amenable to Christians easily and if some of it is not, that could point to a great insecurity that exists in the mind of the Christian who has that fear. Why should we who think God revealed Himself in Jesus in this world think that further study in this world will somehow disprove that truth? (And besides, if it did, we should be thankful. Who wants to go through life believing what is untrue?)

We should be applauding the work of Sagan to get science into the mainstream and support scientific research. I also wholly agree with him that our young people are not thinking enough, though that does not just extend to science, and need to have a greater education rather than just being entertained all day. I would support entirely seeing shows on TV that would grab the interest of young people so they could learn about areas such as science.

When I was in school, for instance, we would watch 3-2-1-Contact. I know several others who grew up watching people like Bill Nye, the Science Guy. While I am against just purely entertaining our children, I think there are ways we can do education that are attractive to students and make them want to learn. I know today a number of adults that still remember rules of grammar and math by thinking of old episodes of Schoolhouse Rock.

Yet there are some concerns. I think too often Sagan puts all the eggs in the science basket. Science is an important piece of the puzzle, but it can too often be made the whole deal. This could be understandable however since science was the passion of Sagan and it's easy to see everything in light of that passion and think it is the most important.

Sagan is certainly right to go after the gullibility in our culture with pseudoscience, as he should, but when it comes to him stepping out of his field, he is too quick to also buy into gullibility. We must all check ourselves for bias and it's too easy to think a story or claim meshes with our worldview and is therefore reliable. i will not thus comment on Sagan's science. I am not an authority there. But there are areas I do consider myself an authority in that I think Sagan gets wrong. It is a warning to all of us.

For instance, on page 37, Sagan sees metaphysics as philosophy or as he says "Truths you could recognize just by thinking about them." This is not an accurate description. Metaphysics is really the study of being as being. It is true to say that metaphysics has no laboratory while physics does, but this is the problem of saying that a branch of knowledge is not as valid because it does not go about the same way another one does. History has no laboratory. Mathematics has no laboratory. Literature has no laboratory, yet we would not say that those are less valid branches of knowledge. It is a mistake to see the way that science does what it does and think every other way is insufficient.

Also, Sagan makes the claim that Deuteronomy was a forgery found in the time of Josiah. Considering works have been written on Deuteronomy showing that it fits in perfectly as a Suzerain treaty which dates to the time it is traditionally thought to have been written in, this is problematic. In fact, one could hardly say it agrees with Josiah. Why would Josiah write a document that would put his kingship thus far in a bad light by showing how far he had failed?

I also think Sagan should be taken with a huge grain of salt when talking about the medieval period, especially since his main source seems to be Gibbon. (Another problematic area comes in when one would like to check Sagan's sources. He does say what books he uses, but no page numbers are cited so one cannot know where the claims are found.) This is especially with regards to Witch Trials and the Inquisition. More modern readers would be benefited by seeing a work like Kamen's on the Spanish Inquisition or seeing the research of James Hannam on the medieval period.

There are other areas where Sagan just gets facts wrong such as thinking the transmission of the biblical accounts would be like a telephone game (page 357) or that the Bible teaches a flat Earth (300) or claims of genocide in the Bible. (290)

Also, on page 278, Sagan thinks an infinite universe would be a problem for Christian theism. I do not see why this is. It would mean changing one's interpretation of Genesis perhaps (Though I hold to Walton's view so that would not be much of a problem) but from a Thomistic perspective, an eternal universe still depends on God.

Commendable in all of this also is the fact that Sagan does not deny the failures of science. Science has brought us cures for diseases, but it has also brought us weapons of mass destruction. The solution to this is not to teach more science, but rather to teach more morality. Science can be just as badly used as religion can be. One can say science works by pointing to launching a man to the moon, but one could also say it works by pointing at a missile hitting a city. A difference with religion of course is that the man who launches a missile on innocents is not violating any principles of science, but a Christian who murders an innocent man is violating a principle of Christianity.

Despite all this, I found myself rather pleased ultimately by Sagan's work. While I do think he puts too much in the science basket, it is understandable and one would hope that today's new atheists would learn to be a bit more like Sagan. I can thus commend this work to others in understanding the importance of science for our society.

In Christ,
Nick Peters
Deeper Waters Christian Ministries

Noting when this book was written, the author seems to have fallen into some lines of reasoning that I've heard many times before. Because he takes so many directions throughout the book, I'll pick a few germane examples and go with them.
1. "All the good jobs (manufacturing) have gone South. Or have been driven right out of the country." The economists will tell you that this is the normal scheme of things in improving productivity. He does not make any policy recommendations about it, but comes *that* close to so doing.
2. "The Japanese/ Europeans are overtaking us in science. We've invested too much damned money in defense, and their economies are booming because of their better directed funds." Later proven to be 150% wrong. You can have as many well educated people as you want, but if you have out-of-control labor unions (Germany) or efficiency draining protectionism (Japan), or a smothering public sector (France) then it won't much matter. And we've seen what happened in the past (China), when a country weakens its military to the point of ineffectiveness at the behest of some intellectual. It *seems* to make so much sense to invest as much possible in education. But when that and other things are done in practice (at the expense of the military/ other things), does that make so much sense?
3. "The Americans scored lower than the British and Canadians on science tests in categories X, Y, and Z." But strange enough: Having lived in Britain, the government sends all these well trained chemists to universities where they graduate to find..... NO jobs! And the income per capita in GB is about 35% less than it is the USA. The gap is not quite so wide between us and the Western Europeans. According to The Economist, the gap between the US and Western Europe has widened over time, with our having a GDP per capita 54% higher than theirs. The Eastern Europeans likely score higher than the Americans on science exams of many sorts. But what does that mean directly in terms of income?
4. "Communism was just an 'experiment' tried in China that failed." We can think of a lot of things that are "experiments," and yield catastrophic results. And how long they take to fix. The regime of Mao has made mistakes that could take decades (at least 5) to fix even if China reversed course this afternoon and tried to fix it. (A sex imbalance created by a one child policy that was create to counteract a policy of "every mouth comes with two hands" is going to spell doom for China in the next 20 years or so.) Does it make sense to stick with what we know that works, or to try to experiment with this and that without any idea of the long term cost? It's not like working in a chemical lab. You can't throw away the chemicals and start again without anyone saying too much about it.
5. "Government regulation/ action is the 'solution' to this or that educational problem." But is it just my imagination, or is the way paved for some special interest group (the NEA, for example) to systematically create labor conditions that are in their interest? There is not one state in which there is not a tenure system at the K-12 level. But the Catholic schools (not part of the nationwide convention of tenure) seem to produce much better students. But the NEAs members have some very cushy jobs, paid for by American taxpayers.
It seems like the moral of the book is "Do these things X, Y, and Z. And they'll all lead to something that creates a demand for more of my services as an academic/ educator." It *seems* like it is better to have a population that knows less than more. But when a "literati" public is more likely to elect leaders who are "intellectual," there is nothing but problems. France: Let's go on strike about this or that every month. Britain: Let's have health care that is "free" (at the point of service) and then wonder why we have to inject money into it every other week to keep it from collapsing. (The dental care there [...]. I've experienced this first hand.)
The book is so well written. But the later topics are too broad for him to actually offer case studies on the things that he comes very near to suggesting are good ideas.
Draw the appropriate lesson from this book: Just because an academic says it smoothly, it ain't necessarily true.

Like another reader, this book sat around a long time before I read it. Dated, of course; but that should not matter for a good book.

Easy read, good thought process. Overall though I was left expecting so much more from Sagan. Not germain.

Page 275--Sagan misunderstands what the Catholic Church teaches about the Eucharist. True, the Church teaches that the Eucharist is the Real Body and Blood of Christ, not "just productive metaphor." But the Church does not teach that the wafer and wine in any way change chemically or materially at the moment of Consecration. The change is in the essence of the wafer and wine, a spiritual change, for want of a better expression.

Pages 141-147--Regarding religious visions and apparations. I'm an avid collector of news items about the odd places where Mary/Jesus are appearing now--in the burn marks on tortillas, in oil slicks at Jiffy Lube, etc. (My personal favorite is a story about Our Lady of Guadalupe appearing in a salt stain in the water runoff under the JFK expressway in Chicago. Photos reveal an image that bears an uncanny resemblance to both OLG and a giant female sex organ.) Do I know if God is really behind these rather banal "apparitions" with seemingly ordinary, coincidental causes? No. But as long as the people who find them aren't using them for their own personal gain, I don't see the problem with giving such apparitions the benefit of the doubt.

Besides, if someone sees Jesus' face in a tortilla and because of that gives up drinking and starts treating his wife better (as Maria Rubio's husband supposedly did), I'm not prepared to argue that the Lord doesn't work in mysterious ways.

Other than that, an excellent book. I'd say it should be required reading in high school, but that would guarantee kids wouldn't read it.

Brace yourself for a stuningly engrossing discussion by the world renown scientist, Carl Sagan, on the subject of science in relation to our modern world. Go back in history to the beginning of time and trace the development of scientific, and not so scientific, thought leading up to the present day. Delve into the relationships between science, religion, magic, alien life forms, and many more fascinating interfaces that you may never have contemplated before. An extraordinarily well written text by a well loved hero of our time, who brings scientific principles to the common man in understandable fashion. Carl Sagan may be gone, but with this work, he certainly will not be forgotten.

There is only one book that I have ever read about which I can truly say, "It changed my life." The Demon-Haunted World is it. It gave me the clues I needed to finally make sense of the world. It did this by teaching me the value of science and what science does, and by helping me to catalog, understand, and utilize critical thinking skills. Carl's list of logical fallacies, spelled out in the chapter titled, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" is invaluable and is worth the price of the book alone.